A slick-looking new edition of Octi, a terrific abstract strategy game originally published in 1999, is available from publisher FoxMind. Game designer Don Green spoke about Octi in this interview. He said the game "illustrates how a game with simple rules can nevertheless have an 'equilibrium' that is so deep that it is very difficult to anticipate how players will attack the problem or formulate strategies."

Green also designed Royal Carpet, a free game you can play on an 8x8 board using pieces you almost certainly already have. Green described Royal Carpet as "an attempt to create a game of tempo in which friendly pieces have both positive and negative synergies."

Image courtesy of FoxMind

It's time for the 2012 About.com Readers' Choice Awards, where you get to pick the best games, the best game stores -- and more!

This year, the Board/Card Game Readers' Choice Awards feature 10 categories to recognize the best of the best. What was the best strategy game of 2011? How about the best party game, or the best children's game? The best local game store? Or even the best game-related Twitter account?

What are you waiting for? Make your nominations now!

Image © About.com

Game publisher Fantasy Flight Games is looking for an associate game designer for their "living card games" and a technical writer, according to a recent post on the company's website.

The associate game designer will "Create new cards, game mechanics, and environments for Living Card Games that are fun, balanced, engaging, immersive, innovative, and appropriate for the product lines and associated intellectual properties." Fantasy Flight's LCG line includes The Lord of the Rings: The Card Game, A Game of Thrones: The Card Game, Call of Cthulu: The Card Game, and Warhammer Invasion: The Card Game.

The technical writer will "write and rewrite the final rules for game products based on drafts created by game designers. Successful applicants will be able to quickly grasp new, complex game systems and explain them clearly, accurately, and concisely."

Both positions are full-time and based at Fantasy Flight's headquarters in Roseville, Minnesota.

Image courtesy of Fantasy Flight Games.

The folks at the Purple Pawn blog have done a great job of covering games which seek funding on Kickstarter, a relatively new way to generate revenue which has been used effectively by independent game designers and a growing number of small game companies. (Kickstarter allows people looking for funding to produce creative projects -- like films, music, and board games -- to connect with people willing to fund those undertakings. 1955: The War of Espionage is one example.)

Recently, Purple Pawn listed the top 20 games funded by Kickstarter in 2011. The top three were: D-Day Dice ($171,805), Schlock Mercenary ($82,056) and Alien Frontiers: Factions ($76,780).