In Hobby Games: The 100 Best, the top designers, authors, and publishers in the hobby games field write about the most enjoyable and cleverly designed games of the last fifty years. Their essays cover the gamut of the hobby market, from roleplaying games to collectible card games, and miniatures games to wargames to board games, with titles both familiar and esoteric. These are the games that the designers themselves play, the ones that have inspired their most popular creations.

Hobby Games: The 100 Best also features a foreword by board game legend Reiner Knizia and an afterword by SPI founder and wargame legend James F. Dunnigan.

Hobby Games: The 100 Best is available now at the Flames Rising Shop!

Also available now from Green Ronin is Family Games: The 100 Best.

Children of the Revolution tells the stories of noteworthy or notorious Kindred of the modern nights whose Embraces came in times of unrest, rebellion, or open revolution. The circumstances of these revolutions might have been mortal or undead, martial or cultural. These Kindred joined the ranks of the Damned under tides of war or cultural upheaval, and their blood bears the mark of change from one paradigm into another. Sometimes they are the agents of change. For others, their revolution drags them in its wake.

The world of the Kindred is always fraught with blood and danger, and Embrace amid the fires of revolution only heightens that fact. Here are Kindred who have risen to guide the Black Hand, who have led the armies of Alexander, who have earned the Lextalionis, and who have been reborn in the fires of the Arab Spring. Their histories have been forged, but their futures remain to be determined by your troupe.

Children of the Revolution is available now in PDF and Hardcover editions at the Flames Rising Shop!

The KickStarter Campaign for Ars Magica: Years of Conquest is now available! The Campaign will run until November 18th, 2012.

Years of Conquest is based on Atlas Games’ award-winning Ars Magica role-playing game, and features a full century of simulation gameplay in a fantastic and magical Medieval setting. A faithful rendition of the original game, Years of Conquest incorporates the full Fifth Edition rules, including the legendarily powerful and flexible magic system.

The player must build their own Covenant in a time of invasion and strife and protect it from influences both within and without, if they are to attain the dizzying heights of magical power. For the first time in the 25 year history of Ars Magica, players are invited to discover the secrets of House Diedne, a powerful and enigmatic House facing total destruction.

The Sugarpocalypse is nigh, and it’s up to Clea Brown to stop the saccharine hoard of the undead and defeat the evil Yumzy Corporation.

When a brand new candy bar starts turning people into zombies in the small town of Sweetooth, it is up to Clea brown, and her ragtag group of friends, to stop the EVIL Yumzy corporation from reigning down the Sugarpocalypse!

Once Clea just wanted to escape from her town, now she wants to take it back! And she’ll do so a la lollipop – the perfect tool with which to behead the undead.

Find out more information and back this project at Kickstarter.com!

Black Watch Comics and ShadowCatcher Entertainment announce the release of The North End of the World, the historical fiction graphic novel written by Dave Hunsaker and illustrated by Christopher Shy (Soul Stealer, Pathfinder, Dead Space)

Enter the world of Edward S. Curtis, the man who will win immortality photographing and documenting the native peoples of North America…and meet the demons he will face as he travels to the north end of Vancouver Island to make his master work with the Kwakiutl Indians: the groundbreaking motion picture, In the Land of the Headhunters.

The FORGOTTEN REALMS is the most successful and widely known DUNGEONS & DRAGONS campaign setting ever created, and it owes its existence to creator Ed Greenwood.

This 160-page hardcover book describes the campaign setting as it lives and breathes in the imagination of its creator. Through the alter ego of Elminster, Archmage of Shadowdale, Ed Greenwood presents the Realms as a setting where companies of crazed adventurers are born and have rich lives, and where they get to call the shots. In this book, Ed presents a world where friendships are forged, endless intrigues unfold, and heroes wage war against the monstrous inhabitants of famous dungeons and untamed wildernesses.

Ed Greenwood Presents Elminster’s Forgotten Realms is available now at Amazon.com.

2012 marks the 200th anniversary of Grimm’s Tales. For two centuries, the brothers’ collection of fairy tales provided us with a sense of wonder while remarking on our humanity. You may have already seen the celebratory uptick in fairy tale-themed movies, television shows, and stories — but what’s being published next is even better.

