Greg Costikyan
Encyclopedia
Greg Costikyan, sometimes known under the pseudonym "Designer X" , is an American
game designer and science fiction
writer.
Costikyan's career spans nearly all extant genres of gaming, including hex-based wargames
, role-playing games, boardgames, card games, computer games
, online games and mobile games. Several of his games have won Origins Awards. He co-founded Manifesto Games
, now out of business, with Johnny Wilson in 2005.
Costikyan lives in New York City
near his three daughters and is a 1982 graduate of Brown University
. He is a frequent speaker at game industry events including the Game Developers Conference
and E³.
In addition, Costikyan is a widely-published author on the subject of game design and the role of games in culture. His essay, "I Have No Words and I Must Design"
is widely read as a conceptual approach to framing game design.
Costikyan worked on game design for many years, including writing and consulting for Nokia
. In September 2005, he left Nokia to join with Johnny Wilson, former editor of Computer Gaming World
, in founding the startup indie game publisher Manifesto Games
.
He regularly contributed to the now defunct Manifesto Games' website, and remains editor in chief to their offshoot game review blog Play This Thing.
In the 1970s and 80s, Costikyan was a leading player of Slobbovia
. His novel One Quest, Hold the Dragons includes several stories about crottled greeps, a Slobbovian meme
.
In February 2009, Costikyan updated the rules and re-released his 1979 space combat game, Vector 3, under a Creative Commons
license as a free PDF download.
of genre fantasy
: Another Day, Another Dungeon (1990, ISBN 0-8125-0140-3) and its sequel One Quest, Hold the Dragons (1995, ISBN 0-8125-2269-9). By the Sword (1993, ISBN 0-312-85489-7) is another irreverent fantasy about a young barbarian
who is forced by circumstances to make his way in the larger world; it was originally serialized on the Prodigy online service. His latest novel, First Contract (2000, ISBN 0-312-87396-4), depicts (with much dry humor) the vast sociological and economic changes that happen after aliens arrive on Earth, and one entrepreneur's efforts to survive and make a new start.
He was inducted into the Adventure Gaming Hall of Fame in 1999.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
game designer and science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
writer.
Costikyan's career spans nearly all extant genres of gaming, including hex-based wargames
Wargaming
A wargame is a strategy game that deals with military operations of various types, real or fictional. Wargaming is the hobby dedicated to the play of such games, which can also be called conflict simulations, or consims for short. When used professionally to study warfare, it is generally known as...
, role-playing games, boardgames, card games, computer games
Computer Games
"Computer Games" is a single by New Zealand group, Mi-Sex released in 1979 in Australia and New Zealand and in 1981 throughout Europe. It was the single that launched the band, and was hugely popular, particularly in Australia and New Zealand...
, online games and mobile games. Several of his games have won Origins Awards. He co-founded Manifesto Games
Manifesto Games
Manifesto Games was an ecommerce retailer of downloadable computer games, specializing in independently developed games aimed at hardcore gamers.It was founded in October 2005 by Greg Costikyan and Dr. Johnny L...
, now out of business, with Johnny Wilson in 2005.
Costikyan lives in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
near his three daughters and is a 1982 graduate of Brown University
Brown University
Brown University is a private, Ivy League university located in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. Founded in 1764 prior to American independence from the British Empire as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations early in the reign of King George III ,...
. He is a frequent speaker at game industry events including the Game Developers Conference
Game Developers Conference
The Game Developers Conference is the largest annual gathering of professional video game developers, focusing on learning, inspiration, and networking...
and E³.
Games
Costikyan's notable works include:- Web and Starship (1984, a starships combat science fiction board game)
- ToonToon (role-playing game)Toon is a role-playing game in which the players take the roles of cartoon characters.It is subtitled The Cartoon Roleplaying Game.-Development:...
(1984, a humour role-playing game) - Star Wars: The Roleplaying Game (Origins Award Winner for Best Role-playing Rules of 1987)
- Pax BritannicaPax BritannicaPax Britannica was the period of relative peace in Europe when the British Empire controlled most of the key maritime trade routes and enjoyed unchallenged sea power...
(Charles S. Roberts Award Winner for Best Pre-20th Century Game of 1985) - ParanoiaParanoia (role-playing game)Paranoia is a dystopian science-fiction tabletop role-playing game originally designed and written by Greg Costikyan, Dan Gelber, and Eric Goldberg, and first published in 1984 by West End Games. Since 2004 the game has been published under licence by Mongoose Publishing...
