Play by mail games are games, of any type, played through postal mail or e-mail. One example, chess, has been played by mail for centuries (when played in this way, it is known as correspondence chess). Another example, Diplomacy, has been played by mail since the 1960s, starting with a printed newsletter (a fanzine) written by John Boardman. More complex wargames, moderated by computer programs, were pioneered by Rick Loomis and his company, Flying Buffalo in the 1970s. The first such games offered via email through major online services such as AOL were created at Stormfront Studios, starting in 1989. A game is a recreational activity involving one or more players. ... A British pillar box The postal system is a system by which written documents typically enclosed in envelopes, and also small packages containing other matter, are delivered to destinations around the world. ... E-mail, or email, is short for electronic mail and is a method of composing, sending, and receiving messages over electronic communication systems. ... Many countries claim to have invented the chess game in some incipient form. ... Correspondence chess is chess played by some sort of long-distance correspondence, usually through a Correspondence Chess Server or e-mail or the postal system. ... Diplomacy is a board game, war game, and strategy game set in Europe in the era before the beginning of World War I. From two to seven may play, but the game dynamics are best with seven. ... The 1960s, or The Sixties, in its most obvious sense refers to the decade between 1960 and 1969, but the expression has taken on a wider meaning over the past twenty years. ... A fanzine (see also: zine) is a nonprofessional publication produced by fans of a particular subject for the pleasure of others who share their interest. ... John Boardman (born September 8, 1932) is one of the most famous figures in the game of Diplomacy, having established the original play-by-mail setup and also the system of numbering each game for statistical purposes. ... This article is about the military exercise and civilian hobby. ... Flying Buffalo is a company based in Scottsdale, Arizona that develops roleplaying games, gaming materials, and play by mail gaming services. ... This article provides extensive lists of events and significant personalities of the 1970s. ... America Online, or AOL for short, is a corporate online service provider and Internet service provider (ISP). ... Stormfront Studios is a video game developer based in San Rafael, California, and has one of the longest creative histories in the industry. ... 1989 is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Play by mail games are often referred to as PBM games, and play by email is sometimes abbreviated PBeM -- as opposed to face to face (FTF) games which are played in person.

See also Play-by-post gaming Play-by-post gaming (PBP), or Message board role-playing, is a class of games, usually role-playing games, carried out on Internet forums and message boards. ...

Postal gaming

Postal gaming developed as a way for geographically separated gamers to compete with each other. It was especially useful for those living in isolated areas and those whose tastes in games was uncommon.

In the case of a two player game such as chess, players would simply send their moves to each other alternately. Many countries claim to have invented the chess game in some incipient form. ...

In the case of a multi-player game such as Diplomacy, a central game master would run the game, receiving the moves and publishing adjudications. Such adjudications were often published in postal game zines, some of which contained far more than just games. Diplomacy is a board game, war game, and strategy game set in Europe in the era before the beginning of World War I. From two to seven may play, but the game dynamics are best with seven. ... In role-playing games, the game master or GM is the organizer, storyteller, and arbitrator. ... A zine—a contraction of the word magazine—is most commonly a small circulation, non-commercial publication of original or appropriated texts and images. ...

Internet play-by-mail

With the rise of the Internet, postal gaming and postal games zines have largely been replaced by email and websites. Play by mail games differ from popular online multiplayer games in that, for most computerized multiplayer games, the players have to be online at the same time. With a play by mail game, the players can play whenever they choose. Some computer games can be played in a play by mail mode: you make your "move", mail a file to your opponent, who makes his "move", and mails something back. E-mail, or email, is short for electronic mail and is a method of composing, sending, and receiving messages over electronic communication systems. ... A website, Web site or WWW site (often shortened to just site) is a collection of webpages, that is, HTML/XHTML documents accessible via HTTP on the Internet; all publicly accessible websites in existence comprise the World Wide Web. ... A computer game is a game composed of a computer-controlled virtual universe that players interact with in order to achieve a defined goal or set of goals. ...

The first original play-by-email games offered by major online services were:

• Quantum Space, designed and programmed by Don Daglow, on the QuantumLink, PC-Link and AppleLink services (later unified and renamed AOL), (1989-1991). AOL Founder Steve Case personally supported the project.
• Rebel Space, designed by Daglow, Mark Buchignani, David Bunnett and Hudson Piehl, which ran on Prodigy from 1992 to 1994.

A popular and well known play by eMail game is Atlantis PbeM. Thomas Harlan's alternate history PBEM game, Lords of the Earth has been running continuously for 20 years. AppleLink was the name of both Apple Computers online service for its users, and the client software used to access it. ... America Online, or AOL for short, is a corporate online service provider and Internet service provider (ISP). ... 1989 is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1991 is a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Steve Case (born August 21, 1958) is the founder of America Online, the worlds most successful proprietary online service. ... A prodigy is someone who shows exceptional talent. ... 1992 is a leap year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1994 was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International year of the Family. ... Atlantis is a free open-ended multi-player computer moderated Turn-based strategic fantasy game for any number of players. ... Thomas Harlan is a science-fiction/fantasy writer and wargame designer. ... Lords of the Earth is a play-by-email strategy game, first developed by Thomas Harlan in 1983 to entertain and confound his friends. ...

E-Mail Games is a site that offers free wargaming by e-mail. E-Mail Games (EMG) is a website, run by Doug Greening, which provides free play-by-email wargaming, The following games are, in several variants, played there: Age of Discovery Empire Forge Global Diplomacy Imperium Imperial Expansion World at War External link E-Mail Games Website Categories: Wargames ...

Excelgames.com, using Excel spreadsheets, this company can build custom turnsheets for PbeM games [[1]]

External links

• ChessHere.com: play online chess by email
• Diplomatic Pouch (for PBM and PBEM Diplomacy)
• E-Mail Games Website
• Flying Buffalo Games
• Mission From God - Guide to the amateur PBM in the UK
• APlay by mail home page
• Play dozens of online turn-based games against thousands of opponents
• Richard's Play By Email Server free and supports more than 50 board-games mostly abstract games
• The Tangerine Terror - PBM zine for wargames/strategy games
• Atlantis PbeM Project
• A running Atlantis Game
• Lords of the Earth
• PBEM.com - Tips & Free Game Announcements
• Verdanon - PbEM based on German Atlantis, with modifications
• Global Struggle PbeM Strategy game based in period after American Revolution
• Join the Death Eaters in this Action Packed RPG.
• Advertise and find games at RPGPlug
• Quadrant Delta - Since 1993, Quadrant Delta is one of the longest running PBeM's games on the Internet. Set in the Delta Quadrant approximately thirty-five years after the return of the USS Voyager.
• The Global Guardians PBEM Universe - The largest privately owned shared-world PBEM project on the internet, focusing on superheroic roleplaying.