imported>Ethan2Dnoxrqm: /* growthexperiments-addlink-summary-summary:2|0|0 */

2025-10-20T05:21:41Z

growthexperiments-addlink-summary-summary:2|0|0

New page

{{Short description|Role-playing game publisher}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2025}}
{{Infobox company
| name = Flying Buffalo Inc.
| type = Public company
| industry = [[Role-playing game]] publisher, [[Play-by-mail game]] moderator
| foundation = {{sda|1970|01}}<ref>{{cite magazine |author= | title= PBM Company Listing|magazine= The Journal of the PBM Gamer |edition=7th|page= 44|publisher= Paper Mayhem|date= 1993}}</ref>
| location = [[Scottsdale, Arizona]], US
| key_people = [[Rick Loomis]], [[Steve MacGregor]], John Ward (Webbed Sphere CEO)
| homepage = {{URL|www.flyingbuffalo.com}}
| products = ''[[Tunnels & Trolls]]'', [[Nuclear War (card game)|''Nuclear War'']]
| logo = Flying Buffalo logo.png
| logo_size = 200px
}}
'''Flying Buffalo Inc.''' ('''FBI''') is a game company with a line of [[role playing games]], [[card games]], and other gaming materials. The company's founder, [[Rick Loomis]], began game publishing with ''[[Nuclear Destruction]]'', a [[play-by-mail game]] which started the professional PBM industry in the United States. Loomis added games and players while introducing [[Play-by-mail game#Computer versus human moderated|computer moderation]] and soon incorporated into the company Flying Buffalo Inc. The company published games in other genres, including card games such as [[Nuclear War (card game)|''Nuclear War'']] and a role playing game called ''[[Tunnels & Trolls]]'', a game similar to ''[[Dungeons & Dragons]]''. Flying Buffalo acquired its 10,000th customer account number in 1980 and reached its largest size of 21 employees in 1983.

In July 2021, Webbed Sphere bought Flying Buffalo with plans to incorporate Flying Buffalo's products. The PBM games were not included in the sale and were continued by a separate company called Rick Loomis PBM Games. In May 2023, Rebellion Unplugged acquired all of Flying Buffalo's RPG products.

==History==
Flying Buffalo Inc. was founded in January 1970.<ref>{{cite magazine |author= |title= PBM Company Listing|magazine= The Journal of the PBM Gamer |edition=7th|page= 44 |publisher= Paper Mayhem|date= 1993}}</ref> That year, [[Rick Loomis]] invented a game called ''[[Nuclear Destruction]]'', a [[play-by-mail game]], for which he moderated multiplayer games.<ref name="designers">{{Cite book|author=Shannon Appelcline|title=Designers & Dragons|publisher=Mongoose Publishing|year=2011| isbn= 978-1-907702-58-7}}</ref>{{rp|34}} ''Nuclear Destruction'' started the professional PBM industry.<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Townsend |first=Jim |date=1988 |title=The PBM Corner |magazine=[[White Wolf Magazine]] |publisher=White Wolf Publishing |issue=11 |page=20 |ref=Tow88}}</ref> He soon had more than 200 players involved across multiple games, and asked fellow soldier [[Steve MacGregor]] to write a computer program to help moderate the games; they started renting time on a computer near [[Fort Shafter]], using the name Flying Buffalo devised by Loomis.<ref name="designers"/>{{rp|34}}<ref>{{cite news|author=Wichner, David|date=August 12, 1991|title=Flying Buffalo rounds up players Moves mailed to fantasy game entrepreneur|newspaper=[[Phoenix Gazette]]|page=B5}}</ref>
[[File:RDS 704 onsite seismic processing system.jpg|thumb|A Raytheon Data Systems 704. Used here as an onsite seismic data processing system in Mogadishu, Somalia in 1974]] Loomis published the first issue of his bi-monthly magazine in September 1971—one two-sided page.<ref>{{Cite magazine |last= Loomis|first= Rick|date=October 1984 |title= Golden Anniversary |magazine= Flying Buffalo Quarterly|number= 50|page= 1}}</ref>{{efn|Loomis said he had 150 customers at the time.}} Initially called ''The Flying Buffalo's Favorite Magazine'', Loomis eventually renamed it to ''Flying Buffalo Quarterly''.<ref>{{Cite magazine |last= Loomis|first= Rick|date=October 1984 |title= The Flying Buffalo's Favorite Magazine: Issue #1 [Reprint]|magazine= Flying Buffalo Quarterly|number= 50|page= 16 }}</ref>

