Urban Sprawl is a master stroke of game design. It’s at the top of my underrated gems list, and one I’ve been singing the praises of to whoever would listen for years now (making new fans in the process). The challenge has always been the play time, particularly for a first play. Because if you […]
We Built This City: 3-Player Variant for Urban Sprawl Read Post »
Scenarios/VariantsEach faction always has one of two possible leaders that are always available in a set (historical) sequence. But when a faction switches between leaders is determined by the Events deck, and since not all cards from that deck are present in the same game it’s possible these events aren’t triggered and a faction never
Rebellion: Britannia, Leaders Read Post »
Designer BlogsNote: Art shown is from the game prototype and is not final. Napoleon is in a tight spot, anxiously waiting to see if the Allied Player can catch up with him for an epic Field Battle which could go either way. Unbeknownst to the French Player though, the Allied Player has a pretty troublesome hand to
Al-Shabaab (from its full name Harakat al-Shabaab al-Mujahideen, or ‘Mujahideen Youth Movement’) is a very singular case among the movements that have made the headlines since the rise of violent transnational Islamism. From 2007 to 2014, the organization could sway and control a majority of Southern Somalia, including numerous urban centers, despite the presence of
A Fading Star #2: Harakat Al-Shabaab Al-Mujahideen Read Post »
Designer BlogsThe medieval era: a clash of swords and armor, archers winning the day against charging knights, the dust and roar of melee, lords’ banners snapping crisply in the breeze, high castle parapets withstanding mighty sieges. These are the familiar images that likely come to mind and captivate the imagination when played out on the table
Across The Bosporus: Bringing Levy & Campaign to Asia Minor Read Post »
Designer BlogsContinuing on from the previous blog post, The Events Deck, Part #1, this is Part #2. Here are some further examples of Event cards. This Event card has three effects:
Rebellion: Britannia, The Events Deck, Part #2 Read Post »
Designer BlogsFor anyone who’s ever played Down in Flames, their first question is probably, “what aircraft do we get in Imperial Eagles?”You’ll be getting a mix of old and new, with even the “repeats” brought up to Wild Blue Yonder standards. As befits a game featuring Imperial Japanese aviation in World War II, this first article
Imperial Eagles: Air War in the Pacific 1941-43 — Japanese Aircraft Read Post »
Designer BlogsThe next generation of rules, mapboard, player aid cards, and counters for Illusions of Glory are open for playtesting. Links to a Vassal playtest module and next generation rules (labeled “Summer 2022”) are located on the Illusions of Glory webpage. Please send your critiques to me at Ohiogrognard on BoardGameGeek. The rules have been clarified
Illusions of Glory: Playtesting the Next Edition Read Post »
Designer Blogs, Development UpdatesThere are 12 rounds in each game of Rebellion: Britannia – unless an automatic loss condition for Rome is triggered (she has 2+ Forts and 6+ Settlements burnt at the same time, or has all 4 Legions destroyed) in which case the game ends immediately. At the beginning of each round the top card of
Rebellion: Britannia, The Events Deck, Part #1 Read Post »
Designer BlogsThe Somali Civil War is an ongoing, now three-decades-long outburst of violence that has displaced millions and killed thousands. The international public knows about this conflict primarily through news headlines generated by the 1993 “Black Hawk Down” incident and its eponymous 2001 Hollywood movie depiction. However, the global media otherwise paid little attention to the
A Fading Star #1: The Somali Civil War Read Post »
Designer Blogs