Games' Most Wanted: The Top 10 Book of Players, Pawns, and Power-Ups

by Ben H. Rome

Overview

Ever thought about capturing a queen, amassing real estate gold, or striking down a zombie or two? For centuries, games have stimulated the imagination. They have divided, and they have united. They have driven our competitive spirit and indulged our fancy. Live an entire lifetime in a few rolls of the dice. Push a few buttons and sustain perfect health. Essentially, games have and will continue to provide people worldwide a break from the everyday grind.

With more than forty chapters, Games Most Wantedö whisks readers away into the fantasyland of games. Learn more about board games that have been passed through generations, video games that predict the future, and card games that have brought down the house. Ben H. Rome and Chris Hussey also reveal the culture behind the entertainment the codes of conduct, the language, the conventions, and the workshops proving that leisure can be a lifestyle. Something they won't reveal: how to rescue the princess. Regardless of the hand you're dealt, Games' Most Wantedö is sure to cure any boredom.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781597977241
Publisher:	Potomac Books Inc.
Publication date:	07/31/2013
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	3 MB

About the Author

An Origins Award–winning game designer and writer for more than a decade, BEN H. ROME has written and developed projects for Catalyst Game Labs, Fantasy Productions, FASA, and the International Spy Museum. As a web journalist and photographer, he has covered numerous exhibitions at National Geographic, the Smithsonian Institution, and other DC-area museums. A former resident of Orlando, Chicago, and Pittsburgh, he and his wife now call the Washington, DC, metro area home.

Table of Contents

List of Illustrations vii

Acknowledgments ix

Introduction xi

1 Games from Long Ago 1

2 Playing to Win 9

3 They Come in All Shapes and Sizes 17

4 Pioneers of Gaming 23

5 Trailblazers 32

6 Classic Board-dom 41

7 It's in the Cards 49

8 The Smallest Players 59

9 Girls Gone Gaming 67

10 Stepping Op to the Table 76

11 The Code 84

12 Socially Acceptable 92

13 Gaming on the Silver Screen 100

14 Games from the Star Wars Universe 109

15 Repeating the Past 118

16 Comic Relief 126

17 The Workshop of Games 135

18 Giant, Stompy Robots 143

19 Apocalypse Coming 150

20 Arcadian Rhythms 159

21 Came with a Bang, Died with a Whimper 167

22 How Nintendo Changed the Future 175

23 Iconography 184

24 Guiding Games 192

25 Fizzling Electrons 199

26 Tough Nuts to Crack 206

27 We Still Believe … 213

28 Garner Stuff 219

29 Your Friendly FPS 225

30 Shifting Gears 232

31 Fantastic Electrons 238

32 Wo Wing Your Friends 245

33 Future Tense 253

34 Conventions: Gamer Paradise 261

35 Playing Games for Fun and Profit 270

36 It Takes a Village 276

37 Games, But Not 284

References 293

Index 296

About the Authors 311