After leaving the military in 1972, Rick Loomis incorporated his PBM company as Flying Buffalo, Inc., or FBI.<ref name="designers"/>{{rp|34}} Loomis used his savings to purchase a [[Raytheon 704]] [[minicomputer]] to run turns for the PBM games.<ref name="designers"/>{{rp|35}} According to Loomis in 1971, the computer cost $15,000 and had "4000 words of memory ... a [[teletypewriter]], and a [[Paper tape reader|paper [tape] reader/punch]]".<ref>{{Cite magazine |last= Loomis|first= Rick|date=October 1984 |title= Golden Anniversary |magazine= Flying Buffalo Quarterly|number= 50|pages= 1, 16 }}</ref>

Also in 1972, Loomis acquired and published ''[[Nuclear War (card game)|Nuclear War]]''; it soon became one of Flying Buffalo's best sellers.<ref name="designers"/>{{rp|35}} In 1975 they published ''[[Tunnels & Trolls]]'', a fantasy role playing game generally similar to ''[[Dungeons & Dragons]]'', and ''[[Viva!: Revolution in Mexico]]'', a board wargame. Later products included background materials for fantasy role playing games, which became the "[[Catalyst (role-playing game supplements)|Catalyst]]" series. In 1976 the company started running a space exploration/conquest PBM game titled ''[[Starweb]]''. In 1978 they purchased a [[board wargame]] titled ''[[Schutztruppe (board game)|Schutztruppe]]'' from game designer Jim Bumpas.<ref name=bgg>{{cite web | url =https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/15060/schutztruppe-east-african-guerilla-warfare-1914-19 | title =Schutztruppe: East African Guerilla Warfare, 1914–1918 (1975) | website =boardgamegeek.com | access-date =January 11, 2022}}</ref> Also in 1978 the company began publishing ''Sorcerer's Apprentice''.<ref name=FBI>{{cite magazine |last= Johnson|first=Forrest|date= May–June 1980|title= A Guide to the Science Fiction and Fantasy Game Publishers|magazine= The Space Gamer|page=15|number=28 }}</ref> The company's gross sales in 1978 was $125,000 with expenses at $130,000.<ref name=FBI79/>{{efn|Loomis said the company had run for two years as a hobby and seven years as a business at a loss.<ref name=FBI79/>}} 1979 brought some additional changes. Flying Buffalo's Vice President, Dave Slight, died, slowing PBM operations. The company purchased another Raytheon computer from a local doctor's office, which promised to speed printing by an order of magnitude (although it initially was missing some key required equipment).<ref name=FBI79>{{cite magazine |last= Loomis|first=Rick|date= June 1979|title= Editorial|magazine= Flying Buffalo Quarterly|page=1|number=39 }}</ref>

In 1980, the company stated that it had more than 3,000 players worldwide.<ref>{{cite magazine |author= Flying Buffalo, Inc.|date= August–September 1980|title= StarWeb|magazine= [[Different Worlds]]|page=48|number=9 }}</ref> The staff reached its largest size of over 21 employees in 1983.<ref name="Appelcline2014">{{cite book|last=Appelcline|first=Shannon|title=Designers & Dragons: The '70s|year=2014|publisher=[[Evil Hat Productions]]|location=Silver Spring, MD|isbn=978-1-61317-075-5}}</ref>{{rp|2529}} The company also ran a gaming store at various locations in [[Tempe, Arizona]] until 1985. In 1985, Flying Buffalo reached a milestone, assigning its 10,000th account number.<ref name=FBIa85>{{cite magazine |last= Flying Buffalo |date= Jan–Feb 1985|title= Gameline – News and Items: Flying Buffalo Assigns 10,000th Account Number|magazine= Paper Mayhem|page=18|number=10 |ref=FBI85}}</ref> The company noted that, although account No. 1 went to its founder, Rick Loomis, account No. 10,000 went to a customer from [[Athens, Alabama]].<ref name=FBIa85/>

