Metagaming Microgames
Kevin Whitmore
United States
Albuquerque
New Mexico
-
Starting in 1977, and ending in 1982, Metagaming released a series of microgames. A microgame was a new concept. For only $3 you would receive a modest sized game with (sometimes) tremendous replay value. For fans of this era of games I commend to your attention the following web site: http://maverick.brainiac.com/cmm/. The microgames released by Metagaming were a basic staple for many gamers in those days. This list is intended as a tribute to the fun found in these games.
In addition to these 22 games, Metagaming also released 5 MicroHistory games, and several MicroQuests for the Fantasy Trip (Melee & Wizard).
This list shows the original 22 Microgames first, and then shows the five Micro-Histories.
-
1.
Board Game: Ogre
[Average Rating:6.87 Overall Rank:587]
Kevin Whitmore
United States
Albuquerque
New Mexico
-
Ogre: Microgame #1 -
The command post is well guarded. Tanks, armored hovercraft, missile cannon, infantrymen in powered armor -- all with one mission: to defend that vital spot. And your job is to go in and destroy it. Alone. But when those defenders see you, they'll wish they were somewhere else. Because you're not a man. You're a thinking machine -- the deadliest device on any battlefield. You're the OGRE. - Designed by Steve Jackson.
-
-
Kevin Whitmore
United States
Albuquerque
New Mexico
-
Chitin: I Microgame #2 -
On a far planet, summer is ending. It is the time of harvest. And across the fields pour the Hymenoptera - intelligent insects with only one goal...more food for the Hive. -
Designed by Howard Thompson.
-
-
3.
Board Game: Melee
[Average Rating:6.80 Overall Rank:1216]
Kevin Whitmore
United States
Albuquerque
New Mexico
-
Melee: Microgame #3 -
Meet your next foe... MELEE is the fast action game of bows, axes, halberds and other cold steel weapons. You create your own fantasy fighter by selecting his arms, armor, and fighting attributes. In the arena, you may face a skilled killer or a ravening beast. Small teams can even be pitted against each other in this exciting simulation of man-to-man combat. -
Designed by Steve Jackson.
-
-
Kevin Whitmore
United States
Albuquerque
New Mexico
-
WarpWar: Microgame #4 -
Up screens, ready Beams and Missile Tubes, Power Drive to 5! The battle is about to begin. Warpwar is a fast playing game of interstellar maneuver and combat. You select the tactics and weapon power settings. No chance is involved in the diceless combat system. You must out-think your opponent. You design your own spaceships with Beams, Screens, Missile Tubes and Power Drive. -
Designed by Howard Thompson.
-
-
5.
Board Game: Rivets
[Average Rating:6.33 Overall Rank:2804]
Kevin Whitmore
United States
Albuquerque
New Mexico
-
Rivets: Microgame #5 -
HERE COME THE ROBOTS....OOPS! BOPPERS were mass produced robotic war machines. When the final war ended they were all that was left. Everyone was dead; but, the BOPPERS kept on fighting. Afterall, with the intelligence of can openers what could you expect. RIVETS is a two player tactical level science fiction game of robotic warfare in the 22nd century. -
Designed by Robert Taylor.
-
-
6.
Board Game: Wizard
[Average Rating:6.90 Overall Rank:1337]
Kevin Whitmore
United States
Albuquerque
New Mexico
-
Wizard: Microgame #6 -
You are now a wizard... WIZARD...the basic magical combat system from THE FANTASY TRIP. Test your skill and imagination as you create real and illusionary beings and send them against your foe - or attack directly with a bolt of lightning! Successful wizards gain skill and power...losers die. WIZARD may be combined with other games and components from THE FANTASY TRIP such as MELEE (basic combat). Can you defeat swords with spells? -
Designed by Steve Jackson.
-
-
Kevin Whitmore
United States
Albuquerque
New Mexico
-
Olympica: Microgame #7 -
THE WEBBIES WANT YOUR MIND... Olympica simulates the U.N. Mars raid to capture the Web Mind Generator from a heavily defended area near the Nix Olympica's massive caldera. The Webbie revolutionaries are deep in their tunnel complexes surrounded by strongpoints and infantry. The raiders will use infantry, laser tanks, lifters and the tunnel busting BOAR drill. If they fail man's future may fall to the telepathic, religion/machine Web Mind of Mars. -
Designed by Lynn Willis.
