2112 ist Hamburg überflutet, Robos und Neuroimplantate sind alltäglich und Gaming füllt Stadien. Überraschend kann Go [Stuntboi] Kazumi für zwei Gaming-Stars arbeiten, die Chance ihres Lebens – bis zu einem Bombenanschlag. Und was ist mit ELL, an die Go ständig denken muss?
Dieser Beitrag wurde von Marie Mönkemeyer geschrieben
Back to the history of New York City! We have begun with the city’s origin before the founding of the United States and left off in the 1880s in the last post – when New York was undeniably the economic and cultural center of the United States. Today, we are covering New York in its most iconic form as a moloch of steel, concrete, and millions of people. A chronological narrative will not help us here. Instead, we adopt a thematic approach and look the economy, construction, infrastructure, and culture which made New York from the late 19th to the mid-20th century the model city of high modernity.
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New York had been America’s most dynamic hub for trade and manufacturing for decades. Yet the city’s riches had been shared unequally, just like the risks in producing them. In the late 19th and early 20th century, New York’s working class grew more assertive and found more political support to improve their lives: For example, the three Tenement House Acts of 1867, 1879, and 1901 mandated such luxuries as windows in every apartment and toilets in every building.
The 1909/1910 textile worker strikes led to improved pay and shorter hours. Just one year later, the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory in Lower Manhattan burned down and 146 garment workers died – many of them unable to escape through the staircase because management kept the doors locked during shifts. The fire catastrophe led to a public outcry against such practices and New York state introduced better workplace and fire safety regulations.
The garment workers were in some ways emblematic for the New York working class – most of them were young immigrants (especially Jewish and Italian). In another, they represented a shift – almost all of them were women, and their struggle for better working conditions mirrored the force of the American women’s movement in the political arena.
In one way, however, they represented New York’s present, but not its future: The industrialization of the 19th century had turned New York into the largest manufacturing hub of the world. Yet manufacturing, the physical production of goods, ran out of steam when the improved productivity provided most people in the United States with most of their basic needs. Eager customers were thus not to be taken for granted anymore. Instead, they had to be wooed and their desires – for items of whose existence they had recently been still ignorant – awakened. New York became a hotbed for the growing advertisement industry (with which Madison Avenue is synonymous until today) as well as for shopping (here, Fifth Avenue is the symbolic street). Our age of trends, shopping as a leisure activity, and overconsumption cannot be imagined without New York.
In the 19th century, foreign capital had funded the expansion into the American West, but now the capital flows reversed: American capital was instrumental in financing the Allies’ Great War effort. At the end of the Great War, America was for the first time a net creditor nation. Its role in the international financial system expanded after the war as American loans enabled defeated Germany to pay its reparations to the Allies (who, in turn, paid off their American war loans). At the same time as New York took London’s place as the premier finance hub in the world, America at large withdrew from the world under a renewed isolationism and the xenophobia which came with the Red Scare after the Bolshevik Revolution.
Political upheaval did not stop the investment craze of the 1920s: When a bomb exploded in Wall Street in 1920 and killed 30 people, stock trading resumed normally the next day – much in contrast to 1920 Wall Street (Perepau Llistosella, Looping Games), where the bombing marks the end of the game (and players hope to have made all their profits by then).
The New York-based financial system was robust enough to withstand such external shocks, but it collapsed under its own contradictions: The stock market boom of the 1920 led to ever more capital pouring into the New York Stock Exchange (at the expense of all other forms of investments, for example the American overseas loans on which the global financial system was now based). The spectacular gains fueled a debt-based speculation bubble which burst in October 1929. The inadequate response by central banks which did nothing to combat the contraction of the monetary supply led to an extended, global economic crisis – the Great Depression.
Unemployment and poverty plagued New York much like the rest of the world in the 1930s. The city bounced back through ambitious public works initiated by the energetic new mayor Fiorello LaGuardia (many of them funded by New Deal funds in a cross-party cooperation between the Republican LaGuardia and the Democratic president Franklin D. Roosevelt). Still, New York’s economy only recovered when demand for manufactured goods skyrocketed because of World War II: The industrial giant rose one last time. One example of New York’s awesome productive capacity may suffice: From 1941 to 1945, the New York Navy Yard built more warships than all of Japan combined. The United States won World War II because of their industrial productivity, and New York was the beating heart of it.
New York had always grown. From the 1880s on, the city grew in a heretofore barely used dimension – upwards. The twin innovations of the elevator and steel frame construction allowed for building heights which had been considered impractical, if not impossible, before. While New York was not the pioneer of these technologies – that merit belongs to Chicago – they were accepted in Manhattan on a scale not known before. Ever more “skyscrapers”, as the tall buildings were soon to be known, sprang up between the Hudson and the East River, giving the city a characteristic look from far away. New York’s skyline has been continually changing, but since then, it has always been dominated by skyscrapers – as has been the image of the city in the public imagination.
Board games are no exception. No theme is as prevalent in games about New York as the construction of skyscrapers. Some are specific, like Flatiron (Isra C./Shei S., Ludonova) which has players build the eponymous Flatiron Building together, but many could be set in any city with tall buildings – but as they are about tall buildings, their designers and publishers think they fit best for a New York setting: Manhattan (Karl-Heinz Koch, Fagus) is a variant of Acquire (Sid Sackson, Avalon Hill) to which the third dimension is added. New York City (Stefan Feld, Queen Games) is a remake of Rialto (Stefan Feld, TMG) – just that the struggle for majorities in Venetian districts of the original, fought with councilmembers, has been replaced by a struggle for majorities in New York boroughs, fought with – you guessed it – skyscrapers.
The skyscrapers got ever taller: The first steel frame buildings in the 1880s and 1890s were well below 100 meters. In 1909, the Singer Building (187m) was the first structure in New York to exceed the height of Europe’s church spires – the first time that the world’s tallest building stood in New York. The city would retain that honor until the 1970s with a succession of ever taller skyscrapers.
The most iconic one was the Empire State Building whose construction was begun in October 1929 – just weeks before the stock market crash. It became the most visible sign of the economic crisis: Even five years after its completion in 1931, half of the Empire State Building’s office space remained empty. Like the rest of New York, it recovered by the 1940s. It would remain the world’s tallest building until it was overtaken by another New York icon in 1973 – the twin towers of the World Trade Center.
New York did not only grow vertically. Originally, the city had been confined to Manhattan Island and gradually expanded into what became the Bronx. In 1898, New York merged with its neighbor Brooklyn (itself America’s third-largest city at the time) as well Queens county and Staten Island to become a massive metropolis of more than three million inhabitants.
This sprawling moloch, however, was initially still centered on Manhattan, as most people worked there and thus couldn’t live too far away: In 1900, more than half of New Yorkers lived in Manhattan. That changed with the construction of the New York subway from 1900 on. New York was late to embark on such a project (London had started in the 1860s), but it was undertaken with the characteristic boldness of the city and soon became the largest in the world.
Thus, the geography of the city changed: New Yorkers could work in Manhattan, but commute every day from one of the other boroughs. As land there was a lot cheaper, a residential construction boom set in, and by the 1920s, Brooklyn had become the most populous borough of New York.
The growth of the city required its transport and leisure infrastructure to keep up. One man would become synonymous with it from the 1920s on: Robert Moses, starting out on the Long Island State Park Commission in 1924, became responsible for all kinds of parks, beaches, roads, bridges, and tunnels for both the state and the city of New York over the next decades.
These projects shaped the face of New York: The parks, both in the center and on the outskirts, provided very real benefits in one of the largest, most densely settled cities in the world. And the transport projects took inspiration from the new trend of motorized individual transport – and reinforced it.
Large-scale engineering projects like these go beyond the mere technical aspects. Moses’s creations were shaped by his ideas about how society should look like. For example, already his very first project – Jones Beach State Park on Long Island – outlined his ideal: It provided New Yorkers with a beautifully designed leisure park on the seashore. They arrived there after a pleasurable drive on the new parkways through lush greenery – by car, as no train or subway station was built in Jones Beach, and the bridges crossing the parkway were too low for buses to pass through. This lack of public transport meant that Jones Beach was exclusively accessible for the middle classes.
An even more striking example is Riverside Park in Manhattan along the Hudson River. Around a third of the park is in the predominantly Black neighborhood of Harlem, two thirds in the predominantly White Morningside Heights and the Upper West Side. These southern two thirds were liberally sprinkled with dozens and dozens of playgrounds, the third in Harlem only received one – and here, the iron lattice at the toilets was “decorated” with little ape sculptures.
As you can see, Robert Moses was not quite a nice guy. We’ll see more of him in the next post in this series!
America’s new, more assertive role in the world after World War I also increased global interest in the country’s cultural output. American literature developed a new confidence, and American jazz became the hottest new music around the world. New York as America’s cultural center both attracted established artists (like the jazz musicians Duke Ellington and Louis Armstrong who both made the city their home in 1923) and produced its own original creations (like the Harlem Renaissance, which marked the first time that a movement of Black American writers and visual artists left their imprint on the wider American cultural consciousness).