In 1992, the fiction book ''[[Mage's Blood & Old Bones|Mage's Blood and Old Bones: A Tunnels & Trolls Shared World Anthology]]'' was published by Flying Buffalo.<ref>{{Cite book|url=http://www.torontopubliclibrary.ca/detail.jsp?Entt=RDM2262407&R=2262407|title = Mage's blood & old bones : A tunnels and trolls shared world anthology}}</ref>

In July 2021, [[Webbed Sphere]] purchased Flying Buffalo Inc. <ref>{{cite web |url= https://icv2.com/articles/news/view/48989/webbed-sphere-inc-acquires-flying-buffalo-inc|title= Webbed Sphere, Inc. Acquires Flying Buffalo, Inc.|author= Jeffrey Dohm-Sanchez|date= August 4, 2021|work= ICv2|publisher= |accessdate= September 1, 2021 }}</ref> and as part of the acquisition, in 2023 Flying Buffalo’s entire line of roleplaying games was taken over by Rebellion.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://rebellionunplugged.com/tunnelsandtrolls/ | title=Rebellion acquires influential Tunnels & Trolls roleplaying game|date=April 17, 2023|accessdate=May 2, 2025}}</ref> Until the acquisition, Flying Buffalo had been the oldest pen-and-paper role-playing game publisher still in operation (following the dissolution of [[TSR (company)|TSR]] in 1997).<ref name="Appelcline2014"/>{{rp|115}}

The PBM games were not included in the sale and a separate company, Rick Loomis PBM Games, continues to run nine PBM games originally published by Flying Buffalo, including ''[[Heroic Fantasy]]'', ''[[Nuclear Destruction]]'', ''[[Starweb]]'', and others.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://rickloomispbm.com/|title= Flying Buffalo Has Been Sold|author= |date= August 2021|publisher= Rick Loomis PBM|accessdate= September 22, 2021}}</ref>

In May 2023, Rebellion Unplugged acquired all of Flying Buffalo's RPG products. The company announced its intention to continue to offer digital versions of these products, including ''Tunnels & Trolls''.<ref>{{cite press release |title=Rebellion acquires trailblazing Tunnels & Trolls RPG - Rebellion Unplugged |url=https://rebellionunplugged.com/rebellion-acquires-trailblazing-tunnels-trolls-rpg/ |access-date=August 10, 2025 |work=Rebellion Unplugged |date=May 10, 2023}}</ref>

==Play-by-mail games==
Flying Buffalo noted in their 14-years history to 1985, some of their PBM games had been run hundreds of times each, including over 870 games of ''[[Starweb]]'', 930 of ''Battle Plan'', and 720 of ''[[Nuclear Destruction]]''.<ref name=FBIa85/> The company was also up to No. 50 in its print run of ''Flying Buffalo Quarterly'', its company magazine.<ref name=FBIa85/>{{efn|''Flying Buffalo Quarterly'' was initially called ''The Flying Buffalo's Favorite Magazine'' from issue No. 1 to at least issue No. 36.<ref>{{cite magazine |date= June 1979|title= Back Issues|magazine= Flying Buffalo Quarterly|page=11|number=39 }}</ref>}} The company published various play-by-mail games.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://playbymail.net/mybb/archive/index.php?thread-2.html|title= PBM Boneyard|author= Charles Mosteller|date= January 6, 2011|publisher= PlayByMail.net|access-date= October 24, 2021|archive-date= October 24, 2021|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20211024140308/http://playbymail.net/mybb/archive/index.php?thread-2.html|url-status= dead}}</ref>

