Looney Labs Icehouse Mailing list Archive

[Icehouse] A Proposal: The Pyramid Game Hall of Fame

  • FromBryan Stout <stoutwb@xxxxxxxxx>
  • DateFri, 1 Apr 2011 13:09:54 -0400

This is a thread that I just started at the LLFanClub site: http://looneylabs.ning.com/forum/topics/a-proposal-the-pyramid-game

This is a discussion I would like to reach its broadest audience, so I am copying the text here, for those of you who aren't following the Fan Club site:

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Last year we started the ICE Awards for the best fan-designed games of the year.  This year, the 20th anniversary of Icehouse, in that same spirit I propose that the pyramid game fan community start a Pyramid Game Hall of Fame, to honor the best games of this product's history. The Hall of Fame would start with a certain number of games this year, and more could be added each succeeding year.


This proposal raises several questions that deserve discussion:


1. Should it be done? 

I'm assuming the answer is yes, of course.


2. What should the criteria of admittance be?

The general principles would include quality, longevity, originality.  To start off, I propose:

- Both professional and amateur games are eligible.

- The game must have been invented at least 10 years ago.

- The game must still have a substantial devoted following. 

According the BGG list of Pyramid Games, the games invented in or before 2001 include: Icehouse, Trice, Martian Chess, Igloo, Zarcana, DNA, Gridlock, Zendo, Pikemen, Think Ice, IceTowers, RGB, Martian Frisby, Extinction, Ice Solo, Volcano, Martian Backgammon, Ice 3, Turtler, Kotra, Martian Life, RAMBots, Efni, Dragon's Hoard, Crystal Formation, Homeworlds, Martian Mud Wrestling, The Martian Gathering, E, Breakthrough, Battle Zone, Martianopoly, Invaders of Mars, and Gnostica.  Zagami should also be in there I think, and probably others. 


3. How many games should go into the Hall of Fame?

I propose that there be no limit for this inaugural year, and perhaps 2 per year after that; or perhaps no limit any year.


4. How would the judging work?

Two major options include having a small panel of judges, and open judging.  The former is potentially subject to inbreeding, the latter to the cult of the new.  But if the latter should be weeded out by a 10-year eligibility requirement.  It might work well enough if we allow anyone to nominate games and to vote on them, sending out a ballot of all nominees for people to vote yes/no on: any game that gets an 80% vote, say, makes it in.  Campaigning for certain games would be fine with me: I would enjoy hearing why people enjoy certain games.


5. When would it happen?

It could happen in conjunction with the ICE Awards: people either emailing their ballots in, or doing it by hand at the Big Experiment.  The awards would happen in the same ceremony as well. 


Your comments and suggestions are encouraged!

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