Adventures by Mail is a company that published
play-by-mail
A play-by-mail game (also known as a PBM game, PBEM game, or a turn-based game) is a game played through postal mail, email or other digital media. Correspondence chess and Go were among the first PBM games. ''Diplomacy'' has been played by m ...
(PBM) games. The company was founded in 1981. It published various PBM games including ''
Beyond the Stellar Empire
''Beyond the Stellar Empire'' (or ''BSE'') is a play-by-email (PBM) game. Originally published by Adventures By Mail, ''BSE'' was an open-ended "space opera" with a single available game that began in playtesting in 1981. According to Stephen M ...
'', ''
It's a Crime'', and ''
Monster Island''.
History
The company—based in Cohoes, NY—began publishing PBM games in 1981.
[ Paper Mayhem 1993. p. 9.] In 1982, the company hired another
gamemaster
A gamemaster (GM; also known as game master, game manager, game moderator, referee, or storyteller) is a person who acts as an organizer, officiant for regarding rules, arbitrator, and moderator for a multiplayer role-playing game. They are m ...
, Michael Popolizio. In the January–February 1985 issue of ''
Paper Mayhem
''Paper Mayhem'' is an out-of-print play-by-mail (PBM) game magazine that was published in Ottawa, Illinois. The staff published the initial issue in July 1983 and the magazine ran until mid-1998. Its format was 40 pages published six times per y ...
'' magazine, the company announced a significant expansion of one of their main PBM games, ''Beyond the Stellar Empire'' (''BSE'') had occurred the prior December. They asserted in 1993 that they were the largest PBM company in the United States.
[ At the time, their game offerings included ''BSE'', ''It's a Crime'', ''Monster Island'', and ''Quest''.][
In 1983, readers of '']The Space Gamer
''The Space Gamer'' was a magazine dedicated to the subject of science fiction and fantasy board games and tabletop role-playing games. It quickly grew in importance and was an important and influential magazine in its subject matter from the la ...
'' voted Adventures by Mail the top PBM publisher of the year, due to the popularity of '' Warboid World'' and ''Beyond the Stellar Empire
''Beyond the Stellar Empire'' (or ''BSE'') is a play-by-email (PBM) game. Originally published by Adventures By Mail, ''BSE'' was an open-ended "space opera" with a single available game that began in playtesting in 1981. According to Stephen M ...
''.[ Adventures by Mail 1983. p. 44.]
Published games
* ''Beyond the Stellar Empire
''Beyond the Stellar Empire'' (or ''BSE'') is a play-by-email (PBM) game. Originally published by Adventures By Mail, ''BSE'' was an open-ended "space opera" with a single available game that began in playtesting in 1981. According to Stephen M ...
''
* ''Capitol
A capitol, named after the Capitoline Hill in Rome, is usually a legislative building where a legislature meets and makes laws for its respective political entity.
Specific capitols include:
* United States Capitol in Washington, D.C.
* Numerous ...
''
* '' Crasimoff's World''
* ''Isle of Crowns''[ Flagship Magazine 2002. p. 52.]
* '' It's a Crime''
* '' Monster Island''
* ''Smuggler's Run''[
* '' Quest: World of Kharne''][
*'' Warboid World''
]
See also
* List of play-by-mail games
This is a list of play-by-mail (PBM) games. It includes games played only by postal mail, those played by mail with a play-by-email (PBEM) option, and games played in a turn-based format only by email or other digital format.
It is unclear what ...
References
Bibliography
*
*
*
* Games listing is on page 52 with codes for game companies which are listed on pages 50–51.
*
{{Play-by-mail games
Play-by-mail game publishing companies
Publishing companies established in 1981