Tom Braunlich is an American customizable card game (CCG) designer.

Tom Braunlich
Tom Braunlich, wearing a cap
Braunlich in 2016
NationalityAmerican
Known forCustomizable card game designer
Notable workStar Trek: The Next Generation Customizable Card Game
Star Wars Customizable Card Game

Career edit

Thomas Braunlich, son of Frank H. Braunlich Jr. and Phyllis Braunlich, is from Tulsa, Oklahoma, and is a journalism graduate.[1][2] Braunlich and Rollie Tesh were world champions of Pente, a game originally published by Parker Brothers, and later by Decipher.[3] In 1993, Braunlich and Tesh approached Decipher with their idea for a licensed collectible card game, the result of which they published as Star Trek: The Next Generation Customizable Card Game (1994).[3][4][5]

Tom Braunlich worked for Decipher. He helped create the Star Wars Customizable Card Game which was Decipher's most monetarily successful CCG and their second-most successful game in terms of longevity.

Braunlich is also a writer on games, including Pente[2] and chess,[6][7] and organizer of chess tournaments.[8][9] Braunlich holds a USCF Life Master rating in chess.[10] On numerous occasions Braunlich has served as the director for the Jerry Spann Memorial Tournament, also known as the Oklahoma Open tournament.[11]

Braunlich is also the author of Weather Knight: A World War II Biography of Frank H. Braunlich Jr.[12]

Publications edit

References edit

  1. ^ Stanley, Tim (January 26, 2010). "Father-son outing provided connection", Tulsa World, p. A11.
  2. ^ a b Charm, Robert (March 29, 1983). "Chairmen of the board games: A Pente tournament held in Boston: Is it play or is it war?", The Boston Globe.
  3. ^ a b Shannon Appelcline (2011). Designers & Dragons. Mongoose Publishing. p. 317. ISBN 978-1-907702-58-7.
  4. ^ Kathy McCracken (July 19, 2004). "The History of Star Trek CCG: The Timeline". Decipher, Inc. Archived from the original on August 21, 2008. Retrieved September 19, 2008.
  5. ^ Tennant, Diane (December 11, 1995). "House of Cards: Norfolk Company Debuts 'Star Wars' Game That Pits The Rebel Alliance vs. The Empire", The Virginian-Pilot, p. E1.
  6. ^ Larry Evans This Crazy World of Chess 2013 p. 32 "In a controversial 24 page article “Scholastics and the Soul of Chess” Tom Braunlich argues that all is not rosy for organized chess! He notes that most kids quit after high school while real adult membership in the USCF has steadily declined, and he berates educators who use chess as a learning tool or team sport while ignoring real talent".
  7. ^ Dondis, Harold, and Wolff, Patrick (July 11, 2005). "Chess Notes", The Boston Globe, p. 15.
  8. ^ Chess Life 2007- Volume 62 Page 145 "... GM exhibition, and the main tournament. It was originally organized by Tom Braunlich in 2000, and canceled in 2006 after he moved to Oklahoma. This year the Virginia Chess Federation decided to bring the tournament back."
  9. ^ Sands, David R. (March 11, 2000). "Eight christen Millennium in winning style", The Washington Times, p. B2.
  10. ^ "U.S. Chess Federation - Member Services Area". U.S. Chess.org.
  11. ^ Braunlich, Tom. "Jerry Spann, The Forgotten Man Who Will Never Be Forgotten" (PDF). OCF.org. Retrieved August 19, 2019.
  12. ^ Braunlich, Tom. "Weather Knight: A World War II Biography of Frank H. Braunlich Jr". barnesandnoble.com. Retrieved September 30, 2019.