TOM: The Origins™ Metagame Rules
James Ernest and Rick Loomis 
(Note: if you want to purchase some of the cards for TOM: The Origins Metagame, click here)
Introduction:
Origins is, and always has been, a convention for gamers. Every year since 1975 Origins has been the best place for gamers to meet the people who make the games. From the biggest company to the smallest, players, manufacturers, and designers all come to Origins. It’s the best place to see and play the newest games on the market, and to find rare games long out of print.
TOM, The Origins metagame, is a new way to participate in the Origins experience. A booster pack of 8 random cards is included in your convention bag. There are 110 cards in the 2002 edition, representing companies, designers, and game products from all levels of the game industry. Many of these cards are available from the appropriate company booths at Origins, and you can get a complete card list and additional booster packs from your friends at Flying Buffalo.
About the Cards:
Every card in The Origins Metagame represents either a game company, a game designer, or a game product (COMPANY, PERSON, or GAME). The basic game works like Rock, Paper, Scissors: COMPANY beats PERSON, PERSON beats GAME, and GAME beats COMPANY. However, there are exceptions. For example, if a PERSON has worked for a COMPANY, as listed on the PERSON card, then that PERSON beats that COMPANY. More important, when two cards of the same type come up, the tie is broken by three numbers in the STAR, the DIAMOND, and the SHIELD.
When you meet someone else who is playing The Origins Game, you can challenge that player to a fight. Each of you chooses one card from your collection and holds it out face down. Then compare the cards, and the winner of the challenge keeps them both.
Obviously this is a very simple game. But that’s the point. The real fun is in the Metagame, in which you try to amass a complete set, determine the most powerful cards, and enjoy challenging friends and strangers to random instantaneous duels.
What Beats What:
As described above, the general rule is that COMPANY beats PERSON, PERSON beats GAME, and GAME beats COMPANY. The exceptions are as follows:
When a PERSON card has a COMPANY card listed below his or her name, it’s because that person works (or has worked) for that company. In this case, that PERSON card beats that COMPANY card.
When a PERSON card has a GAME card listed above his or her name, it’s because that person designed or contributed to that game. That GAME beats this PERSON card.
Similar rules apply to the other cards. In general, any card listed above a card’s name beats that card, and any card listed below a card’s name is beaten by it. Note: Not all card listings are complete, since designers work on many games, companies publish many games, and so on. Be sure to check both cards for possible reversals of the normal card order. The text on the cards in final, so even if you know better, you must go by what the cards tell you. (We’re doing the best we can here.)
Cards of the Same Type:
You will frequently play two cards of the same type (a GAME vs. another GAME, for example). In this case, the following rules will determine who wins.
Star Number: First, compare the Star values. Between two cards of the same type, the card with the higher Star value wins. Star values are based on Origins Awards and are computed as follows: for every Origins Award nomination that company, designer, or game has received, the star value grows by one point. For each Origins Award, the value gains an additional 2 points (this make an Award worth 3 points altogether, 1 for the nomination and 2 for the award). For each listing in the Academy’s Hall of Fame, the Star value gains 5 points.
Star Values are not always current, but you must always go by the star value on your card. If a game, designer, or company wins an Origins award at Origins 2002, it will be reflected in the cards for the following year.
Diamond and Shield Numbers: When the Star Numbers are tied, compare the Diamond Numbers. When the Diamond Numbers are also tied, compare the number in the Shield. If all three of these values are the same, then the game is a draw and the players keep their cards.
The Value of Autographs:
If an individual’s name appears anywhere on a card, either as the primary card name or in the list of related cards, you should get that card signed if you can. Each applicable signature on a card increases the Star value of that card by five points.
Note: Because of the autograph rule, it’s possible for one card to beat a copy of itself.
Challenge Protocol:
The Origins Metagame is happening all the time. If you want to show other players that you are playing, you can wear an Origins Metagame card attached to your convention badge. Or you can wander the halls shouting “Fight me! Fight me! I’m playing The Origins Metagame!”
When you challenge another player for the first time, that payer must accept your challenge. Subsequent challenges between the same two players are always optional. Trading is legal all the time, and is always optional.
Credits:
TOM, The Origins Metagame, is published by Flying Buffalo under license from GAMA, and was designed by James Ernest and Rick Loomis. Origins is a trademark of GAMA and is used with permission. Part of the proceeds of this game go to help support GAMA and the Origins game fair. For more information, visit the GAMA Web site at www.gama.org or the Origins website at www.originsgames.com Questions? Call Flying Buffalo at 480-945-6917, come to our booth at Origins, or email Rick Loomis at rick at flying buffalo dot com
CARDLIST for TOM: The Origins Metagame (1st edition). (as of July 4, 2002)
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There wasn't enough interest for a second edition of TOM: The Origins Metagame. So I came up with the idea of doing a Commemorative Poker Deck instead. If you are a game publisher, or a game retailer, or an independent game designer and you would like to sponsor a card, please go to this webpage for details on being a sponsor.
