Time Tripper (board game)
Time Tripper is a science fiction board game published by Simulations Publications, Inc. (SPI) in 1980.
![](../I/Cover_of_Time_tripper_board_game.png.webp)
Gameplay
Time Tripper is a game for 1-4 players, where each player controls a Vietnam War era American GI who inaccurately manipulates the time flux and is transported to a significant battle in either the past or the future. If he survives the battle, the soldier then tries re-manipulate the time flux, either returning to his own time, or being randomly transported to another battle.[1]
The game includes a box, a rulebook, a map with two time displays (for the past and future) that include 36 "time locations", and counters for the soldiers, their equipment, and the creatures and soldiers they encounter.[2]
Reception
In the September 1980 edition of The Space Gamer (Issue No. 31), Keith Gross admired the refreshingly novel nature of Time Tripper, saying, "[It] is one of the few non-Swords-and-Sorcery fantasy games. Its design is highly innovative. Timetripper is highly recommended for all fantasy or s-f gamers who want to try something out of the ordinary."[1]
In the October 1980 edition of Dragon (Issue 42), Tony Watson also liked the innovative nature of the game, as well as its value as a solitaire game: "Time Tripper is a fun game. The idea is novel, the encounters are interesting without taking themselves too seriously, and the game is varied enough so that it never gets boring. It’s also a fine solitaire game, and that’s a big plus for those gamers who have a difficult time meeting with opponents."[2]
Awards
At the 1981 Origins Awards, Timetripper was a finalist for the Charles S. Roberts Award for "Best Fantasy or Science-Fiction Board Game of 1980."
Other reviews and commentary
- The Wargamer Vol.1 #17
- Campaign #101
- Richard Berg's Review of Games #5
References
- Gross, Keith (September 1980). "Capsule Reviews". The Space Gamer. Steve Jackson Games (31): 24.
- Watson, Tony (October 1980). "The Dragon's Augury". Dragon. TSR, Inc. (42): 51–52.