Richard Garfield
Encyclopedia
Richard Channing Garfield (born June 26, 1963, Philadelphia) is a mathematics professor and game designer who created the card game
s Magic: The Gathering
, Netrunner
, BattleTech CCG
, Vampire: The Eternal Struggle
(originally known as Jyhad), The Great Dalmuti
, Star Wars Trading Card Game
, and the board game
RoboRally
. He also created a variation of the game Hearts called Complex hearts. The development of Magic: The Gathering is credited with popularising the collectible card game
genre.
when he was twelve. While always having an interest in puzzles and games, his passion for games began when he was introduced to Dungeons & Dragons
.
Garfield designed his first game by the time he was 13.
degree in computer mathematics. He joined Bell Laboratories, then decided to continue his education and attended the University of Pennsylvania
, and studied combinatorial mathematics.
He began designing Magic: The Gathering
as a Penn graduate student. A group of playtesters, comprising mostly fellow Penn students, formed around the developing game. While searching for a publisher for RoboRally
, which he designed in 1985, Garfield found Peter Adkison
of Wizards of the Coast
, who expressed interest in Magic.
Garfield studied under Herbert Wilf
and earned a Ph.D.
in combinatorial mathematics
from Penn in 1993. He became a professor of mathematics at Whitman College
in Walla Walla, Washington
.
Magic: The Gathering launched in 1993. Playtesters began independently developing expansion pack
s, which were then passed to Garfield to edit. Garfield left academia to join Wizards of the Coast as a full-time game designer in June 1994. He was a primary play tester for the Dungeons & Dragons
3rd edition bookset, released by Wizards in 2000. He eventually left Wizards to become an independent game designer.
He still sporadically contributes to Magic: The Gathering
. More recently, he has created the board games Pecking Order (2006) and Rocketville (2006). The latter was published by Avalon Hill
, a subsidiary of Wizards of the Coast. He has shifted more of his attention to computer games, having worked on the design and development of Schizoid
and Spectromancer
.
, in an article on Garfield's trading card game patent
application, it was reported that Garfield is the great-great-grandson of U.S. President James A. Garfield (1831–81), and that his great-uncle invented the paper clip
.
Card game
A card game is any game using playing cards as the primary device with which the game is played, be they traditional or game-specific. Countless card games exist, including families of related games...
s Magic: The Gathering
Magic: The Gathering
Magic: The Gathering , also known as Magic, is the first collectible trading card game created by mathematics professor Richard Garfield and introduced in 1993 by Wizards of the Coast. Magic continues to thrive, with approximately twelve million players as of 2011...
, Netrunner
Netrunner
Netrunner is a collectible card game designed by Richard Garfield, the creator of Magic: The Gathering. It was published by Wizards of the Coast and introduced in 1996. The game is based heavily on the Cyberpunk 2020 role-playing game published by R. Talsorian Games, but also draws additional...
, BattleTech CCG
BattleTech CCG
The BattleTech Collectible Card Game is a collectible card game set in the BattleTech universe developed by Wizards of the Coast for FASA using the same style of gameplay and card distribution as WotC's Magic: The Gathering. Its production ran from 1996 through 2001...
, Vampire: The Eternal Struggle
Vampire: The Eternal Struggle
Vampire: The Eternal Struggle, published as Jyhad in the first or "Limited" edition and often abbreviated as VTES, V:TES or V:tES, is a multiplayer collectible card game set in the World of Darkness. It is published by White Wolf, Inc....
(originally known as Jyhad), The Great Dalmuti
The Great Dalmuti
The Great Dalmuti is a card game designed by Richard Garfield, illustrated by Margaret Organ-Kean, and published in 1995 by Wizards of the Coast. It is a variant of the public domain game Asshole, dating back to late Middle-Ages. The game was Awarded Best New Mind Game 1995 by Mensa, and was in...
, Star Wars Trading Card Game
Star Wars Trading Card Game
Star Wars: The Trading Card Game was a collectible card game produced by Wizards of the Coast . The original game was created by game designer Richard Garfield, the creator of the first modern trading card game, Magic: The Gathering...
, and the board game
Board game
A board game is a game which involves counters or pieces being moved on a pre-marked surface or "board", according to a set of rules. Games may be based on pure strategy, chance or a mixture of the two, and usually have a goal which a player aims to achieve...
RoboRally
RoboRally
RoboRally is a board game originally published in 1994 by Wizards of the Coast . It was designed in 1985 by Richard Garfield, who would later create the card game Magic: The Gathering. The game and its expansions received a total of four Origins Awards...
