Tune into Game the Game on G&S Live every Friday from 4:00 pm – 6:30 pm where Ivan Van Norman and Becca Scott break out some of the best board games the industry has to offer, with new guests each week!
If you had told me over five years ago that I would fall in love with a comic book that’s magic system is based on math, I’d have laughed in your face. And then Finding Gossamyr came out on Free Comic Book Day and I fell in love. It became the first comic I read on my stack. It’s a great all-ages fantasy comic.
The story centers around Denny, a brilliant math prodigy who does not like to deviate from his schedule, and his sister and caretaker, Jenna. She is trying to get her little brother into a residency in a PhD mathematics program. All he has to do to get in is further a complicated math theorem and a weight is lifted from her shoulders. Denny figures out that the solution opens a portal and tries to leave, but he is brought back to the formula and opens the portal to Gossamyr, taking his sister with him. Denny and Jenna find themselves mixed up in some deep troubles, off of their schedule, and gaining some allies to help them.
Gossamyr is a land where math is magic. You write theorems in the air to make magic happen, which makes all the math classes I took growing up way more useful. The problem lies in that Denny “can’t not” solve theorems put in front of him and that makes him a target for both the forces of good and evil. The repercussions of his talent cross the boundaries of Gossamyr and into other worlds.
The world is complex, the art is gorgeous. The relationship between Jenna and Denny is so real. They clash over schedules and him accidentally sucking them through a portal, but they stick together and help each other out. They rely on their talents to get them through the new world they are stuck in.
I’ll admit I’m a sucker for fantasy stories. If you haven’t read the series, I highly suggest it, especially if you have a kid that hates math (or were a kid that hated math). There is an astonishingly huge backstory and world that barely gets tapped in the comics.
You want to dig deeper.
That’s where Arcane Academy comes in. They take the school where all the great wizards of Gossamyr went to and drop you in it. You might be the next great wizard, if only you can cram for your final exams in time. Upgrade the actions on your slate to cast spells and gain items. Be the first to cast eight spells and call for everyone to put their pencils down.
We’ve done a full overview of the game and given both its designers (Eric Lang and Kevin Wilson) are legendary game designers in their own right, the game is incredible whether or not you’re familiar with the universe.
If you want to see the gorgeous artwork and see the game in action, tune into Game the Game to see Becca and Ivan battle it out to see who will be the next great wizard! What’s your favorite comic that’s been turned into a game? Let me know in the comments below!
Feature Image Credit: Th3rd World Studios
Other Image Credits: Th3rd World Studios, Christina Amerito