{{col-begin}}
{{col-3}}
* ''[[Battle Plan]]''
* ''Board of Directors''<ref name=FBI79/>
* ''Covert Operations''
* ''[[Diplomacy (game)|Diplomacy]]''<ref name=FBI79/>
* ''Election Year''
* ''[[Feudal Lords (play-by-mail game)|Feudal Lords]]''
* ''[[Galactic Conflict]]''
* ''[[Heroic Fantasy]]''
{{col-3}}
* ''[[Illuminati (play-by-mail game)|Illuminati]]''
* ''[[Lizards (game)|Lizards!]]''
* ''Mobius I''
* ''Moon Base''<ref name=FBI79/>
* ''[[Nuclear Destruction]]''
* ''Nuclear War''
* ''Raumkrieg''<ref name=FBI79/>
* ''Riftlords''
{{col-3}}
* ''Riftwars''
* ''[[Space Battle (play-by-mail game)|Space Battle]]''
* [[Starlord (play-by-mail game)|''Starlord'']]
* ''[[Starweb]]''
* ''Time Trap''<ref name=FBI79/>
* ''[[Trajan's Treacherous Trap|Treacherous Trajan's Trap]]''<ref name=FBI79/>
* ''[[Battle Plan|World Wide Battle Plan]]''
* ''[[Battle Plan|1939 World Wide Battle Plan]]''
{{col-end}}

==Other products==
The company produced a range of unusual dice such as [[Runedice]], as well as a set to determine which toppings to order on pizza, and currently hold the printing rights to the ''[[Ace of Aces (picture book game)|Ace of Aces]]'' and ''[[Lost Worlds (gamebook)|Lost Worlds]]'' flip book systems.{{citation needed|date=July 2022}}

The company also produced a beta version of a video game called ''Buffalo Tales''.<ref name="WW42">{{Cite magazine |last=Trunzo |first=James V. |date=April 1994|title=The Silicon Dungeon |magazine= [[White Wolf Magazine]] |number=42 |page=54}}</ref>