One of the institutions of the 1920s New York cultural scene has gotten its own board game: 1923 Cotton Club (Pau Carles, Looping Games). The historical Cotton Club was founded in Harlem in 1923 and soon became the venue to see many of the finest jazz musicians – an attraction not only for regular New Yorkers, but also for the celebrities of the time. That, in turn, made the club even more attractive… well, not for everyone. While the performers on stage were Black, the club would not admit Black patrons (except for the rare Black celebrity). That is not explicitly addressed by the board game, but attentive players will notice that the almost all of the artists which can perform at the players’ clubs are Black, almost all of the celebrities which may attend the club (and are the chief source of points) are White – as are the gangsters.
“Gangsters?” you may ask. “In a game about running a nightclub?” Yes, as we are in the age of the prohibition of alcohol in the United States. This fleeting episode (1920 to 1933), and the massive expansion of organized crime which came with it, is almost as irresistible to board game designers as the construction of skyscrapers. Sometimes, it is only the corollary to another activity (like in 1923 Cotton Club).
At other occasions, it takes center stage: Speakeasy (Vital Lacerda, Eagle-Gryphon Games) is all about building a crime empire in Manhattan based on the distribution of illegal alcohol. Frankly, there is a mafia game set in New York for all kinds of gaming tastes: Speakeasy caters to heavy euro gamer, The Godfather: Corleone’s Empire (Eric M. Lang, CMON) to those who love miniatures.
Blood Feud in New York (Kyle Weinandy, Eagle-Gryphon Games) is for combat-oriented gamers, and Nutty Business (Alain Rivollet, Studio H) for those who don’t want to take their game so seriously: Gangs of squirrels try to dominate the nut-smuggling business in Central Park, 1925.
Of course, all these mafia games could be set elsewhere. After all, alcohol was prohibited everywhere in the United States. New York, however, is irresistible as the biggest city, where presumably also the biggest crimes are committed. It is no coincidence that both Superman and Batman, those heroes of the Golden Age of Comics, fight their mastermind criminal enemies in fictionalized versions of New York (Metropolis and Gotham, respectively). Apropos: Age of Comics: The Golden Years (Giacomo Cimini/Sónia Gonçalves, Lirius Games) allows players to run a comic book publisher, develop ideas, print, and sell comic books… and of course, they do so in New York.
New York’s status as leading America in culture and crime will feature in our next (and last) instalment of this series. Watch this space!
Fifth Avenue (Wilko Manz, Ravensburger)
1920 Wall Street (Perepau Llistosella, Looping Games)
Flatiron (Isra C./Shei S., Ludonova)
Manhattan (Karl-Heinz Koch, Fagus)
Acquire (Sid Sackson, Avalon Hill)
New York City (Stefan Feld, Queen Games)
Ticket to Ride: New York (Alan R. Moon, Days of Wonder)
1923 Cotton Club (Pau Carles, Looping Games)
Speakeasy (Vital Lacerda, Eagle-Gryphon Games)
The Godfather: Corleone’s Empire (Eric M. Lang, CMON)
Blood Feud in New York (Kyle Weinandy, Eagle-Gryphon Games)
Nutty Business (Alain Rivollet, Studio H)
Age of Comics: The Golden Years (Giacomo Cimini/Sónia Gonçalves, Lirius Games)
For a concise introduction, especially focused on local politics, see Lankevich, George J.: New York City. A Short History, New York University Press, New York City, NY/London 1998.
If you want a treatment which is both more in-depth and more journalistic (and lavishly illustrated) and don’t mind its history practically ending around 1970, see the book version of the 17-hour PBS documentary from 1999: Burns, Ric/Sanders, James/Ades, Lisa: New York. An Illustrated History, Knopf, New York City, NY 2001.
As this month’s Wargame Watch posts on the blog, I will have just come back from attending the World Boardgaming Championships in Seven Springs, Pennsylvania where I was able to spend 5 1/2 days of fabulous gaming. I bring that up because this month I just didn’t have the time to do the deep dive that I normally do and only was able to find 27 games (including a new game from our sponsor Nuts! Publishing). I was also able to find 3 games to share being offered on Crowdfunding through Gamefound and Kickstarter.
If you missed the July Wargame Watch, you can read that here at the following link: https://theplayersaid.com/2026/07/01/wargame-watch-whats-new-upcoming-july-2026/
This month we have a sponsor for the Wargame Watch feature in Nuts! Publishing. Founded in 2011, Nuts! Publishing is a French tabletop and board game publisher established by four wargaming and history enthusiasts. While initially famous strictly for historical and tactical wargames, the company has expanded its catalog to include cooperative, sci-fi, and family-friendly board games, while maintaining a strict selection process for those games they do publish. They are well known for developing popular original titles like Mini Rogue, Diluvium, and 300: Earth & Water, which is a part of their unique small format wargame series called Combat Rations that recently released the 3rd volume in the series called Guerre Eclair. The “Combat Ration” Series is a line of highly accessible, compact wargames designed to be played in about an hour including the 2 previous titles of 300: Earth & Water that delves into the Persian invasion of Greece in 492BC, and Port Arthur that retells the story of the 1905 Russo-Japanese War.
But, they also have a full line of more beefy traditional wargames including such titles as Urban Operations, Saigon 75, Stalingrad Roads, This War Without an Enemy, We Are Coming, Nineveh and Phantom Fury.
In addition to their own unique games, they also hold licenses to translate and distribute highly acclaimed international games for the French market, such as One Deck Dungeon, War of the Ring and the Undaunted Series.
Their newest wargame release is called Guerre Eclair designed by Yasushi Nakaguro and is a part of the Combat Rations Series. Guerre Eclair is a remake of the 2019 game called The Rise of Blitzkrieg from Bonsai Games and is a card-driven game for 2 players lasting around 45 minutes. The setting is World War II in 1940 as the Germans unleashed their new Blitzkrieg tactic to invade France. The attacking Germans hide their intentions by choosing a conquest goal of either taking the Maginot Line, conquering Paris or controlling the ports at Dunkirk. Dice are rolled for combat and the highest 2 dice totals determine the outcome and if doubles are rolled losses to units will be inflicted. The French and British really cannot afford to lose many units as they don’t have a lot but neither can the Germans. The game is simple but fairly meaty with lots of decision points and we had a great time with it, as we have had with the other games appearing in the series.
Here is what Florent had to share on their upcoming slate of games:
In May, we released Guerre Eclair the third game in the Combat Rations series and work on the next titles in the line is well underway (specifically Norway 40, followed by Bulge 20 – Yes, by Joe Miranda previously published by Victory Point Games). Urban Operations 2nd Edition is now available in stores worldwide. Please note that an upgrade kit is available on our website for owners of the 1st Edition.
Upcoming releases in early 2027 include The Coldest Winter, a card-driven game about the 1939–40 war between Finland and the Soviet Union (designed by Timo Pohja; art by Nils Johanssen), followed by Supremacy 2050, in which the world’s four major powers clash between 2020 and 2050 (designed by Pierre Razoux; art by Domhnall Hegarty).
Finally, we will launch two crowdfunding campaigns in 2027. The first will be for the second edition of Sword of Rome, covering the rise of Roman power in the 3rd and 4th centuries BC (designed by Wray Ferrell; art by Nicolas Roblin and Gabriel Pardon). The second will feature Nemto a cooperative sci-fi wargame (designed by Hermann Luttman; art by Nicolas Roblin and Christian Benavides).
Quite a variety of eras and gameplay styles!
Here is a link to an interview we did with one of the owners, designer and main bottle washer Florent Coupeau while attending Essen Spiel 2025:
Here also is an older video we did with Florent while attending SDHistCon 2024 where we discussed the excellent Combat Rations Series and Guerre Eclair (recently released) and the upcoming Norway 40:
Nuts! Publishing really has a lot of great games and you can check those out by visiting their website at the following link: https://www.nutspublishing.com/eshop/index.php
But now onto the games for August!
VUCA Simulations is a newer company on the scene the last several years (really since 2021) and they are coming out with some really great looking games. We have played several of their games and always have a great time with them. One of their newest pre-order offerings is called Pacific Fleet: Rise & Fall of the Japanese Empire designed by Hiroyuki Inose. I love a good Pacific Theater WWII game and this one looks pretty great.
From the game page, we read the following:
The Pacific War was unlike any other conflict of the Second World War. Vast oceans, isolated island chains, carrier task forces, long-range bombers, amphibious invasions, and industrial warfare all combined into one of history’s most complex military campaigns.
Pacific Fleet: Rise & Fall of the Japanese Empire places you in command of this global struggle. Lead the Imperial Japanese forces in their quest to establish dominance across Asia and the Pacific, or direct the Allied war effort as overwhelming industrial power gradually turns the tide. Every carrier strike, convoy, amphibious landing, and production decision shapes the course of the war.
