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 #49 (March 1982)
Space Gamer #49 (cover date March 1982) takes the first star to the right and heads straight on to the gaming hobby's past – and the articles are fun to read, too!
In addition to the regular game reviews, news, and letters, this issue has a mini-theme of Traveller. It includes "Tools for Terrorists" in the Traveller universe, plus an essay by noted game designer Greg Costikyan that – based on conclusions derived from energy calculations – Traveller is science fantasy.
It also includes an armored war machine for Car Wars that's disguised as a recreational vehicle; an essay that examines what Dungeons & Dragons is like without magic; TFT write-ups for the boomerang-throwing Flinger and the damage-sucking Blob (two effective characters that make a powerful team); and designer's notes for the Star Viking strategy game and the Beyond the Stellar Empire play-by-mail game. For fans of the classics, it also includes an in-depth review of Call of Cthulhu. (Spoiler alert: It's a good game!)
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 |