== Awards ==
Various Flying Buffalo games have won awards.<ref>{{cite web|title=Awards we have won|url=http://www.flyingbuffalo.com/awards.htm|publisher=Flying Buffalo}}</ref>
* [[Ace of Aces (picture book game)|''Ace of Aces'']]. 1981 winner [[Charles Roberts Award|Charles Roberts]]/[[Origins Award|Origins]] ''Gamers Choice'' of 1980<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.originsgamefair.com/awards/1980/list-of-winners |title=Origins/Charles Roberts Award Winners (1980) |publisher=Academy of Adventure Gaming Arts & Design |access-date=October 16, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080415213107/http://www.originsgamefair.com/awards/1980/list-of-winners |archive-date=April 15, 2008 |url-status=dead }}</ref> and was inducted into the Adventure Gaming Hall of Fame in 1994.<ref name=Origins_1993>{{cite web|url=http://www.originsgamefair.com/awards/1993/list-of-winners |title=Origins Award Winners (1993) |publisher=Academy of Adventure Gaming Arts & Design |access-date=October 16, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071106005056/http://www.originsgamefair.com/awards/1993/list-of-winners |archive-date=November 6, 2007 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
* ''Citybook I'', 1982<ref>{{cite web|title=Origins Game Fair Winners 1982|url=http://gama.org/OriginsAwards/OriginsAwardsWinnersThe1980s/The1982OriginsAwards/tabid/3225/Default.aspx|publisher=GAMA – Academy of Adventure Gaming Arts and Design|access-date=October 9, 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141004162643/http://www.gama.org/OriginsAwards/OriginsAwardsWinnersThe1980s/The1982OriginsAwards/tabid/3225/Default.aspx|archive-date=October 4, 2014}}</ref>
* [[Illuminati (game)#Awards|''Illuminati PBM'']] game won best Play By Mail Game. 1990,<ref name=Origins_1990>{{cite web|title=Origins Game Fair Winners 1990|url=http://gama.org/OriginsAwards/OriginsAwardsWinnersThe1990s/The1990OriginsAwards/tabid/3234/Default.aspx|publisher=GAMA – Academy of Adventure Gaming Arts and Design|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141004162729/http://www.gama.org/OriginsAwards/OriginsAwardsWinnersThe1990s/The1990OriginsAwards/tabid/3234/Default.aspx|archive-date=October 4, 2014}}</ref> 1991,<ref name=Origins_1991>{{cite web|title=Origins Game Fair Winners 1991|url=http://gama.org/OriginsAwards/OriginsAwardsWinnersThe1990s/The1991OriginsAwards/tabid/3235/Default.aspx|publisher=GAMA – Academy of Adventure Gaming Arts and Design|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140924132010/http://www.gama.org/OriginsAwards/OriginsAwardsWinnersThe1990s/The1991OriginsAwards/tabid/3235/Default.aspx|archive-date=September 24, 2014}}</ref> 1992,<ref name=Origins_1992>{{cite web|title=Origins Game Fair Winners 1992|url=http://gama.org/OriginsAwards/OriginsAwardsWinnersThe1990s/The1992OriginsAwards/tabid/3236/Default.aspx|publisher=GAMA – Academy of Adventure Gaming Arts and Design|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141004162742/http://www.gama.org/OriginsAwards/OriginsAwardsWinnersThe1990s/The1992OriginsAwards/tabid/3236/Default.aspx|archive-date=October 4, 2014}}</ref> 1993,<ref name=Origins_1992 /> 1994, and 1995 and was put in the Hall of Fame in 1997.<ref name=Origins_1997>{{cite web|title=Origins Game Fair Winners 1997|url=http://gama.org/OriginsAwards/OriginsAwardsWinnersThe1990s/The1997OriginsAwards/tabid/3241/Default.aspx|publisher=GAMA – Academy of Adventure Gaming Arts and Design|access-date=October 9, 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141004162808/http://www.gama.org/OriginsAwards/OriginsAwardsWinnersThe1990s/The1997OriginsAwards/tabid/3241/Default.aspx|archive-date=October 4, 2014}}</ref>
* [[Nuclear Proliferation (card game)|''Nuclear Proliferation'']], 1992<ref name=Origins_1992 />
* [[Nuclear Escalation (card game)|''Nuclear Escalation'']], Best Science Fiction Boardgame of 1983<ref name=Origins_1983>{{cite web|title=Origins Game Fair Winners 1983|url=http://gama.org/OriginsAwards/OriginsAwardsWinnersThe1980s/The1983OriginsAwards/tabid/3226/Default.aspx|publisher=GAMA – Academy of Adventure Gaming Arts and Design|access-date=October 9, 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141004162648/http://www.gama.org/OriginsAwards/OriginsAwardsWinnersThe1980s/The1983OriginsAwards/tabid/3226/Default.aspx|archive-date=October 4, 2014}}</ref>
* [[Stormhaven]], Best Roleplaying Adventure of 1983<ref name=Origins_1983 />
* ''Starweb'', Best Play By Mail Game 1984,<ref>{{cite web|title=Origins Game Fair Winners 1984|url=http://gama.org/OriginsAwards/OriginsAwardsWinnersThe1980s/The1984OriginsAwards/tabid/3227/Default.aspx|publisher=GAMA – Academy of Adventure Gaming Arts and Design|access-date=October 9, 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141004162653/http://www.gama.org/OriginsAwards/OriginsAwardsWinnersThe1980s/The1984OriginsAwards/tabid/3227/Default.aspx|archive-date=October 4, 2014}}</ref> 1997,<ref name=Origins_1997 /> 2000,<ref>{{cite web|title=Origins Game Fair Winners 2000|url=http://gama.org/OriginsAwards/OriginsAwardsWinnersThe2000s/The2000OriginsAwards/tabid/3245/Default.aspx|publisher=GAMA – Academy of Adventure Gaming Arts and Design|access-date=October 9, 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141009025946/http://gama.org/OriginsAwards/OriginsAwardsWinnersThe2000s/The2000OriginsAwards/tabid/3245/Default.aspx|archive-date=October 9, 2014}}</ref> 2003,<ref>{{cite web|title=Origins Game Fair Winners 2003|url=http://gama.org/OriginsAwards/OriginsAwardsWinnersThe2000s/The2003OriginsAwards/tabid/3248/Default.aspx|publisher=GAMA – Academy of Adventure Gaming Arts and Design|access-date=October 9, 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141009030603/http://gama.org/OriginsAwards/OriginsAwardsWinnersThe2000s/The2003OriginsAwards/tabid/3248/Default.aspx|archive-date=October 9, 2014}}</ref> and 2006.<ref>{{cite web|title=Origins Game Fair Winners 2006|url=http://gama.org/OriginsAwards/OriginsAwardsWinnersThe2000s/The2006OriginsAwards/tabid/3251/Default.aspx|publisher=GAMA – Academy of Adventure Gaming Arts and Design|access-date=October 9, 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141009030648/http://gama.org/OriginsAwards/OriginsAwardsWinnersThe2000s/The2006OriginsAwards/tabid/3251/Default.aspx|archive-date=October 9, 2014}}</ref>
* Wargamers Information, 1990<ref name=Origins_1990 />