This is not merely a naval game—it is a complete grand-strategic simulation where sea, air, and land warfare are seamlessly integrated into one operational system.
Fight from the opening attacks of December 1941 through the climactic campaigns that determined the fate of the Japanese Empire. Unlike many Pacific games that focus on individual battles, Pacific Fleet presents the entire theatre as one interconnected campaign where logistics, production, intelligence, and operational planning are equally important.
If you are interested in Pacific Fleet: Rise & Fall of the Japanese Empire, you can pre-order a copy for $107.99 from the VUCA Simulations website at the following link: https://vucasimulations.com/products/pacific-fleet-rise-fall-of-the-japanese-empire
We have played a lot of Old School Tactical from Flying Pig Games, which is designed by Shayne Logan. Shayne now has a design with VUCA Simulations that deals with modern warfare in Afghanistan called Modern Tactics: Afghanistan. That was announced on pre-order a while ago and has since been delivered but there is now an expansion of sorts to the game called Modern Tactics: Afghanistan – British Forces Expansion but it is being designed by another designer named Kenneth Tee of People Power from GMT Games fame.
From the game page, we read the following:
The war in Afghanistan was fought village by village, compound by compound, and patrol by patrol. Every operation demanded careful planning, disciplined infantry, close cooperation with allied forces, and constant vigilance against an elusive insurgency.
Modern Tactics: Afghanistan – British Forces Expansion places you in command of the British Army, Royal Marines, Special Air Service, and supporting Afghan forces during Operation Herrick. Experience thirteen new scenarios inspired by real operations fought throughout Helmand Province between 2001 and 2012, introducing new units, mechanics, and tactical challenges to the Modern Tactics system.
Whether conducting a night raid with the SAS, leading Gurkhas into hostile villages, defending isolated platoon houses, or escorting Afghan National Army units through dangerous territory, every mission presents unique tactical and operational decisions.
If you are interested in Modern Tactics: Afghanistan – British Forces Expansion, you can pre-order a copy for $39.99 from the VUCA Simulations website at the following link: https://vucasimulations.com/products/modern-tactics-british-forces-expansion
A couple of years ago, I came across a new designer named Brian Asklev and have done interviews with him covering Baltic Empires from GMT Games and 1812 – Napoleon’s Fateful March from VUCA Simulations. Brian is a pretty sharp designer and I very much like his approach to design as well as the choices in designs that he is doing. His new game is called Thirty Years of Misery: The Thirty Years War 1618-1648. The cover art is amazing, the topic looks great and the approach that he is taking seems to be very novel.
From the game page, we read the following:
Between 1618 and 1648, Europe was consumed by one of the longest and most destructive conflicts in its history. What began as a rebellion in Bohemia soon engulfed the Holy Roman Empire and drew nearly every major European power into a struggle over religion, dynastic ambition, and political supremacy. Millions perished as armies marched across Central Europe, cities were besieged, alliances shifted, and entire regions were devastated.
Thirty Years of Misery places you in command of the major powers that shaped this conflict. Lead the Imperial Habsburgs, the Catholic League, Sweden, or France as you fight to reshape Germany through military campaigns, religious influence, political maneuvering, and strategic diplomacy.
Victory requires more than battlefield success. You must secure electorates, protect your heartlands, influence the religious landscape of the Empire, and achieve your faction’s unique historical ambitions before peace is finally negotiated at Westphalia. Rather than recreating individual battles, Thirty Years of Misery captures the entire strategic conflict across three decades of war.
Every campaign combines:
- Military operations
- Religious conflict
- Political objectives
- Coalition warfare
- Historical events
- Dynamic diplomacy
Each round features a randomized turn order, ensuring that no two campaigns unfold the same way. Players must continually adapt to changing circumstances, unexpected interventions, and opportunities created by both allies and enemies.
If you are interested in Thirty Years of Misery: The Thirty Years War 1618-1648, you can pre-order a copy for $79.99 from the VUCA Simulations website at the following link: https://vucasimulations.com/products/thirty-years-of-misery
Neva Game Press (formerly Neva Wargames) is a new publisher who appeared on the scene 2+ years ago. When I started seeing their posts on Twitter and Facebook, I was immediately impressed with their interesting topic choices for their upcoming games as well as the fact that they are trying to make small footprint wargames that pack a punch. And the art is also very appealing and brings an aesthetically pleasing and attractive look to their games! Their first release called Iwo Jima: Hell on Earth, which is a solitaire look at the amphibious invasion of the island of Iwo Jima in 1945 at the end of WWII, was both commercially and critically successful and has sold out and now they are bringing back a revised edition for pre-order.
From the game page, we read the following:
Iwo Jima: Hell on Earth is a hex & counter wargame based on this iconic battle. This challenging solitaire wargame puts you in command of US Marine Regiments as they battle entrenched Japanese Battalions during the iconic 36-day Operation Detachment. Each game turn represents approximately four days, condensing the intense conflict into nine turns of strategic decision-making.
In Iwo Jima: Hell on Earth, your mission as the commander of US forces is to conquer the island of Iwo Jima to secure its three airfields and the iconic Mount Suribachi. The game simulates the 36-day battle in nine turns, with each turn representing approximately four days.
Victory is determined at the end of Turn 9 by calculating your Victory Points. You earn VP’s by: Eliminating Japanese units, Capturing key objectives on time and Japanese surrender. You can lose VP’s if: You play too many Special Orders and/or you suffer too many US casualties. Your final VP score will give you an assessment of your performance, ranging from a “pen-pushing job” (1 or less to 5 VP) to an “incredible victory” (19-20 VP).
I think that a new company selling out their first release is probably pretty rare in our hobby but Neva did it and it is partly because a good solitaire game is always in demand and their focus on quality, in both game play and components, speaks to wargamers and word will spread fast once it is out. So what is different in this new Revised Edition?
Because we are heading back to the printers, we saw the perfect opportunity to integrate our community feedback directly into the game. The Revised Edition will feature:
- Upgraded Map: A minor visual tweak where hill hex frames are slightly thicker, making them much easier to identify during intense gameplay.
- Box Art Variant: A fresh, slight variation of the original box art (while keeping the classic spirit of the original design).
- Fully Integrated Updates: All components from our Update Kit (detailed below) will come standard inside the box!
We published an interview with the designer José Manuel Neva and you can read that at the following link: https://theplayersaid.com/2025/03/31/interview-with-jose-manuel-neva-designer-of-iwo-jima-hell-on-earth-from-neva-wargames/
If you are interested in Iwo Jima: Hell on Earth Revised Edition, you can pre-order a copy for €44.75 ($51.13 in US Dollars) from the Neva Game Press website at the following link: https://nevagamepress.com/product/iwo-jima-hell-on-earth-revised-edition/
The game should be shipping Q4 of 2026.
About 18 months ago, while attending Buckeye Game Fest in Columbus, Ohio, we met up with David Thompson to get a quick look at a few of his newest upcoming games at the time including Line of Fire: Burnt Moon from Osprey Games and the very interesting American Civil War game with a twist called Rebels Against Rebellion from Flying Pig Games. I got to play Rebels Against Rebellion and very much enjoyed the game and what it was trying to convey about the lack of support for the secession of Tennessee from the Union as most of the residents of Scott County voted against breaking away during the American Civil War. The game pits the local groups against each other as the Free and Independent State of Scott fights against the local secessionist residents as violent confrontations between Loyalist and secessionist-aligned partisans and outlaws engaged in raids on farms, stealing livestock, and destroying property. Since that time, the game has progressed and has already launched on Kickstarter.
From the game page, we read the following:
Rebels Against Rebellion is a card-driven war game designed by award-winning designers, David Thompson and Trevor Benjamin. The cards in your deck represent the units and locations under your control. Each turn you will play cards to perform actions on the board and to add, remove, and improve the cards in your deck. The player who most successfully spreads their control across Scott County is the winner.
Tennessee’s role in the American Civil War and the Secession Crisis was marked by significant internal divisions between its eastern, middle, and western regions. In early 1861, when South Carolina became the first state to secede from the Union, Tennessee’s legislature resisted the idea. However, following the attack on Fort Sumter in April 1861, Tennessee was forced to readdress its position. On June 8, 1861, a state referendum resulted in a decisive vote to secede.
Despite this formal decision, Tennessee remained divided. In the eastern part of the state, loyalist sentiment was strong. East Tennessee had overwhelmingly voted against secession in the 1861 referendum, while West and Middle Tennessee overwhelmingly supported secession.
As tensions escalated, residents of East Tennessee found themselves forced to take sides, often leading to violent confrontations. Loyalist- and secessionist-aligned partisans and outlaws engaged in raids on farms, stealing livestock, and destroying property. The establishment of local militia groups known as the home guard sought to defend loyalists. These small militias acted in secret, launching surprise attacks on Confederate soldiers and secessionist raiders, but they also faced constant threats from the Confederate army and local secessionist groups.
