Living in a Box: Big Box Games 1988-92

Don't you just love the big box game feeling?

I last truly felt it a few years ago with the 21st century version of Space Hulk. It arrived in an impressive cardboard box. It had a hefty weight. The shrink wrap resisted my fingers ever so slightly. Once peeled off, I experienced that wonderful moment when you first lift the lid...

Whuff! Is the sound as the air escapes and there... there are the glorious contents all ready to be examined. I wonder what that is for, you think? Oh, I remember seeing that in the advert, you say to yourself. Spreading the contents out on the carpet, you organise everything (though you are careful not to open any of the little plastic bags) into little piles before you reach for the manual...

Then there is the new big box smell...

Heaven!

So what ever happened to the big box game? Sure, we had 3rd Edition Space Hulk and I dread to mention, Dreadfleet (which I own, haven't even got around to cutting the miniatures off the sprues) in the last 10 years or so but apart from that, nothing.

The most successful big box game of modern times. Dan and I have played this a lot over the last couple of years. A masterpiece of gaming!

Both Dan and I bought this set too but have, as yet, not got around to even playing it. 

Inquisitor was a good attempt back in '99. But that didn't come in a box. And I have always felt that I was a shame that the game didn't take off. All the parts were there; metal models, narrative games, plenty of complex rules... perhaps that was the problem. What, I cannot do a tournament with this ruleset? I cannot abuse the rules and locate loopholes to win because winning is the MOST IMPORTANT THING IN GAMING LOL!!!!

I remember the days when GW released new games regularly; not rehashes or new editions. New games. In a box.

They were the days eh?

Classic Big Box Game Count Down

1) Adeptus Titanicus

This is THE GAME for us collectors. I've seen a copy go for £125 on eBay recently and I am desperately in need of a copy but it will have to wait for a year or two due to new child commitments. I have never actually seen a copy or even played this game and THAT needs to change. So I cannot really comment on how it plays. I always loved pouring over the images in WD back in the day and always loved Titans as a concept. It was the polystyrene buildings that came with the set that I really wanted to paint up and handle- I'm a strange one really. Any readers know any more about this game?

2) Dark Future

Another game on the countdown I have never seen or played. At the time, I was a fantasy head and Mad Max gaming was far from my interest zone. Today, the concept of collecting those tiny figures and converting up die cast cars is very appealing. Still, it will have to wait until after the 'Grand Plan' is complete before I begin work. Still, I'd definately purchase a copy if I could. As with Adeptus, any readers out there own this game or have played it to pass comment?

3) Space Hulk (1st Edition)

Ahh! The first game on my list that I actually played, though sadly I didn't actually own it. My friend Russell Parsons was a fanatical player of this game and I recall many a happy summer afternoon back in '89 playing this in his kitchen. The blips! The blips! What a fantastic game concept. Richard Halliwell's masterpiece! This is low down on my collection priority list, as I have the 3rd Edition copy of it.

4) Space Marine (1st Edition)

Now I owned a copy of this game. I remember reading about it in WD and being amazed at the amount of miniatures you got with the game, especially considering the price! Little did I realise that the models would be tiny, tiny, tiny... Still, that didn't prevent me from really enjoying this game. I bought up many of the additional forces boxes and really abused them with poor painting. Sadly, its all gone now. I sold my remnants on eBay some years ago. Not that I regret it, for one day I shall buy a nice decent copy and relive those epic battles (hopefully with Adeptus Titanicus alongside) of the Horus Heresy before it was ret-conned to death.

5) Advanced Heroquest

My Step Brother Richard got this for Christmas in about 1991. We played it all holidays and I was very envious of him. I loved the henchmen rules and the campaign system. Though my favourite feature was the way the GM placed each section of corridor as you explored the dungeons. Like Heroquest, this provided almost infinite opportunities for gaming. The downside was the lack of enemy types. The skaven made perfect enemies but things were not a varied as Heroquest. Still, with a healthy collection of Citadel lead, this game will be fantastic to play again.

6) Advanced Space Crusade

I got this game for Christmas 1990. I remember my Dad trying to hide it in the loft and having to wait until the 25th to get my hands on it. It was very different. The brightly colour gaming boards, the Space Marine scouts and of course, the Tyranids with their dreadful weapons. I'd love a new copy of this to paint the models up nice a brightly, a la Mike McVey. I recall many a frantic game of this in my old bedroom and plenty of solo play action too. Much like Space Marine, I totally wrecked the set and still find pieces of the miniatures lying around in dusty old boxes in the garage.

7) Mighty Empires

I know very little about this big box game. I understand that it was kind of an expansion to 3rd edition in the way of campaign management but was a stand alone game too. It used the same models as the popular Dragon Masters game by Ian Livingstone. Boradgamegeek describes it as follows; "Mighty Empires is both a strategic layer to the Warhammer Fantasy Battle system and a boardgame in its own right. It allows players of the miniature game to manage a kingdom, explore the world, and attempt to conquer other kingdoms, but it also can be played standalone as a fantasy wargame. The game board is constructed with hexagonal tiles to create a unique land with mountains, hills, river valleys, lowlands, and coastal areas. The game comes with some nifty bits representing armies, castles, cities and villages." Certainly sounds interesting. Anyone played this one and can comment further?

8) Blood Bowl (2nd edition)

Now this is a game and its the only one on my list that I have a mint copy of. I loved Blood Bowl back then. I had a school friend, Matthew Pitman, who bought this and collected a great deal of the metal figures. I recall his spare room being a shrine to the game and can remember playing dungeon bowl there. One day I shall collect all of the metals released for this, including the 1st edition ones. I loved the humorous nature of the game (anyone remember popped khorne?) and all the additional rules; chain saws, refs, cheerleaders... The list goes on. A true classic.

So there we have it! Have I missed any games? What strikes me the most is all this creativity was unleashed on the world over about 4 and half years. Its was an incredible achievement by a company at the height of its creative powers. Sure, some others came later; Gorkamorka and Man O'War but both of these were under development around the same time as these and are mentioned here and there in early 90s WDs but they were Kirby's babies rather than Ansell's so don't really belong on this list. Necromunda too, owe its heritage to Confrontation too, an early form of the skirmish game set in the Rogue Trader universe and published in WD.

I was incredible to experience it at the time and I guess that is why people like me keep coming back to these games and the miniatures that were released alongside.

As this is a retro blog, this post demands your memories too. How many of these games did you play back in the day? Do you still own them? Are they still played amongst your gaming group?

Enjoy!

Orlygg.