I guess it’s been six or seven years now since I got a call from Rick Young asking me if we’d be interested in publishing games from a proven block game designer. I was a little hesitant, as we didn’t have many block games in the line back then, although Rick and Jesse had done […]
Triumph and Tragedy: Outside the Box Read Post »
Designer BlogsConflict in Hitler’s Reich: A Card Conquest System Game, henceforth referred to as Hitler’s Reich, is resolved much like the classic card game “War” – but with dice and event cards added in. The principal deck has four suits, but instead of Spades, Clubs, Diamonds and Hearts, the suits are Iron Crosses, Fasces, Soviet Russian
Hitler’s Reich: A First Look Inside The “War” Deck Read Post »
Designer BlogsWhen I set out to design Navajo Wars, I had a couple goals in mind. First, I wanted to tell the story of the Diné (“the people”) in a way that was faithful to the historical record, honorable, and from the perspective of the Diné. When I was finishing up Navajo Wars, I knew already
Telling the Story of Another People Read Post »
Designer Blogs, Inside the Game as History…. Hammerin’ Sickles, a regimental-scale Gettysburg game! What? You say you already own a dozen Gettysburg games? And you currently have a multitude of games with all sorts of different tactical American Civil War systems? I suspect that a lot of gamers think this idea is ridiculous – why would a designer waste his time
And Now For Something Completely Different …… Read Post »
Designer BlogsJim Day has been a respected designer in our hobby going back to the 1970s. When Andy told me a few years back that we had an opportunity to work with Jim on completely retooled versions of his terrific tactical wargames, I was thrilled, as I knew his systems were first-rate and was impressed at
Design Background – Panzer and MBT Read Post »
Designer Blogs…. or what the heck got into Rick Young’s head, designing Leaping Lemmings? Hey guys, I have often been asked, what’s a fine upstanding Wargame Designer like myself doing making a game like Leaping Lemmings? With LL coming out for iPad soon, I thought I’d fill you all in on what went on with that fateful
The Great Leap from Wargame Design…. Read Post »
Designer Blogs, Digital Versions of our Games27 September 1987, 1400 Zulu GDR Western Border Man’s vision of hell manifests itself in many guises. Whether terror, despair, or utter hopelessness, its definition remains very personal in nature. For 2nd battalion commander Major Petr Nikolayevich Yakolev, the descent into his personal abyss coincided with his posting to the 79th Guards Tank Division. Yakolev
MBT Prologue + Free Sample Scenario Read Post »
Designer Blogs, Scenarios/VariantsWell, I am a dyed-in-the-wool wargamer, but I have to admit, with Thunder Alley, Jeff and Carla have hooked me (and my whole family!). I’ve now played a dozen or so games, with a mix of wargamers and eurogamers and never-before gamers, and all of them have been really fun. We have a group of
Closed Circuit: Thunder Alley, Grand Prix, and New Tracks Read Post »
Designer BlogsThose of you who have taken Next War: Korea (NWK) for a spin have probably noticed by now that the Korean People’s Army (KPA) and Air Force (KPAF) are fairly formidable in the game (the latter for only a little while, of course). One of the underlying assumptions of the game is that somehow, either
Next War Series: Reality Show Read Post »
Designer Blogs, Scenarios/VariantsI think you guys are going to really like Harold Buchanan. I’ve only met him that one time in Tempe (see below), but I came away very impressed. Harold is clearly a very smart, very accomplished guy. But I think what’s going serve him best in this industry is that he is a humble, eager
My first trip to WBC with Liberty or Death: The American Insurrection Read Post »
Designer Blogs