The [[Origins Award|Origins]] Hall of Fame award is given to game designers who have the best contributions of their field. Multiple Flying Buffalo writers and designers have won this award.
* [[Rick Loomis]], 1988.<ref>{{cite web|title=AAGAD Hall of Fame Award 1988|url=http://gama.org/OriginsAwards/HallofFame/tabid/3205/Default.aspx#Rick_Loomis|access-date=October 9, 2013|publisher=GAMA – Academy of Adventure Gaming Arts and Design|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131227142112/http://gama.org/OriginsAwards/HallofFame/tabid/3205/Default.aspx#Rick_Loomis|archive-date=December 27, 2013}}</ref>
* [[Michael Stackpole]], 1993.<ref>{{cite web|title=AAGAD Hall of Fame Award 1993|url=http://gama.org/OriginsAwards/HallofFame/tabid/3205/Default.aspx#Michael_Stackpole|access-date=October 9, 2013|publisher=GAMA – Academy of Adventure Gaming Arts and Design|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131227142112/http://gama.org/OriginsAwards/HallofFame/tabid/3205/Default.aspx#Michael_Stackpole|archive-date=December 27, 2013}}</ref>
* [[Liz Danforth|Elizabeth T. Danforth]], 1995.<ref>{{cite web|title=AAGAD Hall of Fame Award 1995|url=http://gama.org/OriginsAwards/HallofFame/tabid/3205/Default.aspx#Liz_Danforth|access-date=October 9, 2013|publisher=GAMA – Academy of Adventure Gaming Arts and Design|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131227142112/http://gama.org/OriginsAwards/HallofFame/tabid/3205/Default.aspx#Liz_Danforth|archive-date=December 27, 2013}}</ref>
* [[Ken St. Andre]], 2018.<ref>{{cite web |title=Len St Andre Inducted in the Origins Awards Hall of Fame |url=https://dmmagazine.blogspot.com/2018/06/ken-st-andre-inducted-in-orgins-awards.html |website=Dungeon Master Magazine |access-date=June 20, 2018}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[List of play-by-mail games]]

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
* {{cite web |author=  |url= http://rickloomispbm.com/|title= Rick Loomis PBM|date= September 1, 2021|publisher= Rick Loomis PBM|accessdate= December 3, 2021}}
* {{cite web |url= https://icv2.com/articles/columns/view/49011/rolling-initiative-the-fall-innistrad-future-flying-buffalo|title= Rolling for Initiative – The Fall of 'Innistrad' and the Future of Flying Buffalo|author= Scott Thorne|date= August 9, 2021|work= ICv2|publisher= |accessdate= September 1, 2021 }}

{{Play-by-mail games}}
{{Authority control}}
[[Category:1970 establishments in Hawaii]]
[[Category:Board game publishing companies]]
[[Category:Card game publishing companies]]
[[Category:Companies based in Scottsdale, Arizona]]
[[Category:Play-by-mail game publishing companies]]
[[Category:Publishing companies established in 1970]]
[[Category:Role-playing game publishing companies]]

Flying Buffalo - Revision history

imported>Ethan2Dnoxrqm: /* growthexperiments-addlink-summary-summary:2|0|0 */