The Space Gamer received three Origins Award nominations for Best Professional Roleplaying Magazine (in 1981, 1985, and 1986). The Space Gamer won an Origins Award for Best Professional Roleplaying Magazine of 1982.
Space Gamer began life as a paper magazine published by Metagaming Concepts in 1975. Steve Jackson Games took over publication with issue #27 (dated March/April 1980), and ultimately published 50 issues (plus six issues of spin-off magazine Fantasy Gamer). Issue #76, September/October 1985, became Steve Jackson Games' last issue before the rights to the name went elsewhere. Space Gamer covered all aspects of hobby gaming: RPGs, wargames, card and strategy games, and more. It also featured industry news and reviews. Although Space Gamer is still a great read in its own right, today it's also a fascinating look at an earlier era of hobby gaming.
All the issues of Space Gamer that were published by Steve Jackson Games are available digitally at Warehouse 23, including a bundle of all 50 issues.
Today's featured issue from the vault:
Space Gamer #38 (April 1981)
Space Gamer #38 (cover date April 1981) goes for the gold – literally, judging by its bright-orange cover! The articles are fun to read, too.
In addition to the regular game reviews, news, and letters, this issue includes the results of the 1980 game survey, where Space Gamer readers shared their thoughts (and Space Gamer shares its thoughts on those thoughts); designer's notes for the crossover wargame/RPG Lords of UnderEarth; rules for used spaceships in Traveller; information on how to generate random dice rolls via a computer program; and Part 12 in the series "Game Design: Theory and Practice," by Steve Jackson. Historians may also enjoy longtime gaming stalwart Aaron Allston's review of the Dungeons & Dragons Expert Set. This issue also takes advantage of its proximity to April 1 by taking itself less than seriously: "The Complaints Department" describes what "really" goes on behind the scenes at Space Gamer, and the short story "The Double-Timing Double-Crossing Pick-a-Past Paradox" gives some insight into one possible problem with time travel.
Whether you're a fan of old-school gaming or a historian of our hobby, each issue of Space Gamer is the perfect passport to the past!
See the sample!
 #27 - #36 |  #37 - #46 |  #47 - #56 |  #57 - #66 |  #67 - #76 |