Of the thirty-one counties in East Tennessee, none voted against succession by a higher margin than Scott County. With a vote of 521 to 19 in favor of rejecting secession, the county’s stance was clear. Local residents so opposed the Confederacy that later in 1861, the county court approved a protest resolution declaring the county’s secession from the State of Tennessee and the creation of a “Free and Independent State of Scott.”
This is the story of the Free and Independent State of Scott during the Civil War.
If you are interested, we did an interview video with David while attending Buckeye Game Fest in the spring of 2025 and you can watch that at the following link for more information on the game:
Because I know that many of you will be paying this one solitaire, Denver did an overview video of the solitaire mode and you can watch that at the following link:
We recently posted an interview on the blog with one of the designers David Thompson and you can read that at the following link: https://theplayersaid.com/2026/08/04/interview-with-david-thompson-codesigner-of-rebels-against-rebellion-from-flying-pig-games-coming-to-kickstarter-soon/
If you are interested in Rebels Against Rebellion, you can back the project on the Kickstarter page at the following link: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/markhwalker/rebels-against-rebellion
As of August 1st, the Kickstarter campaign has funded and raised $24,531 toward $10,000 funding goal with 450 backers. The campaign will conclude on Tuesday, August 18th at 12:00pm EDT.
One of the subjects that Worthington Publishing does really well is the American Civil War. They have their Civil War Brigade Battle Series that we have enjoyed and they really have a way of making these ACW games playable yet integrating some of the most important historical aspects to keep them grounded in history. Their newest series is focused on the Strategic Level and is supposed to be a 3 volume series. The first entry in the series is called Lee’s War: The War in Virginia 1861-65 and is currently on Kickstarter.
From the game page, we read the following:
Lee’s War is Volume I in what I hope to be a 3 Volume set on the American Civil War. It is meant to show the difficulties each side faced during the war. There is no plan currently for a full war campaign scenario. Players are given scenarios based on the campaigns and complete years of the war. I hope you enjoy playing the short crisp 2 – 3-hour scenarios giving an intense game experience as well as a study in Civil War command.
If this game is successful then Volume II, tentatively titled Grant’s War will be the Western Theater along the Mississippi from 1861 to 1864. Volume III, titled Sherman’s War, will be the Western Theater and the battle for Eastern Tennessee and Georgia from 1861 to 1865.
The game is for 2 or more players but is highly solitaire friendly (one player playing both sides) due to the random nature of certain rules such as Dice Differential and combat die rolls.
Lee’s War is a strategic level hex and counter war game for 2 or more players of the entire American Civil War in Virginia from 1862 – 1865. Leadership is highlighted using counters representing the combat leaders of the war. The destruction of the opposing players forces are the main objectives of the game, followed by the occupation of key cities or rail lines. The political aspects of the war are not reflected in the game per say, however they are reflected in the Victory Conditions. The longer the south drug out the war, and the more Union casualties inflicted, the better the chance that Lincoln would lose the 1864 election, and a peace Candidate (probably McClellan) would end the war with southern independence.
Here is the current 14 scenario list:
- First Manassas / Historic 4 turns or optional long game 8 turns (July 1 – August 31, 1861)
- The Peninsula Campaign / 10 turns (April 1 – June 15, 1862)
- The Peninsula Campaign Plus Seven Days 16 turns (April 1 – July 31, 1862)
- Second Manassas / 7 turns (July 14 – August 31, 1862)
- Antietam Campaign / 4 turns (Sept 1 – September 31, 1862)
- Fredericksburg Campaign / 6 turns (November 15 – December 31, 1862)
- The 1862 Campaigns / 30 turns (April 1 – November 1, 1862)
- Chancellorsville Campaign / 5 turns (April 15 – June 1, 1863)
- Gettysburg Campaign / 8 turns (June 1 – August 1, 1863)
- Mine Run Campaign / 6 turns (November 15 – December 31, 1863)
- The 1863 Campaigns / 32 turns (April 15 – December 1, 1863)
- Wilderness to Cold Harbor / 8 turns (May 1 – July 1, 1864)
- The Petersburg Campaign / 14 turns (June 15 to November 1, 1864)
- The 1864 Campaigns / 32 turns (May 1 – December 31, 1864)
If you are interested in Lee’s War: The War in Virginia 1862-1865, you can back the project on the Kickstarter page at the following link: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/worthington/lees-war-virginia-1862-1865
As of August 1st, the Kickstarter campaign has funded and raised $27,212 toward its $1,861 funding goal with 304 backers. The campaign will conclude on Saturday, August 15th at 4:00pm EDT.
The Warfighter system from Dan Verssen Games is a card based game designed for 1 to 6 players. You can play solo or cooperatively against the AI to complete World War II squad-level combat missions. One of my favorite parts of the game is at the start of each mission, you will select one or more Player Soldiers, equip them with skills, weapons, and combat gear within the mission’s Resource limit. You then fight your way through hostile territory and engage enemy soldiers, as you attempt to reach and complete your mission objective. Every mission is a stand-alone game. You build your Soldiers, select your Gear, and then run your mission. Within 30 to 60 minutes you will have succeeded or failed. We simply love the system and prefer the WWII focused modules (we really hated Fantasy!) and are very excited to see that they are doing this WWII Eastern Front offering as I think that it will offer a new and interesting view of the history.
From the game page, we read the following:
Warfighter WWII Eastern Front recreates the brutal skirmishes fought across the vast Soviet battlefields of World War II, where Soviet Red Army and German forces clashed for shattered cities, strategic strongholds, and hard-won ground in some of the harshest climactic conditions of the war. You will face fierce resistance from enemy troops, but the battlefield itself, from deep snow and choking mud to bitter cold and broken terrain, can prove equally deadly.
Do you have what it takes to defend the Rodina and drive the invader from our soil?
Warfighter WWII Eastern Front is the latest title in the Warfighter WWII Series, which includes other core sets for the Europe, Pacific, Mediterranean and North Africa Theatres of Operation. The Eastern Front has been an area of interest which we have been discussing for a time, and we began research and design work in January 2025. Now, the game design is complete, and we are ready to present it for crowdfunding support.
A key part of the game is squad building and mission planning. You decide which soldiers go on the mission, and which skills, weapons and gear to equip them with, best suited for the objective you are attacking. You control their actions and resolve all combat against hostiles and events encountered, but do not take too long, as the timer is counting down!
As a solitaire wargame, the game’s hostile response system handles all the enemy decisions and actions which will oppose your squad and thwart your mission plans. You will have to respond to the unexpected events and hostile attacks, as well as challenging weather and terrain, to make it to the objective and complete the victory conditions. Glory for the Motherland! Slava Rodina!
Along with the Eastern Front Core Box, there are seven Expansions which will allow you to extend your gameplay to include more armed forces and battles. The expansions offered with the Eastern Front core box feature Penal Battalions, Airborne, Partisans, as well as the Soviet Winter, Soviet Winter Vehicles and the Raid on Peenemünde.
We have also created the Critical Hit Deck pack, a new type of expansion which introduces critical hits to Soldiers and Hostiles alike, to add some cinematic flair and drama to your stories. All expansions are designed to be playable with the core set, and they add new Soldiers, Missions and Objectives, Gear, Skills, Locations, Hostiles and Events to your gameplay.
If you are interested in Warfighter: The WWII Eastern Front Special Forces Card Game, you can back the project on the Kickstarter page at the following link: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/danverssengames/dvg-warfighter-wwii-eastern-front
As of August 1st, the Kickstarter campaign has raised $24,469 toward its $20,000 funding goal with 151 backers. The campaign will conclude on Monday, August 3rd at 3:00pm EDT.
Several years ago, Mark Herman designed a unique and simple American Civil War game called Gettysburg that appeared in C3i Magazine #32. That game became the basis for his new Civil War Heritage Series with the first volume being Rebel Fury that focused on five battles from the Chancellorsville and Chickamauga Campaigns and Volume II being Army of the Potomac. Mark has now advanced the series with the upcoming Volume III called Lee Moves North: Campaigns of Antietam and Gettysburg that was announced this past month by GMT Games.
From the game page, we read the following:
Lee Moves North is a standalone game that covers the Confederate invasions that led to the battles of Antietam and Gettysburg. Lee Moves North is the third volume in Mark Herman’s Civil War Heritage Series that began with the Charles S. Roberts Award winning Rebel Fury (Best American Civil Wargame of 2024).
Lee Moves North is a low-complexity, grand tactical simulation that won the James F. Dunnigan Award for Playability and Design. Its unique combat system generates a detailed narrative that perhaps for the first time allows you to fully experience the risk calculus of a Civil War Army General.
If you know how to play Rebel Fury or Army of the Potomac, you can play the one map battles of Antietam and Gettysburg right out of the box. The game comes with 13 scenarios, 7 of which are played on one map to include 4 DOG (the four days of Gettysburg) with the remainder using all or some number of its EIGHT grand tactical maps, plus a standalone Theater scenario. The thirteenth bonus scenario covers Jubal Early’s 1864 invasion that led to the battle of the Monocacy River.
