I propose to you a new arm of war, as formidable as it is economical. Submarine navigation, which has been sometimes attempted, but as all know without results, owing to want of suitable opportunities, is now a problematical thing no more.” (French nautical designer Brutus de Villeroi, in a letter to U.S. President Abraham Lincoln.) […]
Rebellion: Britannia is a game about rebellions in Roman Britain, and concentrates largely on the Claudian period, which ran from 43CE to 69CE. Over the course of a quarter of a century, there were at least 5 major rebellions that the invading Roman forces had to deal with, including Boudicca’s revolt, which is certainly the
Conquest: Britannia – Claudius and the Establishment of Roman Britain Read Post »
Designer Blogs, Inside the Game as HistoryZheng He was born in 1371 in Yunnan Province. His given name was “Ma He,” indicative of his family’s Hui Muslim origins since “Ma” is the Chinese version of “Mohammad.” His father was a hajji, a Muslim who had made the hajj (pilgrimage) to Mecca. Zheng He’s great-great-great-grandfather, Sayyid Ajjal Shams al-Din Omar, was a
In 18 India, plenty of track gets built, creating routes all over the map. One of the most fun aspects of 18XX gaming is engineering your routes for maximum revenue and efficiency, and 18 India seeks to enhance that experience to its fullest!
Building Track in 18 India Read Post »
Designer BlogsPart Two: Down River from Port Hudson to Baton Rouge Beginning April 16, 1862, the US Navy’s West Gulf Blockading Squadron under Flag Officer David Glasgow Farragut began a thunderous bombardment of the Confederate forts Jackson and St. Philip, guardians of the lower Mississippi River and the approaches to New Orleans, Louisiana. Seven nights later,
“Rocks & Shoals”: Navigating Infernal Machine’s New Orleans Action Board — Part 2 Read Post »
Designer BlogsI have been designing games for 5 years. In that time, I have learned so much about the board game industry. One element of game design that instantly stood out to me and is thankfully being addressed by many publishers and designers is cultural appropriation in games. I remember how disappointed I was after my
Borikén: Why Did I Make This Game? Read Post »
Designer BlogsIn October 2020 Fred Serval (designer of GMT’s Red Flag Over Paris, and A Gest of Robin Hood) organized a ConSim Game Jam sponsored by GMT. Participants had 3 days to make a game. As participants, we had to use a pre-existing GMT COIN game at its core and make something new from it. We
The First Stirrings of Rebellion: Britannia Read Post »
Designer BlogsShortly after finishing the third installment of this series about the tactility of the pieces, I took some time to capture a multihand playthrough of my physical prototype. Let me tell you a secret. I lost. In fact I lost in the first decade, three times in a row. Granted, this was the “Bronx is
Cross Bronx Expressway: Losing and Seeing The Bronx Read Post »
After Action Report, Designer BlogsThe New Orleans Action Board is the setting for the “brown water” naval battles, fought for control of the Mississippi River during the American Civil War. Part One: South from the Crescent City Though it is not shown on the Action Board, the key to this conflict is New Orleans, Louisiana. Known as the “Crescent
“Rocks & Shoals”: Navigating Infernal Machine’s New Orleans Action Board — Part 1 Read Post »
Designer BlogsThe base game of Vijayanagara is a raucous three-player event set in medieval India. But we all know the feeling of not having the right player count in a given moment to pull a particular game off the shelf. Or maybe a player has to leave the game early, or you prefer to do your
The Eight Games of Vijayanagara: The Bots Have Risen Read Post »
Designer Blogs, Solitaire Systems