Andrew J. Looney is a famous game designer who has created some of the more cutting edge games of the last 40 years such as Fluxx, Chrononauts, the Icehouse game system (now known as Looney Pyramids), Aquarius, Nanofictionary, IceTowers, Treehouse and Martian Coasters. By far Fluxx and its numerous versions are the best known.

Andrew started real life after college as a software programmer at NASA. Does that mean he is a rocket scientist? He certainly is a very clever fellow. Among his many game design accomplishments was obtaining patent protection for three of his game designs (if you read my prior article, ‘Is it OK to “steal” game rules or mechanics?‘ this is very rare and in fact almost impossible). Looney holds patents on the game mechanics for: Icehouse – Method of manipulating and interpreting playing pieces, IceTowers and Chrononauts – Method of conducting simultaneous game play using stackable game pieces, and Method of simulation time travel in a card game. Looney has won many awards for his original game designs:

* 1999 — Mensa Mind Games: Mensa Select Award for Fluxx
* 2000 — Origins Award: Best Abstract Board Game for Icehouse: The Martian Chess Set
* 2000 – Origins Award for Chrononauts: Best Traditional Card Game
* 2001 – Parents Choice Silver Honors for Chrononauts
* 2001 – Origins Award: Best Abstract Board Game for Cosmic Coasters
* 2003 – Parents Choice Silver Honors Nanofictionary
* 2007 – Origins Award: Best Board Game or Expansion of the Year for Treehouse
* 2008 – Origins Award: Best Traditional Card Game of the Year for Zombie Fluxx
* 2013 – Parents’ Choice Recommended Seal category Games for Fluxx: The Board Game
* 2014 – Parents’ Choice FunStuff Award for Loonacy

His first game, Icehouse, actually grew out of a science fiction short story that included a Martian game. Readers asked him about the game and the rules and he responded by creating Icehouse, a game played on a checkerboard with stackable plastic pyramids. He started making them himself in his apartment. Now the game is marketed as Treehouse and includes a wide range of games that can be used with the Icehouse patented playing pieces.

In 1996 Looney Labs opened for business with the introduction of Fluxx, a card game in which the rules are constantly changing depending upon the cards that are played by the players. Fluxx has by far been the most popular and successful of Looney Labs offerings with many subsequent editions for gaming and education.

Andrew J. Looney is a rare example of an independent game designer creating his own unique and innovative games and game systems, his own company, and obtaining success in the gaming industry.

Here’s to Andrew J. Looney and Looney Labs.