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 #36 (February 1981)
Space Gamer #36 (cover date February 1981) "fires up the retrorockets" in the way it does best – and the articles are fun to read, too!
In addition to the regular game reviews, news, and letters, this issue includes the short story "Pawn of the Fire Web," complete with stats for Traveller; an alternate damage system for Star Fleet Battles; a company report for Eon Products, original publishers of the classic game Cosmic Encounters; "Playing Paragon," insight for how to play someone who's as morally good as he can be (written by gaming legend Aaron Allston); the five sins of computer-game writing; and Part 10 in the series "Game Design: Theory and Practice," co-written by Steve Jackson. Of special interest to computer-gaming historians: Steve Jackson also has a featured review of Akalabeth, Lord British's spiritual predecessor to the Ultima series of computer games.
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!
 #27 - #36 |  #37 - #46 |  #47 - #56 |  #57 - #66 |  #67 - #76 |
