''Interplay'' was a gaming magazine published from 1981 to 1982 by

Metagaming Concepts Metagaming Concepts, later known simply as Metagaming, was a company that published board games from 1974 to 1983. It was founded and owned by Howard Thompson, who designed the company's first game, ''Stellar Conquest''. The company also invente ...

''Interplay'' was a magazine focusing on Metagaming products exclusively, particularly ''

The Fantasy Trip ''The Fantasy Trip'' (''TFT'') is a tabletop role-playing game designed by Steve Jackson (American game designer), Steve Jackson and originally published by Metagaming Concepts. In 2019, ''TFT'' was republished by Steve Jackson Games as ''The F ...

''.

Publication history

After Metagaming Concepts had sold off ''

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 ...

'', they later began publishing a new periodical: ''Interplay: The Metagamer Diaries'' #1 (May/June 1981). Per Shannon Appelcline, "Unfortunately, it wasn't up to Metagaming's previous standards. The magazine's black & white covers were a clear step down from the glossy full-color covers of ''The Space Gamer''. Its interior also looked a lot more like the fannish magazines then being produced by Judges Guild than ''Interplays more distinguished predecessor." The company began having financial difficulties, and in ''Interplay'' #8 (September/October 1982), Howard Thompson highlighted Metagaming's successful series and promised the impending release of new products which never actually appeared. Thompson soon left the game industry, but before that ''Interplay'' magazine was sold to Genesis Gaming Products, who also picked up

Heritage USA Heritage USA was an American Christian-themed water park, theme park and residential complex in Fort Mill, South Carolina, built by televangelist Jim Bakker and his wife Tammy Faye Bakker, founders of ''The PTL Club''. The park, which occupied ...

Dwarfstar Games Dwarfstar Games was a division of Heritage Models that published microgame-sized fantasy and science fiction board wargames ''WarGames'' is a 1983 American science fiction techno-thriller film written by Lawrence Lasker and Walter F. Parkes ...

(1981–1982).

Reception

W. G. Armintrout reviewed the first issue of ''Interplay'' in ''

'' No. 41. Armintrout commented that "If you can't live without Metagaming designer notes and errata, then you'll have to have ''Interplay''. For ''TFT'' material, it seems to me that you should buy the annual supplement instead. I found the first issue to be useful (though not well-written or well-edited)."

References

{{Authority control Defunct magazines published in the United States Hobby magazines published in the United States Magazines established in 1981 Magazines disestablished in 1982 Role-playing game magazines

Contents

Publication history

Reception

References