Through Lee Moves North you will experience these famous battles in a way that you have not seen them before. The grand tactical level is about maneuver combinations prior to and during a battle but make no mistake you will also see the brutal nature of Civil War combat. As the general leading an army, you will have player agency over when, where, and how often to attack using the unique Rebel Fury combat system. Following the combat narratives that are in every book that you have ever read on the Civil War you will experience the frustration of seeing your assaults fail more often than they succeed yet the better general is the one whose plans turn this historical reality into victory.
While we have not yet played Army of the Potomac, we have very much enjoyed the system and its first volume Rebel Fury. Here is a look at our video review for Rebel Fury:
If you are interested in Lee Moves North: Campaigns of Antietam and Gettysburg, you can pre-order a copy for $82.00 from the GMT Games website at the following link: https://www.gmtgames.com/p-1253-lee-moves-north.aspx
Ancients games are always a good time and if that game has naval units, including triremes, Greek fire ships and the like sign me up. This past month, GMT announced this new game from designer Jason Walonoski called Rowing to Hades: Fast Playing Naval Battles of the Ancient World. Jason is a newer designer with his first game called Epipolae: The Athenian Expedition in Sicily, 415-413 BCE, which is a part of the Levy & Campaign Ancients Series. I share that because he knows something about Ancients and I also think that he is a good designer with a good approach.
From the game page, we read the following:
Rowing to Hades is a squadron-level naval wargame set in the ancient era. The era of oars, not sails. Rams, not broadsides.
Inspired by classics such as War Galley (GMT), Trireme (Avalon Hill) and the Commands & Colors system, it will appeal to gamers who want to enjoy quick naval battles at a different scale and complexity level.
A single battle can be completed in 30-60 minutes. There are scenarios for the Greco-Persian and the Peloponnesian Wars as well as a campaign system to link multiple battles together in an afternoon.
A key design goal was to create a fun quick-playing game, not a simulation. Many details are abstracted, while maintaining historical flavor.
Combat is simple and quickly resolved. After all units have moved, they may Ram. If units have not moved, they may conduct Melee.
Attackers roll a base number of dice determined by the unit type (different types of units roll different numbers of dice for ramming and melee), with the number of dice increasing or decreasing for factors like attacking from the rear, using a special maneuver card, or the enemy formation (for example, line abreast, line ahead, or kyklos).
I am very much interested in this one. Tactical level naval combat is something that is very appealing and this one looks to be on the lighter side of the spectrum but offers enough depth that it should be a very interesting experience.
If you are interested in Rowing to Hades: Fast Playing Naval Battles of the Ancient World, you can pre-order a copy for $55.00 from the GMT Games website at the following link: https://www.gmtgames.com/p-1252-rowing-to-hades.aspx
Commands & Colors: Ancients depicts warfare from approximately 3,000 BC to the opening of the Middle Ages in 400 AD, which is quite a spread across time encompassing different strategies, tactics and even technology. CC: Ancients uses the standard card activation system which identifies a number of units that can take actions in one of three areas on the board, including the Left, Center and Right. This card system is standard to the series and really keeps the game light and fun as you sometimes simply cannot control take the actions you need to in order to win the game.
One of the reasons that I like Ancients and how it implements the system is that the scale changes during each of the battles represented. This means that some of the scenarios will have an Infantry unit representing an entire legion of fighters, while in other scenarios a unit may just represent a few warriors. This flexibility makes the game really interesting and you have to learn how best to use each of your units in each of the settings. This really adds to the replayability factor as well because you are learning from each scenario.
The unit variety in this one is interesting as compared to other games in the series such as Battle Cry and Memoir ’44 as each of those volumes had just three types of different units. In Ancients though there are multiple different types or classes of Infantry. Units are rated according to their makeup and in some ways their tactics and are placed in three neat and tidy categories including Light, Medium and Heavy. In the ranks of the Light Infantry, there are the standard Light Infantry, Auxilia, Light Bow and Light Sling for example. In looking at the other types of units there are Cavalry, Chariots, War Machines, Leaders, and the best part Elephants. The game comes with very clear and well done player aids that outline the different abilities of each type of unit and help you with an understanding of their movement, combat dice and any special abilities.
The final best thing about the game is the number of different engagements portrayed and how each of them uses different units and will require you to think on your toes about how best to utilize your assets. The battles covered include Akragas, Crimissos River, Ticinus River, Lake Trasimenus, Cannae, Dertosa, Castulo, Baecula, Ilipa, and Zama. All in all, I find Ancients to be a simple yet fulfilling gateway to the series and would recommend it heartily to anyone interested in getting on board.
From the game page, we read the following:
Commands & Colors: Ancients allows you to re-fight epic battles of the ancient world. Here the focus is on the two rivals for power in the Western Mediterranean – Carthage and Rome. Will you, as Hannibal, triumph over larger Roman armies; or as Scipio Africanus, will you beat Hannibal with newer tactics of your own?
Units in both armies can only move and fight when ordered. The command playing cards supply those orders, providing an element of luck that creates a fog of war and presents players with both challenges and opportunities. You must maximize your opportunities by playing your command cards judiciously. How well you handle the diverse units, their weapons, and the terrain, will determine victory.
Commands & Colors: Ancients contains the battles of Akragas, Crimissos River, Ticinus River, Lake Trasimenus, Cannae, Dertosa, Castulo, Baecula, Ilipa, and Zama.
If you are interested in Commands & Colors: Ancients 8th Printing, you can pre-order a copy for $62.00 from the GMT Games website at the following link: https://www.gmtgames.com/p-1250-commands-colors-ancients-8th-printing.aspx
I will be honest with you, when we first played Commands and Colors, I was really leaning toward Ancients as my favorite one. But that all changed once we got the grand daddy of them all on the table in Napoleonics. To me, I really enjoy the added layers of depth to this one. It has six expansions for a reason as they have tried to capture the intricacies of each nation and their unique abilities and fighting styles to make for very highly stylized game.
Of all the C&C games this one is on the richer end of the scale, especially as you add in the expansions. The little bits of chrome make the combats more tactical. You can put your infantry into square formation to counter cavalry charges, but that comes with it’s own sub set of limitations. Each nation has their own special ability, and then each of their units have their own characteristics. An example of which are the Spaniards’ Infantry being straight up not as good as others. They roll dice equal to their number of blocks -1 for example. Each faction has strengths and weaknesses which gives you a little more to think about. Again, nothing overwhelming, and nothing you can’t handle but Napoleonics just has that extra richness and detail that brings the game to life and makes each play feel different from the last.
There are a few new differences in this one. Leaders play a very important role on the battlefield. They don’t add to attack but keep units in formation and from breaking. You must try to keep the Leaders away from the front line because they can become casualties but you need them to keep order on the battlefield as they will allow units to ignore some symbols.
Another major difference is in how units do when they are reduced. In all previous versions of the C&C system, the number of remaining blocks in a unit was not factored into the strength of that unit’s attack. If they had three units left, they would still roll their maximum 2 dice. But now that has changed and I really like this one. The basic attack strength of a unit is equal to the number of its blocks.
The color and the pageantry of a Napoleonics battle is hard to ignore and this one has a lot of substance to the game that the other volumes don’t approach. I will play Napoleonics at any time and relish the chance to learn new strategies and try out new tactics with the multitude of different units found in each expansion.
In the end, Commands and Colors is a fantastic system that has a little bit of everything that will appeal to any wargamer’s taste. I recently played Tricorne and man was that a fascinating experience. We also played the new one from GMT from 2019 Medieval and enjoyed it, and actually really liked some of the new additions, but just were let down by the theme. If you haven’t tried C&C yet, what are you waiting for? Pick a historical period you like and give it a try. You won’t be disappointed!
From the game page, we read the following:
The Napoleonic historical period has always been one of our favorites and was actually the second historical game that we developed using the Commands & Colors system. The Wars of Napoleon rules at first glance may seem more complex than other Commands & Colors games, but if you are familiar with the game system, you are only a few short steps away from taking Command. Even if you have never played before, learning the fundamentals of the game system is straightforward and will be an enjoyable endeavor.
For the game group in Orlando, Wars of Napoleon is one of our favorites. There is a wealth of subtle and bold features that set it apart from other historical periods and it truly embraces the tactical doctrines of France and the various nations that fought against Napoleon.
- The Napoleonic period showcases a unique balance between the roles of Infantry, Cavalry and Artillery on the battlefield.
- In combat, a unit’s battle strength is directly tied to the number of blocks present in the unit. Therefore, as a unit suffers block loses its combat effectiveness is reduced.
- An Infantry unit, by forming square, can reduce the effectiveness of the most gallant Cavalry charge.
- Artillery in combined arms combat along with an Infantry or Cavalry melee attack can produce the most devastating results.
- As with other Commands & Colors games, the battle dice resolve combat quickly and the Command cards provide a fog of war and will present players with new challenges and opportunities for victory.