-
-
8.
Board Game: G.E.V.
[Average Rating:6.87 Overall Rank:833]
Kevin Whitmore
United States
Albuquerque
New Mexico
-
G.E.V.: Microgame #8 -
QUICKNESS KILLS... In the year 2085, a tank duel lasts only seconds. An entire battle ends in minutes. Nuke-firing infantrymen dodge across the battleground in powered suits, trying to come to grips with the enemy armor. And those armor units, both tanks and hovercraft, are deadly. Only a direct hit will take one out...a miss may stun the crew, but their machine,will keep trying to kill you! G.E.V., sequel to OGRE, adds more detail to this fast-moving simulation of armored combat a century from now. G.E.V. is a new game - but it's wholly compatible with OGRE. -
Designed by Steve Jackson.
-
-
Kevin Whitmore
United States
Albuquerque
New Mexico
-
Ice War: Microgame #9 -
ICE WAR simulates a raid on the Prudhoe Bay oilfields launched from over the polar ice cap. The ESA (Eurasian Socialist Alliance) raiders are equipped with armed hovercraft and sled vehicles. Transports carry infantry and tanks, and missile sleds carry long-range missiles. The US Army must locate the ESA force, hold it off until reinforcements arrive, and destroy it before the oilfields are burned. The US has infantry, tanks, hovercraft, outposts, recon sleds, air transport and satellites. -
Designed by Keith Gross.
-
-
Kevin Whitmore
United States
Albuquerque
New Mexico
-
Black Hole: Microgame #10 -
Alien Artifact... BLACK HOLE is speed and action in a game. Projectiles zip around Dunkin in a bewildering maze, your own may hit you in the back! Combat units "jump" across the torus, sometimes in a blaze of x-rays. Fast and strange is the challenge of the Black Hole asteroid. BLACK HOLE is the strangest alien artifact ever. Just what *is* a do-nut asteroid with a black hole in the hole? Who will win it? What can you do with it? -
Designed by Robert Taylor.
-
-
Kevin Whitmore
United States
Albuquerque
New Mexico
-
Sticks and Stones: Microgame #11 -
STICKS & STONES is a game about warfare in the late Stone Age. Each player arms his warriors, as he sees fit, with stone axes, spears, bows, or just bare hands. Trained dogs, dependents, herds of domesti- cated animals, goods, and village raids, ritualized battles, migrations, and the beginnings of true warfare between more powerful villages. -
Designed by David Ray.
-
-
Kevin Whitmore
United States
Albuquerque
New Mexico
-
Invasion of the Air-Eaters: Microgame #12 -
THEY'VE GOT OUR AIR..... It's 1983 and our air is going bad. An Alien generation ship invades earth with fantastic weapons and Air Converters. These survivors from another star are remaking Terra to suit their needs despite "indigenous biological activity". Mankind's back is against the wall - we must win or die gasping. The monster's mothership beams down Crawlers, Production Bases and Atmospheric Converters. Our almost useless armies and sub fleets must be improved through crash research and development. All the world's nations must fight as one to protect industry and resources so new weapons can be produced. We can even learn to "reconvert" the air. -
Designed by Keith Gross.
-
-
Kevin Whitmore
United States
Albuquerque
New Mexico
-
Holy War: Microgame #13 -
"GOD" is alive as well... Amtik the god had a problem. The universe was internal to his 400,000km long self. He was "god" to the universes' inhabitants. Unfortunately, only the Holy Band truly believed in and worshipped Amtik. The unruly Sunthrowers believed in Amtik's existence, however, they also believed that "life was not an end, but a by-product of systems design". Amtik was in danger! The Sunthrowers were hurling stars at his universe sensor ducts. The Holy Band wanted his divine intervention. A sun in the ducts would dissipate poor Amtik and free his creations. While the Holy Band mightily struggled to believe and triumph, Amtik might even get bored and "turn-off" his universe - is a puzzlement. -
Designed by Lynn Willis.
