 Cover of Issue #1 (March 1980), cover art by Howard Chaykin | |
| Frequency | Quarterly |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Simulations Publications |
| First issue | 1980 |
| Final issue | 1984 |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Ares was an American science fiction wargame magazine published by Simulations Publications, Inc. (SPI), and then TSR, Inc., between 1980 and 1984. In addition to the articles, each issue contained a small science-fiction-themed board wargame.
Through the 1970s, SPI had specialized in military history wargames. But the 1977 publication of Metagaming Concepts's science fiction MicroGame titled OGRE proved enormously popular, and other publishers such as Task Force Games, Operational Studies Group, and Chaosium started to develop their own microgames. [1] SPI also started to develop their own line of science fiction microgames, but went a step further, creating a new science-fiction magazine titled Ares in 1980 as a bi-monthly science-fiction/fantasy companion to their military wargame magazine Strategy & Tactics . [2] : 11 Ares, like Strategy & Tactics, included a free game with every issue, complete with a foldout stiff paper map, a set of die-cut counters, and rules. [2] : 9
SPI published 11 issues of Ares, and had prepared Issue 12 for publication when the company was suddenly and unexpectedly taken over by TSR in 1982. TSR released the ready-for-print Issue 12, but reduced the magazine's frequency from bi-monthly to quarterly. After Issue 17, TSR stopped printing the magazine as a separate entity; instead, starting with Issue 84 of TSR's house magazine Dragon , a section was titled Ares, and provided support for science fantasy and superhero role-playing game such as Gamma World , Marvel Super Heroes and Star Frontiers . This section last from issue #84 (April 1984) to issue #111 (July 1986), and then was discontinued, bringing the Ares story to an end. [3] : 51
As game historian Shannon Appelcline noted, "TSR did very little with SPI's roleplaying games. Ares Magazine #12 (1982), which was prepared by SPI and published by TSR, included a game called Star Traders, which was for use with Universe; it was the last support for that game system [...] As TSR turned further away from SPI's origins, Ares magazine soon became an Ares section in Dragon magazine. However, it didn't focus on the SPI RPGs, but instead became a place to talk about TSR's own science-fiction games, such as Gamma World and Star Frontiers. [2] : 14
Michael Anderson of One Small Step Games started a Kickstarter in 2014 to remake the old magazine as a new Ares. [4] [5] The Kickstarter was successful in February 2014. [6] The second issue was released in December 2015. [7] The third issue was released in September 2016. [8] The fourth issue was released in January 2017. [9]
Jerry Epperson reviewed the first issue of Ares in The Space Gamer No. 28. [10] Epperson commented that the first issue, and its game WorldKiller "was a disappointment. It's uneven. Expect nothing but the best in serious science fiction writing here, and nothing but the worst from the games." [10]
In Issue 26 of Phoenix , Hamish Wilson liked the professional look of the first issue, calling it "well put together." But overall, he felt the magazine "lacks form, shape and direction [...] rather than being bold, uncompromising and nailing its colours to the mast, Ares has, as it were, crept out into the open with some fiction, some fact and some game." [11]
In Fantastic , game designer Greg Costikyan was unimpressed with the first issue of Ares, writing, "One would have thought that SPI would seek to make a good impression by producing a high quality game in the first issue [of Ares]. On the contrary, WorldKiller is a dog [...] The game is simple and uninteresting, with no complications introduced to hold one’s interest." [1]
Strategy & Tactics (S&T) is a wargaming magazine now published by Decision Games, notable for publishing a complete new wargame in each issue.
OGRE is a science fiction board wargame designed by the American game designer Steve Jackson and published by Metagaming Concepts in 1977 as the first microgame in its MicroGame line. When Steve Jackson left Metagaming to form his own company, he took the rights to OGRE with him, and all subsequent editions have been produced by Steve Jackson Games (SJG).
Simulations Publications, Inc. (SPI) was an American publisher of board wargames and related magazines, particularly its flagship Strategy & Tactics, in the 1970s and early 1980s. It produced an enormous number of games and introduced innovative practices, changing the course of the wargaming hobby in its bid to take control of the hobby away from then-dominant Avalon Hill. SPI ran out of cash in early 1982 when TSR called in a loan secured by SPI's assets. TSR began selling SPI's inventory in 1982, but later acquired the company's trademarks and copyrights in 1983 and continued a form of the operation until 1987.
White Bear and Red Moon is a fantasy board wargame set in the world of Glorantha, created by Greg Stafford and published in 1975. Stafford first tried to sell the game to established publishers, but despite being accepted by three different game companies, each attempt ended in failure; eventually he founded his own game company in 1974, the influential Chaosium, to produce and market the game.
The Creature That Ate Sheboygan is a science fiction board game released in 1979 by Simulations Publications (SPI). The game received good reviews and won an industry award.
Redmond Aksel Simonsen was an American graphic artist and game designer best known for his work at the board wargame company Simulations Publications, Inc. (SPI) in the 1970s and early 1980s. Simonsen was considered an innovator in game information graphics, and is credited with creating the term "game designer".
Deathmaze is a fantasy board game published by Simulations Publications (SPI) in January 1980 that falls into the general category of dungeon crawls, more specifically, dungeon games in which players enter a dungeon, massacre the dungeon dwellers and steal their treasures.
Melee is a board wargame designed by Steve Jackson, and released in 1977 by Metagaming Concepts. In 2019, Melee was revived and re-released by Steve Jackson Games.
Wizard is a board game system of medieval fantasy magical combat published by Metagaming in 1978 that was designed to complement the previously published Melee, a system of melee combat rules. Forty years later, Wizard was revived and re-released by Steve Jackson Games.
War of the Ring, subtitled "S.R. 1418 to 1419", is a licensed wargame published by Simulations Publications, Inc. (SPI) in 1977 that simulates the events described in The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien.
Heritage Models was an American game company that produced role-playing games, metal miniatures, and game supplements.
Chitin: I is a science fiction microgame published by Metagaming Concepts in 1977 in which bands of intelligent insects vie for resources.
StarSoldier is a science fiction board wargame published by Simulations Publications, Inc. (SPI) in 1977.
Annihilator & One World are two board wargames released in one package by Metagaming Concepts in 1979 as the 14th addition to its MicroGame line.
Asteroid Zero-Four is a science fiction board wargame published by Task Force Games in 1979.
Cerberus is a science fiction board wargame published by Task Force Games in 1979.
Titan Strike!, subtitled "Battle for the Moon of Saturn," is a science fiction board wargame published by Simulations Publications, Inc. (SPI) in 1979 that is set on Titan, one of Saturn's moons.
Black Hole is a science fiction board wargame published by Metagaming Concepts in 1978 as part of its MicroGame line.
Invasion of the Air-eaters is a science fiction near-future board wargame published by Metagaming Concepts in 1979 in which aliens invaders attempt to replace the oxygen in Earth's atmosphere with sulfur dioxide.
WorldKiller: The Game of Planetary Assault is a science fiction board wargame published by Simulations Publications Inc. (SPI) in 1980 that simulates humans in the far future defending a planet against an alien attack.