- When in Command, the battlefield tactics you will need to execute conform remarkably well to the historical advantages and limitations inherent to each Napoleonic Army. For example, as the French Commander you will want to maneuver your infantry units into a position to take advantage of their melee attack dice bonus. While a British Commander will want his line infantry to take up a defensive position and stand and volley fire with a dice bonus. The other major powers also have similar seemingly simple advantages that can impact a battle and will influence your Command style for that army.
The core Wars of Napoleon game will feature French, British and Portuguese troops, while the expansions will showcase one Coalition army that opposed Napoleon.
If you are interested in Commands & Colors: Napoleonics 6th Printing, you can pre-order a copy for $62.00 from the GMT Games website at the following link: https://www.gmtgames.com/p-1251-commands-colors-napoleonics-6th-printing.aspx
Both Alexander and I love Empire of the Sun and really enjoy Mark Herman designs. Now I know that Pacific War is not EotS but it definitely was a precursor and led to its design and development. Unfortunately, I did not play the original Pacific War as I was 12 years old and focused on other things (baseball, football) and other games (mainly Dungeons & Dragons and other role playing in my teens). So, this one interests me because it will be a new experience for me.
From the game page we read the following:
Pacific War is a Strategic wargame that takes you from the attack on Pearl Harbor to the climatic summer of 1945… from Australia to China… from Burma to Hawaii… from the defense of Wake Island through the invasion of Guadalcanal culminating in the desperate battles to defend the Japanese Home Islands.
Strategic wargame that covers the entirety of the Pacific Theater of World War II…pretty big game, both in scale and distance. For a game to cover the entire theater, it has to be deep and have various systems to cover all of the different types of actions. Here is an answer on this aspect frog the game page:
For the first time in a Pacific Theater game, size, subtlety, and ease of play has come together in a game of sharp action and historical accuracy. Players can become familiar with the layered Pacific War systems in the solitaire Engagement scenarios, then fight their way through increasingly panoramic Battle, Campaign, and Strategic two player and multi-player Scenarios. As they learn the game’s basic maneuver and combat systems, they will then layer on more advanced systems for Strategic bombing, submarine attacks on merchant shipping, search and detection, amphibious assaults, and extensive Operations driven by their command decisions.
As this game is a reprint and updating of a classic, the first thing I thought about was what has changed in the design? Mark answered this question very well in the game write up on the game page:
So, what will change in the new version? The structure and feel of the design will be unchanged, so if you played it in your youth, you already know how to play. That said, a devoted number of players have been playing this game for 35 years and I have incorporated the best of their feedback into this new and final edition for this title. I am going over each scenario and updating them with information that I did not have available back in 1985. For example, I now have several Japanese translations of their official records that were only published in the last few years. Toward this end, I am adding at least six new campaign and strategic scenarios, so you can experience the entire panorama of the war in a long afternoon .
The key question that I consider when buying a new game is will it hit the table? The owners and reviewers who created the game’s reputation were excited that Pacific War had a layered set of scenarios that incorporated fifteen-minute solitaire learning engagements, two hour battles (such as Coral Sea and Santa Cruz that were used in a decade of tournaments), two to eight hour Campaigns (such as Malaya, Guadalcanal and Breaking the Bismarck barrier), and of course the Strategic scenarios that cover the entire war from a single year to the entire war. Will you ever play the entire war? It’s unlikely (to date I have only done it three times). However, Pacific Waris an operational level game and the Campaign scenarios are the heart and soul of this game system. Most play in an afternoon to completion. So, will it hit the table? Only you can answer that question, but from a time and learning perspective this game will support any time commitment you wish to make, to include the 100+ hour Strategic Scenario.
No cards, as this one is not a Card Driven Game, and lots of counters with 9 counter sheets listed. This is going to be blast and I hope that we get around to playing this game so that I can get a view of the original work from one of my favorite designers.
If you are interested in Pacific War: The Struggle Against Japan, 1941-1945 Deluxe Edition 2nd Printing you can pre-order a copy for $99.00 from the GMT Games website at the following link: https://www.gmtgames.com/p-1249-pacific-war-the-struggle-against-japan-1941-1945-2nd-printing.aspx
Paul Rohrbaugh and his company High Flying Dice Games is a designer I love to follow. He is always doing games on smaller or lesser known conflicts and I just find his work to be superb and really draws me in. Recently I saw where he was releasing a new series of games covering the Thirty Years War called Bohemian Rhapsody – Battles of Wimpen: May 6, 1622 and Hochst: June 20, 1622.
From the game page, we read the following:
Bohemian Rhapsody – Battles of Wimpen: May 6, 1622 and Hochst: June 20th, 1622 is a game with 2 battles and both battles were part of the so called “Bohemian Phase” of the Thirty Years War and were one the result of the other. The first took place when the Catholic forces of Tilly and Cordoba surprised the smaller force of George Fredrick of Baden who was trying to cross the river Neckar near Wimpfen. Even if the Protestant forces made their best in the battle, thanks to a favorable uphill position, theywere defeated.
A month and an half later, another part of the Protestant troops moving around the Rhineland, the part commanded by Christian of Brunswick, was stopped by the same catholic army under Tilly and Cordoba near Hochst, while trying to cross the river Main. The ensuing battle was a sort of a draw, as at least a part of the catholic army was able to join the other catholic force under Mansfeld, but at so high a cost in losses, that the Palatinate theatre of the war was de facto closed.
If you are interested in Bohemian Rhapsody – Battles of Wimpen: May 6, 1622 and Hochst: June 20, 1622, you can order a copy for $20.95 from the High Flying Dice Games website at the following link: https://www.hfdgames.com/bohemia.html
I have really enjoyed my plays of several games designed by R. Ben Madison. He has a knack for including elements of the history into the gameplay while placing the events into the framework of his chosen system, which is usually the States of Siege Series…but not always. His newest offering called La Conqueste: The French and Indian War 1754-1763 from White Dog Games uses the States of Siege Series System and dives into the French & Indian War.
From the game page, we read the following:
Over 270 years ago, France controlled most of North America east of the Mississippi River. The British had colonized only along the Atlantic Coast and wanted to expand further west. Conflict between these two great powers in the New World was inevitable. The immediate issue in the new World was whether the upper Ohio River valley was to be a part of the British Empire, and therefore open for trade and settlement by English colonists, or part of New France. When, in 1754, war broke out between France and England in Europe, it quickly spread to the New World, where it was called the French and Indian War, and where two of the most famous generals in history fought one another: Wolfe and Montcalm.
In this exciting game of that titanic struggle in America designed by R. Ben Madison, you control the forces of New France against England and the British colonies as the epic nine-year long French and Indian War breaks out.
If you are interested in La Conqueste: The French and Indian War 1754-1763, you can order a copy for $60.00 from the White Dog Games website at the following link: https://www.whitedoggames.com/french-and-indian-war
Another new solitaire States of Siege Series offering this month from White Dog Games takes us to ancient Persia and Iran in the Sasanian Era covering the years of 224-651 AD. This one is also designed by R. Ben Madison and looks to be very interesting.
From the game page, we read the following:
Fortress of Oblivion is an exciting solitaire game by designer Ben Madison that puts the player in the role of the ancient Shahs of Iran during the Sasanian Era, 224-651 AD – or even later, if you survive! You will use the economic, military, and social resources of the Iranian Empire, called “Persia” in the west, to defend your realm against invading foreign armies from the west (Armenians and Romans, later called Byzantines), the east (China, Central Asian nomads, and the mighty empires and petty states of India), and marauding Himyarites and Ethiopians from the south, soon to be routed by your greatest foe: the giant Arab Caliphate!
If you are interested in Fortress of Oblivion: Iran in the Sasanian Era 224-651 AD, you can order a copy for $60.00 from the White Dog Games website at the following link: https://www.whitedoggames.com/fortressofoblivion
One well recieved wargame from 2017 was called Santa Cruz 1797 from Bellica 3rd Generation which was designed by Iván Cáceres. The game covers the British amphibious assault on the fortress at Santa Cruz de Tenerife in Spain and is a card driven siege game. Bellica 3rd Generation is now reprinting this game which has been out of stock pretty much everywhere with a new edition.
From the game page, we read the following:
Early morning on July 25, 1797…A squadron of His Britannic Majesty under the command of Lord Admiral Horatio Nelson set out to assault the fortifications of Santa Cruz de Tenerife. The fight would be desperate and the first light of day would find the
On this occasion, in addition, Nelson lost his right arm due to an impact from a cannon (“El Tigre”) that is still preserved in the Museum of the Castle of San Cristobal, in Tenerife.
Santa Cruz 1797 is a game for two players in which each player has a well-defined role: the British must storm the city and occupy its key points while defeating the Spanish military forces, the Spanish must wait to see where his opponent lands and then launch into a tenacious and aggressive defense to defeat him.
The game is a block wargame and works with a card engine that allows players to act on the opponent’s turn and creates a situation of unparalleled tension and uncertainty until the end of the game.
