Alex Randolph

Alex Randolph playing his game Twixt in 1998

Alexander Randolph (4 May 1922 – 27 April 2004) was an American designer of board games and writer. Alex Randolph's game creations include TwixT, Breakthru, Hol's der Geier, Inkognito (with Leo Colovini),[1] Raj, Ricochet Robot, and Enchanted Forest (with Michael Matschoss).[2]

Biography

Alexander Randolph was born on 4th May 1922 in Czechoslovakia where his parents spent four years coming from the USA. He was the son of self-described "rich parents". His father Samuel Alexander was an artist painter born in Odessa, Russian Empire (1878-1944) and his mother Mary (1882-1955) was an American sculptor. Alex and his half-brother Christopher Craig spent their childhood and teenage in Venice, Italy. They both attended a private school in Switzerland.[3] The Randolph family owned the Palazzetto Stern along the Grand Canal in Dorsoduro in Venice from 1924 to ~1946-47. Alex spent his early years in various occupations, including military intelligence and as an advertising copy editor in Boston.^[citation needed]

In 1961, Alex Randolph moved to Japan and became a professional game developer, performing initial work on TwixT. During this time, he became a dan player in shogi.

In 1962, Alex Randolph (along with Sid Sackson) was commissioned to start a new game division for Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing (also known as 3M). Through 3M, Randolph created and published such games as Breakthru, Evade, Oh-Wah-Ree, and TwixT.[4]

Alex Randolph moved back to Venice, Italy in 1968, continuing his career as a game developer with the company Venice Connection established with Dario De Toffoli and Leo Colovini.[5]

Alex Randolph was married to Gertrude Eisenstadt (1921-2008), an American.

Alex Randolph died aged 82 in Venice on 27 April 2004. His grave is in San Michele Cemetery in Venice until February 2029.[4]

Alex wrote 3 books. Also, two biographies were written on Alex : « Die Sonnenseite » by Philippe Evrard and « Alex Randolph : Artista e autore di giochi » by Cosimo Cardellicchio.

Recognition

In 2016, as a testimony to his career, Fabulous Games published ADDX – the first ever digital game from Alex Randolph.^[citation needed]

Following Randolph's death, the Nuremberg Museum set up a special permanent collection of Randolph's games titled the Alexander Randolph Viewing Collection.[6]

Awards

Spiel des Jahres

Game of the Year

1982 for Enchanted Forest

Children's Game of the Year

1989 for Gute Freunde

1997 for Leinen Los!

Special Awards

1996 Most Beautiful Game for Venice Connection

1988 Most Beautiful game for Inkognito

Origins Awards Hall of Fame

Hall of Fame

2011 induction as a designer

2011 induction of TwixT

References

1. Svellov, Mik. "BB: Alex Randolph". Brettboard.dk. Archived from the original on 26 January 2018. Retrieved 30 December 2017.
2. "Enchanted Forest - Children's Board Game - Review of Enchanted Forest". Archived from the original on 2017-01-13. Retrieved 2011-03-13.
3. "Luding ist umgezogen". Ftp.informatik.rwth-aachen.de. Archived from the original on 31 December 2017. Retrieved 30 December 2017.
4. Whitehill, Bruce (5 February 2011). "Alex Randolph—A Life of Games". The Big Game Hunter. Retrieved 10 July 2012.
5. "studiogiochi - Alex Randolph". Studiogiochi.com. Archived from the original on 13 January 2017. Retrieved 30 December 2017.
6. "Alexander Randolph Viewing Collection". Nuremberg Museum. Retrieved 2022-11-29.

Further reading

• Alex Randolph & Phillipe Evrard: Die Sonnenseite. Fragmente aus dem Leben eines Spieleerfinders. Verlag Drei Hasen in der Abendsonne, Uehlfeld 2012, ISBN 978-3-941345-09-6

External links

• Alex Randolph's games at BoardGameGeek
• A Talk with Alex Randolph (1988 interview) Archived 2006-08-16 at the Wayback Machine
• Biography translated into English