In 2015, I saw a new book called Little Wizards at my FLGS. The cover was adorable and playful. Flipping though a few pages, the game system struck me as both simple and elegant, full of potential for telling delightful interactive stories to both children (the target audience) and any adults who were still kids at heart (so mostly all my friends). So on a whim bought a copy.Well, when I say "new" I presumably mean "new to me" since the book originally came out in 2013. And that's the English version.
The book for this game system originally came out in France in the early part of this century. That version was created and written by game designer Antoine Buaza. If that name sounds familiar, you've probably played 7 Wonders or Hanabi. From what I understand, the French version of this game came out in two volumes, but the English translation gathers the material into one book.Oddly enough, this game mirrors an idea that has been bouncing around in my head since 1998. When I first got to see Kiki's Delivery Service (the American release), I was entranced by the idea of witches living among us, going to school, some doing well in potions and enchantments, while plucky Kiki's greatest talent lies in flying. (Remember, this time was still before Harry Potter became the full blown phenomenon we recognize today.) Indeed, based on the coincidence of timing, I would not be surprised if the young witch Kiki and Jiji, the black cat who helps her, were the inspiration for this game.
So that is the rather uninteresting tale of how I ended up with a copy of Little Wizards. Story ideas have been bouncing around in my head, and now feels as good a time as any to begin exploring them more.