If you are interested in Santa Cruz 1797 Reprint, you can purchase a copy for 50,00 € ($57.00 in US Dollars) from the Bellica 3rd Generation website at the following link: https://bellica3g.com/en/product/santa-cruz-1797/
Over the past several years, print and play solitaire wargames have gained a lot of traction in our hobby. A solitaire wargame that is very affordable at $10-$15 and can be purchased and downloaded online. What is not to like? And the name of Mike Lambo has been tied to a lot these games as he has designed 20+ of these titles and has built quite the rabid and loyal fanbase. His newest game is called Lone Panther and can be downloaded from Wargame Vault. I do know that typically these games are sold on Amazon but I have not seen this offering make it there as of yet.
From the game page, we read the following:
The German front in the Italian Po Valley is collapsing. Months of retreat, shattered divisions, and dwindling fuel have left the once‑proud Panzerwaffe reduced to scattered pockets of armour fighting desperately to hold back the Allied advance. In this flat, misty landscape of farms and villages, marshland, narrow roads and orchards, tanks are no longer committed in massed formations. Instead, single vehicles are thrown forward to plug gaps, delay Allied spearheads, or hold a vital crossroads.
You command one such machine, a Panther Ausf. G, operating alone, cut off from its parent battalion and reliant on its crew. Allied forces push north with growing momentum. British armour probes ahead, infantry screens advance through the fields, and fighter‑bombers circle overhead searching for targets of opportunity.
In this final phase of the Italian campaign, a Lone Panther can still shape the battlefield – if its Commander keeps his nerve.
Whilst this game is not a ‘narrative driven’ game as such, with a little imagination it will provide memorable stories. Some events are randomly generated, but the Player always has at least some degree of control over the level of risk they wish to take and how vulnerable they leave their Tank to these Events.
This game is designed to be easy to learn and good fun to play.
This is a solitaire wargame. You play the game, and the enemy is controlled by the game (or the Artificial Intelligence or ‘AI’). You will need at least 7, but preferably 9, standard six-sided dice (not included). There are 10 very replayable missions included with full colour maps and clear instructions.
It is highly recommended that the counters provided on the final page of the game are used to play this game. Simply stick them to card and cut them out. A video demonstrating how generally to do this can be found on the Mike Lambo Games YouTube channel. The easiest way to make these counters is to print or copy them onto an A4 printer label, leave the ink to dry completely, then peel the back and stick to 1-2mm card. Alternatively, any standard paper glue will do such as PVA. You can also find ‘Instructional Playthrough’ videos on the Mike Lambo Games YouTube Channel to see how the game plays.
If you are interested in Lone Panther, you can order a print and play copy for $9.99 from the Wargame Vault website at the following link: https://www.wargamevault.com/en/product/575355/lone-panther-a-solitaire-wargame?
World War I is always an interesting war to game. We have played our fair share of WWI games and pretty much enjoyed them all. The Great War Battles Series from Revolution Games is a wargame system designed by Kerry Anderson that simulates World War I engagements at the brigade and regimental level and the newest offering in the series is called Tankschlacht: Cambrai 1917, which is now available for purchase.
The Battle of Cambrai was a massive British offensive on the Western Front in France during World War I and was fought between November 20 and December 7, 1917. The battle is legendary for marking the first large-scale, effective use of massed tanks in warfare.
From the game page, we read the following:
Tankschlacht is the second game in the Great War Battles Series; the first being Death of an Army: Ypres, 1914. Tankschlacht is a brigade/regimental simulation of the Battle of Cambrai, November 20 – December 3, 1917. A two player game where players assume the role of the German and Allied troops as they desperately fight for the valuable position in the line.
If you are interested in Great War Battles Volume 2: Tankschlacht: Cambrai, 1917, you can order a copy for $70.00 ($55.00 for a Ziplock edition) from the Revolution Games website at the following link: https://stores.revolutiongames.us/tankschlacht-cambrai-1917-boxed-edition/
Blind Swords is a series that most all wargamers have heard of and played at least a few games that use the system. We have played several of these games including Shiloh: The First Day and Gettysburg: The First Day in the series from Revolution Games. Recently, they announced a new title in the series called Early Threatens Washington: The Battle of Monacacy Junction, July 9, 1864 designed by Mike Wimple.
From the game page, we read the following:
The Confederate’s 1864 Maryland Campaign, led by Lieutenant General Jubal Early, was designed to draw Union forces away from the siege of Petersburg, Virginia and pose a possible threat to Washington. On the morning of July 9, 1864 Early was in Frederick Maryland, ready to cross the Monocacy River and drive toward a lightly defended Washington. Opposing him was Union General Lew Wallace. Wallace put together a hurried defense using any available troops who delayed the Confederate offensive towards Washington long enough that battle hardened forces from Grant’s Army were able to reach the city and bolster its defenses. These additional forces proved sufficient to repel the threat to the city. Thus, the ensuing Battle of Monocacy Junction has been referred to by many historians as “The battle that saved Washington”.
Early Threatens Washington includes one introductory and two full battle scenarios. The all-day full battle scenario allows players to try various strategies for clearing the Georgetown Pike. Do you try Early’s plan of forcing his way across the Wooden and Railroad bridges while feigning interest in the other crossings or some other, more clever method? The half-day full battle scenario allows players to play out Early’s plan as it actually unfolded, ignoring the morning actions, and focusing on the afternoon climax of the battle. Even though the Union is outnumbered by the Confederates, the situation is balanced and offers tough choices for both players. The thirteenth game in Revolution Games’ popular Blind Swords system, Early Threatens Washington provides an immersive experience of tactical American Civil War combat without a heavy rules load. The game can be enjoyed solitaire, two-player or multi-player.
If you are interested in Blind Swords Series Volume 13 Early Threatens Washington: The Battle of Monacacy Junction, July 9, 1864, you can order a copy for $70.00 ($55.00 for a Ziploc edition) from the Revolution Games website at the following link: https://stores.revolutiongames.us/early-threatens-washington-boxed-edition/
I love a good solitaire wargame. And if that game covers the famous Battle of Stalingrad mores the better! A few years ago, they released the first volume in a new Solitaire Area Movement Series called Stalingrad: Advance to the Volga, 1942 designed by Mike Rinella. Mike has done a slew of area movements games, such as Patton’s Vanguard and Last Battle, Ie Shima, and his designs are always interesting and playable.
I have played this one quite a few times, and have also played the follow up version called Manila: The Savage Streets, and the AI and the overall design itself really worked well to create a very interesting and challenging game. In fact, after 4 or 5 plays, I have yet to taste victory. I really have enjoyed my experience with Stalingrad: Advance to the Volga, 1942 as the game is well put together, well thought out and frankly just works. They now have reprinted the game and you can get a copy now after the game was out of print for a year or so.
From the game page, we read the following:
There can be little question Stalingrad was one of the bloodiest and most decisive battles of the
entire Second World War. The campaign by the German 6th Army to crush the Soviet 62nd
Army and capture the city has been the subject of numerous two-player designs. It is a
situation known to most gamers but is presented here in a new and exciting SOLITAIRE format,
the first in a series of single-player area movement games by publisher Take Aim Designs.
Stalingrad: Advance to the Volga, 1942 puts the player in charge of the attacking and far more
mobile German side while the game system handles the defending and largely static Soviet
side. No two games will ever be the same. Each turn presents new and unique challenges for
the player in the form of random events, uncertain supply deliveries, and unknown Soviet area
strengths and defensive strategies.The primary game is a nine-turn campaign covering the first great German assault on the city
during September 1942. The deeper German forces advance, from the city’s less developed
periphery to its urban and industrial core, the greater Soviet resistance becomes. The number
of German units bled white, effectively out of action, mounts. German determination to secure
a rapid victory, represented as “morale” in the game, gradually decreases. The player wins by
equaling or exceeding historical German gains and loses if they fail to do so, or if morale falls
too low.Also included is a five-turn “Factory District Scenario” representing the second great German
effort in October 1942. The challenge is now even greater: the player must capture all of
Stalingrad in order to release divisions in time to cover the German flanks outside the city
against the coming Soviet winter offense, which was not far off. With a setup time of less than 15 minutes, low counter density, endless variability, and quick playing time, Stalingrad: Advance to the Volga, 1942 will appeal to every level of player, from the novice to the grognard.
Here is a look at my full First Impressions post on the blog which you can read at the following link: https://theplayersaid.com/2023/04/11/first-impressions-stalingrad-advance-to-the-volga-1942-from-revolution-games-take-aim-designs/
Here also are links to several Action Point posts I wrote and you can read those on the blog at the following links:
Action Point 2 – Soviet Defenders and their different Defensive Strategies
Action Point 3 – How Combat Works and how Support Units are used
Action Point 4 – Focus on Supply and Management of German Morale
Action Point 5 – Strategy Points
You can watch my playthrough video to get a feel for how the game plays:
Here also is a look at my video review:
If you are interested in Stalingrad: Advance to the Volga, 1942, you can order a copy for $55.00 from the Revolution Games website at the following link: https://stores.revolutiongames.us/stalingrad-advance-to-the-volga-1942/
I love Legion Wargames. They are just a solid publisher and Randy Lein is such a great guy. Recently, they started shipping a new game designed by John Theissen called Drive on Voronezh, June 28-July 27, 1942 that deals with combat on the East Front of World War II.
