''Year of the Phoenix'' is a science-fiction role-playing game published by

Fantasy Games Unlimited Fantasy Games Unlimited (FGU) is a publishing house for tabletop and role-playing games. The company has no in-house design teams and relies on submitted material from outside talent. History Founded in the summer of 1975 in Jericho, New York b ...

in 1986 in which the characters are accidentally transported a century into the future when Russia has occupied North America.

Description

In ''Year of the Phoenix'', players create astronaut characters who have joined the United States Space Command in 1997. Character creation, referenced in the 40-page "Training Manual", includes details of the astronauts' detailed histories and personalities. Players assign points to various "Skill Spheres" to emphasize the skills they want. On their first mission, a routine rescue mission over Antarctica, the astronauts encounter a space warp that transports them to the year 2197, when Russia has invaded and occupied North America and are only opposed by small bands if resistance fighters. The 80-page "Adventure Guide", the gamemaster's rulebook, describes a fairly complex skill-based system. There are two scenarios, one introductory. The game box also includes a

gamemaster's screen A gamemaster's screen, also called a GM's screen, is a gaming accessory, usually made out of either cardboard or card stock, and is used by the gamemaster to hide all the relevant data related to a tabletop role-playing game session from the playe ...

, a player handout, pregenerated character sheets, a map, combat grid, and vehicle counters.

Publication history

''Year of the Phoenix'' was designed by Martin Wixted, and was published in 1986 by FGU as a

boxed set A box set or (its original name) boxed set is a set of items (for example, a compilation of books, musical recordings, films or television programs) traditionally packaged in a box and offered for sale as a single unit. Music Artists and bands ...

with cover art by David Deitrick and interior art by Martin Wixted and Patrick Zircher. FGU was in financial difficulty at this time, and ''Year of the Phoenix'' turned out to be the last new role-playing game published by the foundering company. Over the next two years, FGU published its final supplements for ''

Aftermath! ''Aftermath!'' ("Sunset on humanity, or dawn of a brave new world?") is a role-playing game created by Paul Hume and Robert Charette and published in 1981 by Fantasy Games Unlimited. It is set in a post-apocalyptic world in which the characte ...

'', ''

Space Opera Space opera is a subgenre of science fiction that emphasizes space warfare, with use of melodramatic, risk-taking space adventures, relationships, and chivalric romance. Set mainly or entirely in outer space, it features technological and soci ...

'', ''

Villains and Vigilantes ''Villains and Vigilantes'' (abbreviated as ''V&V'') is a superhero-themed role-playing game which competed primarily with ''Champions'' and ''Superworld'' in the early to mid-1980s. Origin ''Villains and Vigilantes'' was the first role-playi ...

'', and ''Year of the Phoenix'' before discontinuing operations.

Reception

In Issue 82 of ''

Space Gamer/Fantasy 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 ...

'', Lee McCormick commented that "All in all, I found the game and its components attractive, easy to read, and well organized. The gamemastering guidelines were instructional and invaluable. The game's initial premise is exciting and the 'twist' makes ''Year of the Phoenix'' a must for space gamers and patriots." In his 1990 book ''

The Complete Guide to Role-Playing Games Rick Swan is a game designer and author who worked for TSR. His work for TSR, mostly for Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, appeared from 1989 to 1995. Swan also wrote '' The Complete Guide to Role-Playing Games'' (1990), published by St. Martin's Pr ...

'', game critic

Rick Swan Rick Swan is a game designer and author who worked for TSR. His work for TSR, mostly for Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, appeared from 1989 to 1995. Swan also wrote ''The Complete Guide to Role-Playing Games'' (1990), published by St. Martin's Pre ...

found that "Though the basic mechanics are simple, they're smothered in an avalanche of charts, tables, and numbers that makes the game difficult to master, especially for the referee who has to keep track of it all." Swan concluded by giving the game a rating of 2.5 out of 4, saying, "''Year of the Phoenix'' contains enough good ideas to make the effort worthwhile for science-fiction role-players looking for an offbeat alternative."

Other reviews

*''Stardate'' (Volume 3, Issue 4 - Summer 1987)

References

{{reflist Fantasy Games Unlimited games Role-playing games introduced in 1986 Science fiction role-playing games