Acclaimed author Philip Pullman (His Dark Materials trilogy) has re-written fifty of these fairy tales for the modern age. His new book, titled Fairy Tales From The Brothers Grimm will debut on November 12, 2012. The British author has scheduled some appearances and readings related to the new tome; just check out the official website of Philip Pullman for details.

Are you ready for the next zombie attack?

Can you survive all of the many dangers, both undead and human?

A new online quiz has been published on the Zombies of the World website (www.zombiesoftheworld.com) to help educate the public. The quiz assesses personality, skills, and attitudes toward the undead and other survivors in order to determine how likely the individual is to survive in a zombie attack.

The quiz was based on material from Zombies of the World: A Field Guide to the Undead by Ross Payton.

AVATAR PRESS will be at the NYCC in full force this year – with multiple guests and several panels for comic fans to attend. So, mark your con agenda and get your questions ready! Here, you will get to see your favorite creators and insiders in person, announcing top secret projects and sharing their thoughts you would normally never see in print.

What will be Garth Ennis’ huge announcement?

I guarantee you won’t be expecting this!

Archaia ends its 2012 convention season in grand style at the largest comics and pop culture convention on the East Coast, highlighted by over 100 autograph signing sessions, a slew of convention exclusives, new book debuts, and a special appearance by Brian Froud

Award-winning publisher Archaia Entertainment (Booth #1520) is excited to announce its plans for New York Comic Con, taking place October 11-14, 2012 at the Javits Center in New York City!

In the dying years of the 19th century, a book changed the world—or worlds. A slim, sinister text called The King in Yellow drove those who read it to madness. Despite suppression by anxious authorities, it spread through global culture, and history itself, like a virus. Now the contagion bears hideous fruit.

Disturbing, dissonant and riddled with negative capability.
– Simon Rogers, Pelgrane Press

New Tales of the Yellow Sign expands the classic horror mythos of weird tales pioneer and Lovecraft precursor Robert W. Chambers into new vistas of unease and imagination. Over the course of eight troubling stories, writer and visionary game designer Robin D. Laws lures you into diseased timelines, impossible pasts, and the all-too-terrifying present.

New Tales of the Yellow Sign is now available in ePub and Mobi (Kindle) formats at DriveThruFiction.com!

Werewolf the Apocalypse roared into hobby games in 1992, inspiring a generation of fans to stand up and howl their defiance at a corrupted world in a battle they knew they were doomed to lose. WtA presented the Garou: creatures at once both man and wolf, and filled with a Rage against the evils that would destroy and corrupt both the natural and spirit worlds. Capable of transforming into a variety of forms and blessed with Gifts that enabled superhuman and supernatural powers, the Garou fought many foes, always knowing that in the end they would fall. But what stories would be told and what songs sang of their exploits!

This epic tragic story, combined with the unwavering dedication of an unparalleled fan base, is the reason this book is being published. Werewolf: The Apocalypse – 20th Anniversary Edition brings the entire World of Darkness experience full circle and will serve as the perfect anniversary milestone to celebrate two decades of gaming the epic sagas of the Garou.

It’s no secret we, at FR Press, love a good ghost story. Not only did we publish Haunted: 11 Tales of Ghostly Horror last year, but we also enjoying playing games like Wraith: the Oblivion or watching films like The Others, Sixth Sense, and The Haunting in Connecticut.

If you like ghosts as much as we do, then you’ll want to float over to Tor Books today. From now through midnight on Halloween, you can enter to win not one, but ten books, ranging from anthologies to novels.

With the success of converting such classic titles as “Quartermain,” “Sherlock Holmes,” “Back to Mysterious Island” and “Juliet” into sold out comic book series, Bluewater has expanded further into the world of literature with “Dorian Gray.” The classic story about the literary world’s original bad boy gets a modern makeover in this interpretation.

“Dorian Gray” is and updated take from Bluewater based on the classic horror novel by Oscar Wilde. “Dorian Gray “#1 is now available. The thrilling adaptation was written by Darren G. Davis and Scott Davis (Wrath of the Titans/ Blackbeard Legacy). Federico De Luca (John Saul’s: God Project) illustrated both the interiors and covers for the title.