-
-
Kevin Whitmore
United States
Albuquerque
New Mexico
-
Annihilator/One World: Microgame #14 -
ANNIHILATOR is a giant, planet-killing, computer-controlled spaceship. Pan-Human Alliance assault squads and demolition teams blast their way through the ship to get to Annihilator's brain core. The ship has security robots, repairbots, and automatic defenses to stop the humans. Like One-World, ANNIHILATOR is a tense and exciting game. -
Designed by James E. Tucker. -
ONE WORLD is the game of godly conflict for those who've dreamed secretly of divine power. Each player is a god who must contend with a pretentious challenger. Your "children" wage the struggle in their aspects of Blade, Stone and Fog. Over the Singing Grasses, Runelines, The Faults of Chaos and on the Crystal Pylons the battle rages. ONE WORLD is a fast playing, humorous game, which features a diceless combat system. -
Designed by W. G. Armintrout.
-
-
Kevin Whitmore
United States
Albuquerque
New Mexico
-
Hot Spot: Microgame #15 -
War in Hell... Chiros was a molten, planetary hell. It was also a vital production center that the Technocrat rebels had to capture. HOT SPOT is a tactical game about the Technocrat raid on Chiros. The Ziegler Corporations maintains fragile, floating platforms called crustals, that move through the molten rock. The crustals are defended by infantry and hovercraft. The Technocrat attackers are strong, but they must capture crustals quickly, before their attack platforms break up and their units melt into the lava. -
Designed by W. G. Armintrout.
-
-
Kevin Whitmore
United States
Albuquerque
New Mexico
-
Artifact: Microgame #16 -
ALIENS ON LUNA? Lunar expedition discovers 'artifact' ... U.S. technicians attacked by Russian force ... scientists confirm 'artifact' is 'alien' ... laser armed Rovers fight for control ... film at 11:00. ARTIFACT is a near future game of Lunar combat. Using equipment at hand a battle is fought for what may be the key to man's future. Technicians and scientists are later joined by the first space trained marine units. Each player commands his force in a strange struggle in Luna's vacuum. -
Designed by Glenn Williams.
-
-
Kevin Whitmore
United States
Albuquerque
New Mexico
-
Dimension Demons: Microgame #17 -
They came only to kill..... They came from another universe, ruthless aliens too horrible for humans to look upon. They came to kill and to breed more of their murderous kind. Demons, they were called, hellish denizens of a hellish dimension. DIMENSION DEMONS pits invading Demons against the defending Freefeet militia of Ishom. The game features a dual map system to represent dimensions. Victory goes to the player who can control Trans-Dimensional Projections and breeding of new Demons. You must defeat the nefarious minions of the evil dimension or try to subjugate the human infestation of Ishom. The universe depends on it! -
Designed by Fred Askew.
-
-
Kevin Whitmore
United States
Albuquerque
New Mexico
-
The Lords of the Underearth: Microgame #18 -
Underearth is the ancient stronghold of the Dwarven Lords. This game covers the earthy realms full of history: from the height of Dwarven power to its decline the days of dragonfire destruction. Here, you will lead bands of Humans, Dwarves, Orcs and monsters on raids, wars and treasure hunts. LORDS OF THE UNDEREARTH is a two player game of fantasy tactical combat in an underground labyrinth. The rules cover solitaire play, surprise attack, pursuit, morale, locked doors, flight, treasure, mercenaries and uncontrolled movement. This game is a complete simulation of fantasy combat at the group level. -
Designed by Keith Gross.
-
-
Kevin Whitmore
United States
Albuquerque
New Mexico
-
Helltank: Microgame #19 -
The nearby grumble and clank surges rank fear in your veins. Crouched low you wait. Dragons or Ogres of old might at least be fought. HELLTANKS are certain death. Closer, closer it comes. You wait and pray it strikes right or left, anywhere but here. HELLTANK is a game of tactical armored conflict in the 21st century. Each counter is a single vehicle or small unit. -
Designed by Phillip S. Kosnett.
