Allen Varney Legacy Author, Author at The Escapist

The Age of Hero

Though fans of Dungeons & Dragons have led the Old School Revival, many other tabletop roleplaying games from the 1970s and early ’80s ...

By Allen Varney Legacy AuthorSeptember 24, 2009

Days of High Adventure

Retro-clones

Roleplaying is a social pastime, so the roleplaying hobby is about sharing. A roleplaying session is a game of shared imagination; an RPG ...

By Allen Varney Legacy AuthorAugust 27, 2009

Editor's Choice

Dominion Over All

In June 2008, Dominion hit game groups like a card-carrying bullet train, overrunning play sessions for months at a time and racing high ...

By Allen Varney Legacy AuthorAugust 4, 2009

Good Griefing

Wanted: Ganked or Alive

Griefers survive through protective anonymity. Griefers in massively multiplayer online games can indulge their sociopathy because victims can’t identify them or impose punishment. ...

By Allen Varney Legacy AuthorMay 5, 2009

Off the Grid

Internet Killed the Tabletop Star

After 26 years as a professional game designer, I need an electrified wristband with voice recognition so that every time I’d say “Back ...

By Allen Varney Legacy AuthorMarch 17, 2009

Industry Negligence

Postcards from the Road

Many 3-D computer games invite you to explore a virtual space, but few so far have conjured the experience of travel. Sure, geography ...

By Allen Varney Legacy AuthorNovember 18, 2008

Editor's Choice

Private Buffoons

I asked, “Can I write an article about new humor websites and webcomics?” The Escapist responded, “Okay, go for it.” Said I, “Woohoo! ...

By Allen Varney Legacy AuthorNovember 4, 2008

The Iconoclasts

Jonathan Blow’s Shifting Intention

On August 6, 2008, after over three years of work, independent game designer Jonathan Blow launched the puzzle platformer Braid on Xbox Live ...

By Allen Varney Legacy AuthorAugust 19, 2008

Op-Ed

SWG NGE: Crying Freeman

In “Blowing Up Galaxies” in this week’s The Escapist, Allen Varney describes the aftermath of Sony Online Entertainment’s disastrous “New Game Enhancements” for ...

By Allen Varney Legacy AuthorJune 13, 2007

News

Boll vs. Wood

This week’s The Escapist explains the German tax shelters that fund the career of much-discussed German filmmaker Uwe Boll. Boll is most often ...

By Allen Varney Legacy AuthorJanuary 23, 2007

News

The Fat Man: Quoting at Length

In “Fat Music” in this week’s Escapist, Allen Varney interviews game audio legend George “The Fat Man” Sanger. Allen says he could have ...

By Allen Varney Legacy AuthorJanuary 18, 2007

Op-Ed

Your own MMOG?

All the intrepid soloists (or trios or quartets) highlighted in “Boutique MMOGs” started their own online games. So can you. Allen Varney explains ...

By Allen Varney Legacy AuthorDecember 14, 2006

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