. He also created a variation of the game Hearts called Complex hearts. The development of Magic: The Gathering is credited with popularising the collectible card game
Collectible card game
thumb|Players and their decksA collectible card game , also called a trading card game or customizable card game, is a game played using specially designed sets of playing cards...
genre.
Early life
Garfield was born in Philadelphia, and spent his childhood in many locations throughout the world as a result of his father's work in architecture. His family eventually settled in OregonOregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
when he was twelve. While always having an interest in puzzles and games, his passion for games began when he was introduced to Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons is a fantasy role-playing game originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, and first published in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. . The game has been published by Wizards of the Coast since 1997...
.
Garfield designed his first game by the time he was 13.
Education and career
In 1985, he received a Bachelor of ScienceBachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
degree in computer mathematics. He joined Bell Laboratories, then decided to continue his education and attended the University of Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
, and studied combinatorial mathematics.
He began designing Magic: The Gathering
Magic: The Gathering
Magic: The Gathering , also known as Magic, is the first collectible trading card game created by mathematics professor Richard Garfield and introduced in 1993 by Wizards of the Coast. Magic continues to thrive, with approximately twelve million players as of 2011...
as a Penn graduate student. A group of playtesters, comprising mostly fellow Penn students, formed around the developing game. While searching for a publisher for RoboRally
RoboRally
RoboRally is a board game originally published in 1994 by Wizards of the Coast . It was designed in 1985 by Richard Garfield, who would later create the card game Magic: The Gathering. The game and its expansions received a total of four Origins Awards...
, which he designed in 1985, Garfield found Peter Adkison
Peter Adkison
Peter D. Adkison is the founder and first CEO of Wizards of the Coast , as well as a hobby game professional.During Adkison's tenure, Wizards of the Coast rose to the status of a major publisher in the hobby game industry. Wizards achieved runaway success with its creation of "Magic: the...
of Wizards of the Coast
Wizards of the Coast
Wizards of the Coast is an American publisher of games, primarily based on fantasy and science fiction themes, and formerly an operator of retail stores for games...
, who expressed interest in Magic.
Garfield studied under Herbert Wilf
Herbert Wilf
Herbert Saul Wilf is a mathematician, specializing in combinatorics and graph theory. He was the Thomas A. Scott Professor of Mathematics in Combinatorial Analysis and Computing at the University of Pennsylvania. He has written numerous books and research papers...
and earned a Ph.D.
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
in combinatorial mathematics
Combinatorics
Combinatorics is a branch of mathematics concerning the study of finite or countable discrete structures. Aspects of combinatorics include counting the structures of a given kind and size , deciding when certain criteria can be met, and constructing and analyzing objects meeting the criteria ,...
from Penn in 1993. He became a professor of mathematics at Whitman College
Whitman College
Whitman College is a private, co-educational, non-sectarian, residential undergraduate liberal arts college located in Walla Walla, Washington. Initially founded as a seminary by a territorial legislative charter in 1859, the school became a four year degree granting institution in 1883...
in Walla Walla, Washington
Walla Walla, Washington
Walla Walla is the largest city in and the county seat of Walla Walla County, Washington, United States. The population was 31,731 at the 2010 census...
.
Magic: The Gathering launched in 1993. Playtesters began independently developing expansion pack
Expansion pack
An expansion pack, expansion set, or supplement is an addition to an existing role-playing game, tabletop game or video game. These add-ons usually add new game areas, weapons, objects, and/or an extended storyline to a complete and already released game...
s, which were then passed to Garfield to edit. Garfield left academia to join Wizards of the Coast as a full-time game designer in June 1994. He was a primary play tester for the Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons is a fantasy role-playing game originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, and first published in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. . The game has been published by Wizards of the Coast since 1997...
3rd edition bookset, released by Wizards in 2000. He eventually left Wizards to become an independent game designer.
He still sporadically contributes to Magic: The Gathering
Magic: The Gathering
Magic: The Gathering , also known as Magic, is the first collectible trading card game created by mathematics professor Richard Garfield and introduced in 1993 by Wizards of the Coast. Magic continues to thrive, with approximately twelve million players as of 2011...
. More recently, he has created the board games Pecking Order (2006) and Rocketville (2006). The latter was published by Avalon Hill
Avalon Hill
Avalon Hill was a game company that specialized in wargames and strategic board games. Its logo contained its initials "AH", and it was often referred to by this abbreviation. It also published the occasional miniature wargaming rules, role-playing game, and had a popular line of sports simulations...