Three Parts Dead is an upcoming novel by Max Gladstone. Max is giving us a look into his writing process with this new essay. You can pre-order Three Parts Dead now at Amazon.com and other retailers.

Left to my own devices, I spend a lot of time alone. I’m a writer, so I write and read for fun—I sit in my living room, feet up, with a book, or pen and ink, or a laptop, and I work. I know the sounds of my apartment: cars rumble down the street nearby, tumblers cascade as keys slide into the front door lock, doors slam across the street, a woman laughs. Air whispers over floor exchanges, glass breaks in the bedroom, leaves rustle through the open window…

A zombie safety & awareness coloring/activity book distributed by C.R.A.Z.E. (Community Resources Against Zombie Epidemic).

STAY ALIVE–NOT UNDEAD: A ZOMBIE SAFETY & AWARENESS COLORING/ACTIVITY BOOK is the “brainchild” of comic book writer (and, former IDW Publishing editor) Dan Taylor, who co-created the fan-favorite Hero Happy Hour, and is currently writing Armarauders for Mecha Workshop.

The artwork for STAY ALIVE–NOT UNDEAD: A ZOMBIE SAFETY & AWARENESS COLORING/ACTIVITY BOOK is being provided by artist Darren M.A. Calvert, who has illustrated many roleplaying game products for publishers such as Green Ronin Publishing, Kobold Quarterly Magazine, White Wolf Games, and more.

Sony Pictures will debut exclusive first looks at the highly anticipated upcoming films Carrie and Evil Dead at New York Comic Con on Saturday, October 13th from the Javits Center.

The panel presentations for Carrie and Evil Dead will take place between 3:45 PM – 4:45 PM on October 13th. The Carrie panel will include the film’s stars, Chloë Grace Moretz and Julianne Moore, along with producer Kevin Misher and director Kimberly Peirce. Evil Dead’s panel will include the film’s star, Jane Levy (“Suburgatory”), producer (and star of original) Bruce Campbell and director, Fede Alvarez.

Archaia Entertainment and Skelton Crew Studio are excited to announce an exclusive license agreement for the studio to create a line of prop replicas based on the Eisner Award-winning Mouse Guard, written and drawn by David Petersen.

“David is such a huge talent and I’ve been a fan of Mouse Guard for years,” said Israel Skelton, owner of Skelton Crew Studio. “Taking the reins to build a mouse-sized armory? Honestly, it’s hard to get much cooler.”

The studio plans to release pewter collectibles of swords, shields, and other armament from the Mouse Guard universe. Its first release, the Black Axe, is slated for Christmas 2012.

There are certain towns that we all associate with ghost stories and sightings. But creepy encounters happen everyday all throughout this country-in towns that you may never have heard of, to normal people, just like you! With Ghostly Adventures, you can travel to these terrifying towns and share in the scare.

Let ghost guru, Christopher Balzano, be your guide through the jaw-dropping true tales that happen all around the U.S., in places like: the Boston hotel where old Mr. Parker returns to check on his guests; the lost village of Dudleytown, Connecticut, where all residents vanished without a trace; the Summerwind Mansion in northeast Wisconsin, whose secret compartment housed a man’s corpse for years.

Ghostly Adventures: Chilling True Stories from America’s Haunted Hot Spots is available now at DriveThruFiction.com!

New York Comic Con (NYCC) officials have confirmed that a high profile panel focusing on season three of AMC’s hit television series The Walking Dead will take place at this year’s pop culture extravaganza. Cast members including Andrew Lincoln will be joined by showrunner and executive producer Glenn Mazzara as well as executive producers Robert Kirkman and Gale Anne Hurd. Moderated by Talking Dead host Chris Hardwick, The Walking Dead panel, which will take place in the IGN Theater on Saturday, October 13, 5:00pm – 6:00pm, will include an exclusive clip from the premiere episode of season three.

In addition to Andrew Lincoln, additional cast members participating in the panel include Norman Reedus, Chandler Riggs, Danai Gurira, David Morrissey and Michael Rooker.