Andrew Looney
Encyclopedia
Andrew J. Looney better known as Andy Looney, is an award-winning game
designer and computer programmer.
, which has published most of his game designs, such as Fluxx
, Chrononauts
, and the Icehouse game system
.
Before Looney and his wife started Looney Labs, they had both worked at NASA
, where, in 1993, some of Looney's software was launched into orbit as part of the repairs to the Hubble Space Telescope
. He then went on to a brief career as a game programmer at Magnet Interactive Studios, where he created that company's only entry to the market, Icebreaker
.
s on the game mechanics for Icehouse
, IceTowers
and Chrononauts
:
Looney has won the following game design awards:
Game
A game is structured playing, usually undertaken for enjoyment and sometimes used as an educational tool. Games are distinct from work, which is usually carried out for remuneration, and from art, which is more often an expression of aesthetic or ideological elements...
designer and computer programmer.
Biography
Looney, his wife Kristin Looney, and Alison Frane together run the games company Looney LabsLooney Labs
Looney Labs is a small game company based in College Park, Maryland, USA. It is named after its founders, Andrew Looney and Kristin Looney.- Card games :...
, which has published most of his game designs, such as Fluxx
Fluxx
Fluxx is a card game, played with a specially designed deck. It is different from most other card games, in that the rules and the conditions for winning are altered throughout the game, via cards played by the players.-History:...
, Chrononauts
Chrononauts
Chrononauts is a card game that simulates popular fictional ideas about how time travellers might alter history, drawing on sources like Back to the Future and the short stories collection Travels Through Time. The game was designed by Andrew Looney in 2000 and is published by Looney Labs...
, and the Icehouse game system
Icehouse (game)
Icehouse is a turnless abstract strategy game invented by Andrew Looney and John Cooper. It was the first of many games played with Icehouse pieces....
.
Before Looney and his wife started Looney Labs, they had both worked at NASA
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
, where, in 1993, some of Looney's software was launched into orbit as part of the repairs to the Hubble Space Telescope
Hubble Space Telescope
The Hubble Space Telescope is a space telescope that was carried into orbit by a Space Shuttle in 1990 and remains in operation. A 2.4 meter aperture telescope in low Earth orbit, Hubble's four main instruments observe in the near ultraviolet, visible, and near infrared...
. He then went on to a brief career as a game programmer at Magnet Interactive Studios, where he created that company's only entry to the market, Icebreaker
Icebreaker (game)
Icebreaker is a 1995 strategy/action video game developed by Magnet Interactive Studios for the 3DO Interactive Multiplayer console. Despite the critical acclaim, the game did not sell well...
.
Patents & awards
Looney holds patentPatent
A patent is a form of intellectual property. It consists of a set of exclusive rights granted by a sovereign state to an inventor or their assignee for a limited period of time in exchange for the public disclosure of an invention....
s on the game mechanics for Icehouse
Icehouse (game)
Icehouse is a turnless abstract strategy game invented by Andrew Looney and John Cooper. It was the first of many games played with Icehouse pieces....
, IceTowers
IceTowers
IceTowers is a turnless strategy game designed by Andrew Looney and published by Looney Labs. The game is played with a set of Icehouse pieces, with each player assigned a specific color.-Rules:...
and Chrononauts
Chrononauts
Chrononauts is a card game that simulates popular fictional ideas about how time travellers might alter history, drawing on sources like Back to the Future and the short stories collection Travels Through Time. The game was designed by Andrew Looney in 2000 and is published by Looney Labs...
:
- Method of manipulating and interpreting playing pieces (U.S. Patent 4,936,585)
- Method of conducting simultaneous gameplay using stackable game pieces (U.S. Patent 6,352,262)
- Method of simulation time travel in a card game (U.S. Patent 6,474,650)
Looney has won the following game design awards:
- 1999 — Mensa Mind Games: Mensa Select Award for FluxxFluxxFluxx is a card game, played with a specially designed deck. It is different from most other card games, in that the rules and the conditions for winning are altered throughout the game, via cards played by the players.-History:...