-
-
Kevin Whitmore
United States
Albuquerque
New Mexico
-
Trailblazer: Microgame #20 -
Trailblazer: Can you trade your way to riches? TRAILBLAZER is the space game of free market exploration and exploitation. The productive and efficient thrive beyond the realm of government. Players build their commercial dynesties with fleets, factors, products and skill. A Turn includes Product Purchase, Fleet Movement, Star Exploration, Product Sales and Maintenance. Victory goes to the best trader and financier. TRAILBLAZER is not your usual MICROGAME. There is a lot of record keeping. Games may last for days. -
Designed by Greg Costikyan.
-
-
Kevin Whitmore
United States
Albuquerque
New Mexico
-
Starleader: Assault Microgame #21 -
STARLEADER: ASSAULT! is a game of man-to-man combat inside structures. STARLEADER is set in the far future, the 30th century of the Space Era (SE). Mankind has spread to the the (sic) stars. He has also evolved and changed, as genus homo always has. This is a game of the Humanic expansion to the stars. -
Designed by Howard Thompson.
-
-
Kevin Whitmore
United States
Albuquerque
New Mexico
-
Helltank Destroyer: Microgame #22 -
HELLTANK DESTROYER, a sequel to HELLTANK, is a tactical armored and amphibious combat game where to design your own armored task-force. HELLTANK DESTROYER introduces nine new units; hydrofoil patrol boats, surface effect transport and strike craft, hovergun mobile artillery, and triphibous cruisers. And, the dread Helltank Destroyer with force cannon, missiles, artillery, lasers - so huge it carries battletanks in its hold. Included are four stand-alone scenarios and two link-games for use with HELLTANK. This is the ultimate, until they can kill Helltank Destroyers. -
Designed by Philip S. Kosnett.
-
-
Kevin Whitmore
United States
Albuquerque
New Mexico
-
MicroHistory #1 Rommel’s Panzers
PANZER ROLLEN IN AFRIKA VOR... 1/28/42 - Benghazi: Our Panzer III column growls forward at the British six-pounder, dug-in on the next shimmering sand dune. On our left a Matilda lumbers in, guns blasting. Our battle is gritty and hard. But, I know the men of the Afrika Korps will be victorious. We have become crafty 'rats' of the desert. We have the will and genius of General Rommel as our sustaining guide. Heil! ROMMEL'S PANZERS is Metagaming's historical Micro-Game. Tactical unit combat in North Africa was perhaps the ultimate example of armored warfare. You command the tanks and fight the battles in the fast moving simulation.
Designer: Roger Damon
-
-
Kevin Whitmore
United States
Albuquerque
New Mexico
-
MicroHistory #2 Ram Speed (1980)
"The Bodies of the men that died/The breakers buffet, the billows beat./Washed with blue of sea-salt tide,/Rolled in wreckage of shattered fleet." - Aeschylus. RAMSPEED is a two player game recreating the excitement of naval warfare in the Bronze Age. Each player constructs galleys for his fleet as he chooses, utlizing a point system. Hulls, rowing banks, missile weapons and boarding parties are all included. Combat covers ramming, shearing, grappling, boarding and missile attacks. RAMSPEED is a fast playing game from the age of mythical heroes, a time when gods roamed the earth and mystery veiled the oceans.
Designer: Colin Keizer
-
-
Kevin Whitmore
United States
Albuquerque
New Mexico
-
MicroHistory #3 Stalin’s Tanks (1980)
Welcome to the Eastern front... The Nazi invasion of Russia destroyed lives than any war in history. For the common soldier, it meant unsur- passed suffering. Great battles were fought in ice, mud, dust and exhaustion. The tank bacame queen of battle and the key to victory. Now you can face the challenge of an east front armor commander in this fun, fast playing game of maneuver and combat. STALIN'S TANKS is another historical MicroGame from Metagaming. Players take command of the mighty proven German war machines or the relentless Soviet defenders. Complete with basic and advanced rules, STALIN'S TANKS is an exciting simulation of armored warfare on the Russian front and is compatible with ROMMEL'S PANZERS.
Designer: Roger Damon
-
-
|
|
yeah, this needs to be rereleased.
