While shipbuilding concerns and machine works like the Park & Lyons Machine Shop in Mobile, Alabama were busy creating an underwater terror known colloquially as a “fishboat,” there were others whose trip to fame and riches lay along a different path. One such person was Dr. St. Julien Ravenel of Charleston, SC. Ravenel was a […]
Currently on the P500, Downfall is Chad Jensen’s strategic-level two-player game on the final three years of WWII in Europe. He evolved the design over several years and left its parts in various stages of completion. I was honored to pick up the project and see the design through. The game begins at the high-water
Downfall: Conquest of the Third Reich Preview 1 — The Game Design in the Map Read Post »
Designer Blogs, Development UpdatesSince our last update of Congress of Vienna (CoV)’s components: specifically focusing on its gameboard; 0ur efforts were driven to provide Terry Leeds, our graphic designer, with the best raw material for him to do an excellent job taking our play test version and converting it into a “production worthy” piece of functional art adapted
Congress of Vienna September 2022 Development Update: Latest Gameboard Narrative Read Post »
Designer Blogs, Development UpdatesAt the start of the American Civil War, the Confederacy was faced with an almost insurmountable problem. Using its navy, the United States was able to blockade trade, not only through coastal ports, but also the necessary interstate riverine trade on the South’s crisscrossing network of rivers, canals and lakes. For a predominately-agricultural nation like
As highlighted in a previous InsideGMT article, Bear Trap is primarily a two-player game—but one which will come with a rich solo mode developed by the GMT One team. In this InsideGMT article, I want to quickly mention a few other things that make Bear Trap a complete package: two additional short scenarios, and tournament
Bear Trap Gets Two Short Scenarios, and More! Read Post »
Designer Blogs, Scenarios/VariantsIn my ongoing research for “Infernal Machine: Dawn of Submarine Warfare,” I have made the acquaintance of a number of very interesting people, not only in my current era, but also from the American Civil War period. The mid-19th Century is one of the most interesting periods of human endeavor. The Industrial Revolution, filled with
William G. Cheeney – A Spark, Burning Bright Read Post »
Designer BlogsIn July, 1862, Union General George McClellan’s Peninsular Campaign came to its ignominious end on the banks of the James River, as his Army of the Potomac huddled under the protection of the US Navy’s guns at Harrison’s Landing. Little Mac’s version of the West Point “Turning Movement,” conceived (but not performed) in grand Napoleonic
After Action Report Part I Twenty one players joined the BoAR tournament at the WBC this year. While that number is a bit lower than our average draw it was nevertheless a respectable showing for a down-year overall. And, with six Heats plus a Quarter Final, Semifinal, and Final we played a total of 42
During his preparations for the Appomattox River Raid, the commander of the US Navy raiding force, Commodore John Rodgers had become concerned about the river route his task force would take. The primary target was the Richmond & Petersburg Railroad’s High Bridge over the Appomattox River at Petersburg, Virginia. Also targeted was the R &
Welcome back to this playthrough of the first voyage of a campaign game of Zheng He! This is the fourth and final part. I won’t be explaining many rules here, so starting here might be a bit confusing. I’d recommend checking out Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3 to catch up on the voyage
Zheng He Playthrough with Geoffrey Engelstein — Part 4 Read Post »
Designer Blogs