It’s been a wonderful ride. But, now is the time to end Chimera Creative publishing.

At the end of September, 2008, Chimera Creative products will no longer be available on IPR or anywhere. Until then, Dust Devils is on sale for $19.95 with the PDF included. (Some copies of my games exist in retail channels; I have no idea where.)

I’ll continue to be involved with RPGs as a hobby. In the future, check out www.storiesyouplay.com for my hobby homepage.

There is no way to express sufficiently my appreciation, but I will attempt to:

Thank you to everyone who played my games. You were the people I wanted to reach. Some of you have told me how much you enjoyed playing my games. I like to think I enjoyed you playing my games a million times more.

Tags: News by Matt Snyder
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I’ve created a new Dust Devils Players Kit (PDF). It includes a page with two character records, and a second page with the Poker Hand chart, which also lists the amount of Harm each hand inflicts. Finally, the kit also includes a handy chart to see how you spend and earn Chips in Dust Devils Revenged.

Tags: Dust Devils, News by Matt Snyder
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I just realized that visitors here were unable to register to comment on blog posts. I’ve fixed that.

If you recently tried to comment on a post, my apologies for the confusion and obstacles.

I do approve each new person’s first post, but after that you can post immediately. So, if you see a short wait before your first reply shows up, that’s why.

Tags: News by Matt Snyder
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For the last three years, I make it a point to find some new shirt to help promote my games and have a little fun. Last year, I got an Indianapolis Colts jersey with the number 44. It was great fun. Obviously, there’s an Indianapolis Colts and GenCon Indianapolis tie-in. And, my game is titled 44. Turns out that jersey also belongs to Dallas Clark, a former football star of my alma mater, the University of Iowa. So, I turned the example character in my 44 game text to Mr. Clark.

Ok, the tie-ins there were fun, if a little baroque. This year it’s much more straight-forward. Although, I did keep the sports tie-in. Turns out there’s a minor league baseball team called the Tri-City Dust Devils. I’ve got one of their T-shirts waiting for a GenCon debut to help promote some convesation about my game. I hope to have it strike up some conversations.

Here’s a link to a the T-Shirt I ordered. Look for me wearing it at the con!

Tags: Dust Devils, Events, News by Matt Snyder
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Last year at GenCon 2007, I released the ashcan version of 44: A Game of Automatic Fear. Now, the game design is complete, and the game itself nears publication. I’m rewriting the text to incorporate all changes and extremely helpful feedback since last August.

My goal is to create a highly accessible game for people who enjoy role-playing, but have busy lives like mine. The game is designed for exciting, suspenseful one-shot play. If you’re at all like me, it’s tough getting everyone together weekly or even monthly for longer games.

44 is not a “lite” game in that it has extremely simple mechanics. It has a many play options, but these are not overwhelming by any stretch. Characters are simple on paper, but interesting to watch and portray. Play is suspenseful. The rules make play more suspenseful and entertaining.

One of the things I learned with the ashcan is that people wanted a simple list of options so they can remember things quickly during play. So, the rule book will be designed to help players look up rules quickly. And, character records will have a very useful “cheat sheet” for what they can do during turns.

This poses a book and graphic design challenge that I’m really looking forward to. 44 needs to be accessible to you because it’s extremely fun to play. I aim to make it your go-to “pickup” game for low-preparation, immediate fun.

Look for an October release.

Tags: 44, Game Design, News by Matt Snyder
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In just a couple weeks, I’ll be at GenCon where you can get copies of Dust Devils at the Play Collective, booth 2039. I’ll be right next door with the Ashcan Front booth introducing people to some really interesting new indie games. Unfortuanately, I have no copies of Nine Worlds currently. There may be a very small number of copies available at the IPR/Forge Booth right across the aisle, however.

I’m eager to talk to people at the con. Better yet, I’m eager to play! I’ll happily run any of my games after hours and a the Games on Demand area with anyone who wants to join in. That includes playing my newest game, 44. This new suspense and horror game is designed for one-shots, so it’s perfect for the con. 44 is not yet published, but the game design is complete!

Hope to see you there.

Tags: 44, Dust Devils, Events, News by Matt Snyder
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