(Origins Award Winner for Best Roleplaying Rules of 1984) - The Creature That Ate SheboyganThe Creature That Ate SheboyganThe Creature That Ate Sheboygan is a science fiction board game released in 1979 by Simulations Publications . The game was originally designed by Greg Costikyan. It won the Charles S...
(Charles S. Roberts Award Winner for Best Fantasy or Science Fiction Game of 1979) - MadMazeMadMazeMadMaze was an online video game playable through the now-defunct Prodigy service. It was designed by Eric Goldberg and developed by Greg Costikyan in 1989, and was the first online game to draw over a million players...
- Violence: The Roleplaying Game of Egregious and Repulsive BloodshedViolence (role-playing game)Violence: The Roleplaying Game of Egregious and Repulsive Bloodshed is a short, 32-page roleplaying game written by Greg Costikyan under the pseudonym "Designer X" and published by Hogshead Publishing in 1999 as part of its New Style line of games...
In addition, Costikyan is a widely-published author on the subject of game design and the role of games in culture. His essay, "I Have No Words and I Must Design"
is widely read as a conceptual approach to framing game design.
Costikyan worked on game design for many years, including writing and consulting for Nokia
Nokia
Nokia Corporation is a Finnish multinational communications corporation that is headquartered in Keilaniemi, Espoo, a city neighbouring Finland's capital Helsinki...
. In September 2005, he left Nokia to join with Johnny Wilson, former editor of Computer Gaming World
Computer Gaming World
Computer Gaming World was a computer game magazine founded in 1981 by Russell Sipe as a bimonthly publication. Early issues were typically 40-50 pages in length, written in a newsletter style, including submissions by game designers such as Joel Billings , Dan Bunten , and Chris Crawford...
, in founding the startup indie game publisher Manifesto Games
Manifesto Games
Manifesto Games was an ecommerce retailer of downloadable computer games, specializing in independently developed games aimed at hardcore gamers.It was founded in October 2005 by Greg Costikyan and Dr. Johnny L...
.
He regularly contributed to the now defunct Manifesto Games' website, and remains editor in chief to their offshoot game review blog Play This Thing.
In the 1970s and 80s, Costikyan was a leading player of Slobbovia
Slobbovia
Slobbovia was a postal Diplomacy variant played among science fiction and gaming fans in North America and Europe from 1972 to 1986. The game was published in Slobinpolit Zhurnal ....
. His novel One Quest, Hold the Dragons includes several stories about crottled greeps, a Slobbovian meme
Meme
A meme is "an idea, behaviour or style that spreads from person to person within a culture."A meme acts as a unit for carrying cultural ideas, symbols or practices, which can be transmitted from one mind to another through writing, speech, gestures, rituals or other imitable phenomena...
.
In February 2009, Costikyan updated the rules and re-released his 1979 space combat game, Vector 3, under a Creative Commons
Creative Commons
Creative Commons is a non-profit organization headquartered in Mountain View, California, United States devoted to expanding the range of creative works available for others to build upon legally and to share. The organization has released several copyright-licenses known as Creative Commons...
license as a free PDF download.
Novels
Costikyan has written four novels. The first two were parodiesParody
A parody , in current usage, is an imitative work created to mock, comment on, or trivialise an original work, its subject, author, style, or some other target, by means of humorous, satiric or ironic imitation...
of genre fantasy
Fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...
: Another Day, Another Dungeon (1990, ISBN 0-8125-0140-3) and its sequel One Quest, Hold the Dragons (1995, ISBN 0-8125-2269-9). By the Sword (1993, ISBN 0-312-85489-7) is another irreverent fantasy about a young barbarian
Barbarian
Barbarian and savage are terms used to refer to a person who is perceived to be uncivilized. The word is often used either in a general reference to a member of a nation or ethnos, typically a tribal society as seen by an urban civilization either viewed as inferior, or admired as a noble savage...
who is forced by circumstances to make his way in the larger world; it was originally serialized on the Prodigy online service. His latest novel, First Contract (2000, ISBN 0-312-87396-4), depicts (with much dry humor) the vast sociological and economic changes that happen after aliens arrive on Earth, and one entrepreneur's efforts to survive and make a new start.
Awards and recognition
On March 7, 2007, Costikyan received the Game Developers Choice Awards Maverick Award. The award was given for his tireless efforts to create a viable channel for indie games.He was inducted into the Adventure Gaming Hall of Fame in 1999.