Another among smaller publishers that were being noticed at the recent GAMA Trade Show, Z-Man Games has developed Warchon ( pronounced 'war-kon'), the first in a series of a new type of game, the Playmark Book Game (PBG). A PBG has just two components, a book containing the rules, fictional scenarios, maps and tables, and a set of bookmarks (called 'Playmarks') representing the warriors and creatures of two races that will move and fight within the pages of the book. A PBG doesn't require dice--everything is self-contained and no external recordkeeping is necessary. The game mechanics are simple, elegant and innovative. Warchon comes in a box that contains a 6' x 9' soft cover book, which sports a Larry Elmore cover and contains fiction by Margaret Weis and Don Perrin, plus a set of 40 color bookmarks. The entire package sells for $24.95 retail.
Warchon is an epic fantasy game featuring combat between the Paladins of the Celestine Order and the Azuthean desert savages. Warchon is a strategy/combat game, not a pick-a-path fantasy adventure. Though designed for two players, Warchon also has rules for a solo version of the game. Expansions will come in the form of other sets of Playmarks, which will represent other races and will be sold separately.