, a subsidiary of Wizards of the Coast. He has shifted more of his attention to computer games, having worked on the design and development of Schizoid
Schizoid (video game)
Schizoid is an action game which focuses on teamwork. Players must co-operate to protect each other from barrages of glowing enemies. The title was developed by Torpex Games and launched on Xbox Live Arcade on July 9, 2008 for 800 Microsoft Points....
and Spectromancer
Spectromancer
Spectromancer is a computer game developed by Apus Software and Three Donkeys LLC. The game was released in October 2008.The expansion League of Heroes is an upgrade to the game rather than a stand-alone expansion and was released at 2010-03-02....
.
Family
Garfield created a custom Magic card to propose to his girlfriend Lily Wu in 1993. They are now married and have two children, daughter Terry (born in September 1997) and son Schuyler (born in 1999). He created further custom cards to commemorate the birth of his children.Trivia
In the December 1997 issue of Dragon MagazineDragon (magazine)
Dragon is one of the two official magazines for source material for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game and associated products, the other being Dungeon. TSR, Inc. originally launched the monthly printed magazine in 1976 to succeed the company's earlier publication, The Strategic Review. The...
, in an article on Garfield's trading card game patent
Patent
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....
application, it was reported that Garfield is the great-great-grandson of U.S. President James A. Garfield (1831–81), and that his great-uncle invented the paper clip
Paper Clip
"Paper Clip" is a 1995 episode of The X-Files television series. It was the second episode broadcast in the show's third season. Paper Clip concludes the story regarding the agents' possession of a digital tape containing government secrets on extraterrestrials.- Plot :Continuing from the previous...
.
Games designed
A partial list of games designed by Richard Garfield:- Magic: The GatheringMagic: The GatheringMagic: The Gathering , also known as Magic, is the first collectible trading card game created by mathematics professor Richard Garfield and introduced in 1993 by Wizards of the Coast. Magic continues to thrive, with approximately twelve million players as of 2011...
(1993), collectible card game - RoboRallyRoboRallyRoboRally is a board game originally published in 1994 by Wizards of the Coast . It was designed in 1985 by Richard Garfield, who would later create the card game Magic: The Gathering. The game and its expansions received a total of four Origins Awards...
(1994), board game - Vampire: The Eternal StruggleVampire: The Eternal StruggleVampire: The Eternal Struggle, published as Jyhad in the first or "Limited" edition and often abbreviated as VTES, V:TES or V:tES, is a multiplayer collectible card game set in the World of Darkness. It is published by White Wolf, Inc....
(1994), collectible card game - The Great DalmutiThe Great DalmutiThe Great Dalmuti is a card game designed by Richard Garfield, illustrated by Margaret Organ-Kean, and published in 1995 by Wizards of the Coast. It is a variant of the public domain game Asshole, dating back to late Middle-Ages. The game was Awarded Best New Mind Game 1995 by Mensa, and was in...
(1995), card game - NetrunnerNetrunnerNetrunner is a collectible card game designed by Richard Garfield, the creator of Magic: The Gathering. It was published by Wizards of the Coast and introduced in 1996. The game is based heavily on the Cyberpunk 2020 role-playing game published by R. Talsorian Games, but also draws additional...
(1996), collectible card game - BattleTech CCGBattleTech CCGThe BattleTech Collectible Card Game is a collectible card game set in the BattleTech universe developed by Wizards of the Coast for FASA using the same style of gameplay and card distribution as WotC's Magic: The Gathering. Its production ran from 1996 through 2001...
(1996), collectible card game - Dilbert: Corporate Shuffle (1997), card game
- Filthy Rich (1998), board game
- Twitch (1998), card game
- Star Wars Trading Card GameStar Wars Trading Card GameStar Wars: The Trading Card Game was a collectible card game produced by Wizards of the Coast . The original game was created by game designer Richard Garfield, the creator of the first modern trading card game, Magic: The Gathering...
(2002), collectible card game - Pecking Order (2006), board game
- Rocketville (2006), board game
- StonehengeStonehenge (game)Stonehenge is the first anthology board game. It was released in June 2007 by Paizo Publishing under their Titanic Games imprint. Five game designers, Richard Garfield, Richard Borg, James Ernest, Bruno Faidutti, and Mike Selinker, were given the same set of game materials and each created their...
(2007), board game anthology - SpectromancerSpectromancerSpectromancer is a computer game developed by Apus Software and Three Donkeys LLC. The game was released in October 2008.The expansion League of Heroes is an upgrade to the game rather than a stand-alone expansion and was released at 2010-03-02....
(2008), online card game - SchizoidSchizoid (video game)Schizoid is an action game which focuses on teamwork. Players must co-operate to protect each other from barrages of glowing enemies. The title was developed by Torpex Games and launched on Xbox Live Arcade on July 9, 2008 for 800 Microsoft Points....
(2008), console action game - Kard Combat (2011), iOS Game
- King of Tokyo (2011), board game