PDF Hosts Elite Game Design
It is strikingly appropriate that the Pyramid People have such an important and powerful symbol at their heart because visiting them and chatting with Andy Looney and his captivating cohort is much like climbing a pyramid to sit at the feet of The Prophet. An admittedly louder and higher prophet than one might expect, but the analogy resonates.
Mr. Looney (aka Outside Voice), you see, is a game designer extraordinaire. His card game "Fluxx" is a hall of fame game that is brillaint, engaging, hysterical, has almost infinite replayability and, most importantly, just flat out FUN. He is also the force behind "The Pyramid Arcade", a widely varying collection of games all based on, you guessed it, pyramids. Three different sizes and an extended rainbow of colors, with a few accessories here and there, allow for a dizzying variety of game. Some can be learned and played in minutes, others have 13 pages of directions and rules that take hours to master, with everything in between. There is one helluva a lot more - including a LARPish group strategy game nearing completion (which this lucky reporter was able to play in beta at the Burn), the upcoming 49th (!) variation of "Fluxx", and at last one other zany project that I am prohibited of discussing in print.
But here's the thing, and what ties it to Wonderfuse News: Andy has been coming to PDF since 2009 and actually celebrated his 50th Burn at PFD in 2025. There is some mild controversy surrounding that anniversary as it may have been 51, but you can ask him for that story. Come to find out game designers might travel in packs. His amazing partner Kristin (aka Daisy) also contributed a popular game to the Pyramid arcade (while also, as far as I can tell, keeping the Looney train on the tracks) and his friend of 46 years and fellow former NASA engineer John Cooper not only designed the most popular pyramid game "Home Worlds" but currently has a game taking the design world by storm: a cooperative take on Texas Hold 'em poker called "The Gang". Not for nothing, Andy avers that "Home Worlds" is "My favorite game of all time in any media." High praise from a guy destined for the game designers Mt. Rushmore.
So it is really no surprise that a visit to the Pyramid People is a genuine treat. The intersection of big brains, a gamer slant, and a beautiful Burner mentality is a sweet spot not to be missed.
Editors note: Contrary to a rumor that a Wonderfuse reporter was offered a bribe to give a positive review to "The Gang", this reporter received no compensation other than a warm fire, witty repartee and dazzling storytelling.
Mr. Looney (aka Outside Voice), you see, is a game designer extraordinaire. His card game "Fluxx" is a hall of fame game that is brillaint, engaging, hysterical, has almost infinite replayability and, most importantly, just flat out FUN. He is also the force behind "The Pyramid Arcade", a widely varying collection of games all based on, you guessed it, pyramids. Three different sizes and an extended rainbow of colors, with a few accessories here and there, allow for a dizzying variety of game. Some can be learned and played in minutes, others have 13 pages of directions and rules that take hours to master, with everything in between. There is one helluva a lot more - including a LARPish group strategy game nearing completion (which this lucky reporter was able to play in beta at the Burn), the upcoming 49th (!) variation of "Fluxx", and at last one other zany project that I am prohibited of discussing in print.
But here's the thing, and what ties it to Wonderfuse News: Andy has been coming to PDF since 2009 and actually celebrated his 50th Burn at PFD in 2025. There is some mild controversy surrounding that anniversary as it may have been 51, but you can ask him for that story. Come to find out game designers might travel in packs. His amazing partner Kristin (aka Daisy) also contributed a popular game to the Pyramid arcade (while also, as far as I can tell, keeping the Looney train on the tracks) and his friend of 46 years and fellow former NASA engineer John Cooper not only designed the most popular pyramid game "Home Worlds" but currently has a game taking the design world by storm: a cooperative take on Texas Hold 'em poker called "The Gang". Not for nothing, Andy avers that "Home Worlds" is "My favorite game of all time in any media." High praise from a guy destined for the game designers Mt. Rushmore.
So it is really no surprise that a visit to the Pyramid People is a genuine treat. The intersection of big brains, a gamer slant, and a beautiful Burner mentality is a sweet spot not to be missed.
Editors note: Contrary to a rumor that a Wonderfuse reporter was offered a bribe to give a positive review to "The Gang", this reporter received no compensation other than a warm fire, witty repartee and dazzling storytelling.
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This Entire Bit Is An Overcomplicated Farce, And You Are Complicit In The Degradation Of Our Society By Engaging With It.