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Hello! Can you introduce yourself to our readers?
Hi, my name is Ryan Byrd. I am an Engineer living in the US. I grew up right outside of Washington DC and am approaching 50. I left home in early 1993 and have lived in 35 places, including Britain for a couple years in the late 90s (South Wales and the South West), but now live in the US with my wife and four kids. I was the youngest of 4 kids growing up, which explains a little about the condition of my childhood games.
What game have you found in your attic?
My Mom brought me about a dozen of my old childhood games she found in her attic about 12 years ago on a visit to my home. Most of them were either water/mould damaged beyond use or were rubbish games to begin with. But, two games were magical finds, in almost new condition. One was Fireball Island, and the other one, which I want to talk about, is The Mystic Wood. This game was designed by Peter Donnelly and was originally published in Britain (I believe) by both Aerial Productions Ltd and by Gibsons in 1980. The version I got was the Avalon Hill version from 1982 that was available in the US. It is a competitive exploration game that ends up generating some fun and unique stories along the way.
Whose was it? Who bought it for you?
I got this game as either a birthday present or Christmas gift probably in 1983. The box cover was so exciting to me at the time, even though I thought the dragon looked like a weird dinosaur. This was also about the same time I got into Dungeons and Dragons, so my imagination was ablaze with thoughts of fantasy adventure.
Can you remember how it work and how it plays?
When I got the game, I remember playing it, probably with my brother. I was not huge into board games back then, but I remember grasping how to play pretty quickly. When my Mom brought it to me from her attic, I did not remember the rules, but I did remember the basic exploration mechanics with the variable map. I quickly read the rules and set it up that day with my kids and nephews who were visiting that day. The magic came back. Interestingly, it seems that this game (along with its sister game, The Sorcerer’s Cave) have influenced many other exploration type games.
Basically, each player chooses a Knight with their specific quest and explores the random forest to try to finish their quest first. Along the way, they will draw cards to see what people, things, creatures, or spells they encounter. Players will gain items and increase their powers. The map will change as the game is played, which can be good or bad, but will add to the stories created. Many of the cards have special things happening, making each game feel different.
Tell us about any specific memories you might have of playing with it?
My copy is in really good shape because I must not have shoved it under my bed. That, and because I was the youngest, I think that my older siblings were not as interested in playing board games with their little brother since cars and jobs started taking up more of their thoughts. So, my copy did not get played that much. As a kid, I made an extra card for it, on lined notebook paper, no less. Boy did that stand out. I remember playing the game by myself and pretending I did not notice that my custom card was coming. I did not know at the time that I potentially broke the game by adding a card since the number of cards is important to the design…
Release date: 1980
Publisher: Avalon Hill
Still Available New?: No!
Second hand: Available, for a price...
Price: £50-120
What do you think of it now?
I still really enjoy the game. Having been in the board game hobby for the last 12 years, I can see the game’s strengths and weaknesses. I think it still holds up as a solid and fun game. The weaknesses are minor to me and do not take away from the fun. It has a specific charm in the production, art, game play, and rules that I do not find in many games.
After I got it from my mother’s attic, I wanted to know more about it. My internet searching led me to BoardGameGeek, which opened my eyes to modern board gaming. I became hooked. I learned that an expansion was made for The Mystic Wood, but the cost was prohibitive to me at the time, so I set out making my own. I ended up making 3 expansions for it and remade the base game with my new graphic design and a smaller table footprint. This exercise got me into game design, which I still do. I even made some custom Lego figures to use as the pawns (Lego is my other main hobby). As I was making my expansions, I came across two other custom remakes of the original. It was good to see other ways of doing the graphic design. One remake was from someone in Russia, while the other was from Tristan Hall, of Hall or Nothing Productions, before he found commercial success in his own game designs. I contacted him and we had a short correspondence about The Mystic Wood (and his upcoming game he was working on at the time, which had some inspiration from The Mystic Wood). A great chap.
The Mystic Wood had a big enough impact on me that I contacted the designer, Peter Donnelly, and had a few communications about the game a few years back (30 years after it was published). I told him how I appreciated the game, how my kids now enjoy it with me, and how it inspired me to design games. He was very down to earth and cordial. He also continued to support the game by making updated rules clarifications until just a few years ago, before he passed away.
Are you keeping it, trying to sell it, or dumping it at the charity shop?
I am definitely keeping it. It is still very fun. Even with my growing game collection, I make it a point to play this game on occasion. I log my game plays on BoardGameGeek. Whenever I am approaching a milestone of game plays, I make sure this game is the game that hits that milestone. And when I heard of Peter’s passing, I played this game in his memory.
What do you wish you’d found in your attic instead?
To be honest, until my Mom brought these games to me, I had forgotten all about them. Of all the games she brought me, the best one was The Mystic Wood, and it was in great shape. Fireball Island was also great, but The Mystic Wood is better. The only thing I could have hoped for from the attic would be something I would not have known was there that was in great shape, worth loads of money, and I did not care about keeping. I am grateful that she did not just toss my games out. I find it very fortuitous that I got The Mystic Wood back since it got me into the hobby as an adult and got me into game design. I do not think I could ask for more.
Thanks for the interview and the opportunity to reminisce on my journey in this hobby, made possible by a great attic find. Often there are treasures right above our noses that can provide so much additional joy once rediscovered. *