- 2000 — Origins Award: Best Traditional Card Game for ChrononautsChrononautsChrononauts is a card game that simulates popular fictional ideas about how time travellers might alter history, drawing on sources like Back to the Future and the short stories collection Travels Through Time. The game was designed by Andrew Looney in 2000 and is published by Looney Labs...
- 2000 — Origins Award: Best Abstract Board Game for IcehouseIcehouse (game)Icehouse is a turnless abstract strategy game invented by Andrew Looney and John Cooper. It was the first of many games played with Icehouse pieces....
- 2001 — Parents Choice Silver Honors ChrononautsChrononautsChrononauts is a card game that simulates popular fictional ideas about how time travellers might alter history, drawing on sources like Back to the Future and the short stories collection Travels Through Time. The game was designed by Andrew Looney in 2000 and is published by Looney Labs...
- 2001 — Origins Award: Best Abstract Board Game for Cosmic CoastersCosmic CoastersCosmic Coasters is a board game designed by Andrew Looney and published by Looney Labs.In 2002, Cosmic Coasters won the Origins Award for Best Abstract Board Game of 2001....
- 2003 — Parents Choice Silver Honors Nanofictionary
- 2005 — Mensa Mind Games: Mensa Select Award for ZendoZendo (game)Zendo is a game of inductive logic designed by Kory Heath in which one player creates a rule for structures to follow, and the other players try to discover it by building and studying various koans which follow or break the rule...
- 2007 — Origins Award: Best Board Game or Expansion of the Year for TreehouseTreehouse (game)Treehouse is a game in which players try to get their configuration of Icehouse pieces to match the central configuration, shared by all players...
- 2008 — Origins Award: Best Traditional Card Game of the Year for Zombie Fluxx
Works
- AquariusAquarius (game)Aquarius is a card game created by Andrew Looney and published by Looney Labs. The game play has some similarity to the game of dominoes. The card design and feel of the game is influenced by the Hippie movement and the art of Peter Max. The game has been released in two editions. The First...
- ChrononautsChrononautsChrononauts is a card game that simulates popular fictional ideas about how time travellers might alter history, drawing on sources like Back to the Future and the short stories collection Travels Through Time. The game was designed by Andrew Looney in 2000 and is published by Looney Labs...
- Early American Chrononauts
- Cosmic CoastersCosmic CoastersCosmic Coasters is a board game designed by Andrew Looney and published by Looney Labs.In 2002, Cosmic Coasters won the Origins Award for Best Abstract Board Game of 2001....
- FluxxFluxxFluxx is a card game, played with a specially designed deck. It is different from most other card games, in that the rules and the conditions for winning are altered throughout the game, via cards played by the players.-History:...
- EcoFluxx
- Family Fluxx
- Zombie Fluxx
- Monty Python Fluxx
- Martian Fluxx
- Stoner Fluxx
- IcebreakerIcebreaker (game)Icebreaker is a 1995 strategy/action video game developed by Magnet Interactive Studios for the 3DO Interactive Multiplayer console. Despite the critical acclaim, the game did not sell well...
- IcehouseIcehouse (game)Icehouse is a turnless abstract strategy game invented by Andrew Looney and John Cooper. It was the first of many games played with Icehouse pieces....
and other games played with the Icehouse piecesIcehouse piecesIcehouse pieces are pyramid-shaped gaming pieces invented by Andrew Looney and John Cooper in 1987, originally for use in the game of Icehouse.- Description :...
:- IceTowersIceTowersIceTowers is a turnless strategy game designed by Andrew Looney and published by Looney Labs. The game is played with a set of Icehouse pieces, with each player assigned a specific color.-Rules:...
- Martian ChessMartian ChessMartian Chess is an abstract strategy game for two to six players invented by Andrew Looney. It is played with Icehouse pieces on a chessboard or checkerboard; to play with a number of players other than two or four, a small, Non-Euclidean which can be tiled to produce a board of the required...
- TreehouseTreehouse (game)Treehouse is a game in which players try to get their configuration of Icehouse pieces to match the central configuration, shared by all players...
- Zark City
- IceTowers
- Nanofictionary
- Proton
- Q*Turn