From the game page, we read the following:
The Battle of Voronezh was fought on the Eastern Front of World War II, in and around the strategically important city of Voronezh on the Don river, 450 km (280 mi) south of Moscow, from 28 June-27 July 1942, as the opening move of the German summer offensive that year. The German attack in this sector bit into parts of the Soviet Briansk and Southwestern Fronts with German panzer corps leading the drive.The German assault was conducted by the element of the 4th Panzer Army′s forces of Army Group South under commanded by General Hermann Hoth, who was under strict instructions not to get bogged down in street-to-street fighting.
The armored units of the 4th Panzer Army partly captured Voronezh on 6 July by occupying the western river-bank suburbs, however German troops were subjected to a Red Army counter-attack. The 4th Panzer Army was to be followed by the Sixth Army, and when Voronezh was occupied the former was to wheel south-eastward and move down the right bank of the Don towards Stalingrad as part of Operation Blau. It took two days for infantry divisions from the Army Group South to reach Voronezh to hold the line and free the Panzer troops; Adolf Hitler later came to believe that these two days, when combined with other avoidable delays on the drive south, allowed Marshal Semyon Timoshenko to reinforce the forces in Stalingrad before the 4th Panzer Army could arrive to allow taking of Stalingrad.
Drive on Voronezh covers this opening move in the Fall Blau offensive. The scale of the game is nine miles per hex and two days per turn. The basic units in the game are divisions with special brigades for the Germans and brigades/corps for the Russians. The game uses a basic I Go – You Go system but also includes special event chits that allow players to augment certain combat and movement situations.
If you are interested in Drive on Voronezh, June 28-July 27, 1942, you can order a copy for $46.00 from the Legion Wargames website at the following link: https://www.legionwargames.com/legion_DOV.html
A few years ago, GMT announced a very cool looking game designed by Paul Daniels covering the Soviet-Afghan War from 1979-1989 called Bear Trap. The game was described as a block wargame that used a similar system to what was used in the design for Sekigahara: The Unification of Japan.
From the game page, we read the following:
Bear Trap is a quick-playing, low-complexity 2-player block wargame covering the Soviet-Afghan War (1979-1989).
In the Soviet–Afghan war, Insurgent groups—including the mujahideen—fought a guerrilla war against the Soviet 40th Army and the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan (DRA) government. The game begins shortly after “Operation Storm-333” was executed at the end of 1979—in this coup, Hafizullah Amin (General Secretary of the People’s Democratic Party of Afghanistan) was killed, and Babrak Karmal, a Soviet loyalist, replaced him. By putting the Brezhnev Doctrine into practice, the Soviets sought to prop up the sympathetic local government and “solve the Russian Ice-lock Problem” while the Insurgents sought to expel the secularist government and foreign invaders.
Although the two sides in this conflict were fundamentally different in a variety of ways, they also faced some parallel challenges. For instance, they struggled to maintain loyalty. For the Soviets and the DRA, the DRA armed forces merely offered an opportunity for a paycheck, and there were cases where conscripts in the Soviet Army defected to the Mujahideen (e.g. Kazbek Hudalov). For the Insurgents, propaganda, threats, and promises to family drew would-be combatants away, as did injuries suffered from landmines and attacks on villages. Both sides also struggled to puncture the fog of war, not being able to secure reliable intel about force deployment and strength. And both faced various challenges around supply, communication, and coordination. Both sides needed to react to shifting strategies and developments over this decade long Cold War proxy war, where the landscape upon which it was fought presented many unique challenges.
Bear Trap is a spiritual successor to Sekigahara—building on the same core system. In both games, each player has their own deck of cards; players spend cards from their hand to activate areas or in combat to commit units to battle. This means fans of Sekigahara will find learning Bear Trap easy, but the feel and experience of the games are highly divergent. In addition to the difference in topics covered, other differences include:
- In Bear Trap, forces are represented by blocks, stickered side hidden from the opponent, and the orientation of a block determines its disposition (i.e. the orientation of a block dictates whether it’s mobilized, fortified, disordered, poised to offer fire support to a battle initiated by friendly units, or ready to ambush enemy units). The orientation of a block also determines which battles it can join, whether card play is required to commit it to battle, and whether it can be moved or activated.
- Bear Trap features an area-based map, rather than the point-to-point style found in Sekigahara.
- The sequential combat system popularized in Sekigahara is utilized in Bear Trap, adapted to suit the setting. This includes the use of ‘loyalty challenges,’ making Bear Trap simulate the proneness of (for instance) Afghan forces to defect.
- Bear Trap is, like Sekigahara, first and foremost a 2-player game—but Bear Trap includes a unique solo mode, built around a card assisted flowchart bot.
- Bear Trap has fewer blocks than Sekigahara, and each player has fewer card types (‘suits’) in their decks.
- Bear Trap introduces ‘strategy’ cards—powerful event cards. Although it would be misleading to label Bear Trap a deck-building game, players will add 2 cards from a pool specific to their side each time they reshuffle their deck.
Bear Trap is not a “clone” of Sekigahara—they are very different games with differences in topic, feel, and mechanism, despite having an underlying shared game system. Bear Trap is also a more asymmetric game than Sekigahara. Although Bear Trap is a slight step up in complexity (relative to Sekigahara), the mechanics remain simple, and Bear Trap can be completed in 2-3 hours.
We published an interview with the designer Paul Daniels on the blog and you can read that at the following link: https://theplayersaid.com/2022/04/18/interview-with-paul-daniels-designer-of-bear-trap-the-soviet-afghan-war-1979-1989-from-gmt-games/
If you are interested in Bear Trap: The Soviet-Afghan War, 1979-1989, you can order a copy for $93.00 ($59.00 if you hurry and place your order before they ship in mid-August) from the GMT Games website at the following link: https://www.gmtgames.com/p-955-bear-trap-the-soviet-afghan-war-1979-1989.aspx
Fields of Despair: France 1914-1918 is a medium weight 2 player hex-based strategic level block war game set on the Western Front of World War I. Players take control of either the Allies, including France, England, Belgium, the United States and an abstracted Russia or the mighty Central Powers fighting the war not only on land, but also at sea, and most importantly and probably one of the better and more interesting parts of the game, in the air all while having to focus on and make tough decisions about your economic and technological progression.
Fields of Despair uses a very unique and revolutionary block system designed to maintain the confusion and uncertainty of the Fog of War throughout the entire game. The reason that I consider this system revolutionary is that in most block games, the combat values of individual blocks usually range from one to four, so as you scan the battlefield and after a quick calculation in your head you can come up with a pretty good guesstimate of what force power is arrayed against you, while in FoD the combat value of blocks ranges from zero (dummy blocks) all the way to a maximum of twenty. This difference in value ranges alone has completely changed the block wargame and has created a very strategic game that can be quite deceptive and difficult to play well. The reason for this deception is that you can build up one block in a hex to 20 when in other block games this would require 4 or 5 blocks that have tipped your hand and help your opponent to gauge your strategy and react more effectively to counter that. But, this deception does have its limits as air reconnaissance, one of the best parts of the design, allows players to scout out the strength of units and remove that deception. But, you cannot simply scout with no opposition as your opponent can place their air units in that hex you are scouting to initiate aerial dogfights that will ruin your recon attempt.
Movement in the game is also very straightforward and simple and can be used as a deceptive tool as well in addition to the use of dummy blocks. Players are allowed to “make change” during the movement phase, which means a larger block can be broken apart into 2 separate blocks or can even be done in reverse by consolidating a few smaller blocks into a larger force. So after the movement phase, you will not be 100% confident in your enemy’s strength and will have to sometimes just throw your hesitancy out the window and attack. The Fog of War also isn’t lost after first contact with the enemy. Blocks remain hidden even when enemies occupy the same hex and stay hidden until one player decides to allocate an air squadron for reconnaissance or sends his men across no man’s land to attack.
I love that this game is so unique with the Strategic Reorganization element as well as the continuous battle for reconnaissance with the airplanes. I have played several block wargames and the way this is handled is very revolutionary and I am sure will be replicated in future block wargame designs. I also am very impressed with the tightness of the rules and how easy they were to understand and apply. For an ambitious wargame covering the entirety of the Western Front of World War I, a 24 page rule book was a shocker. But it is done very well and has very few rules problems.
Here is a link to our video review of the game:
We published an interview with the designer Kurt Lewis Keckley and you can read that at the following link: https://theplayersaid.com/2017/02/11/interview-with-kurt-lewis-keckley-designer-of-fields-of-despair-france-1914-1918-by-gmt-games/
I also wrote a full review piece on the blog and you can read that at the following link: https://theplayersaid.com/2017/04/04/not-your-grandfathers-dreary-trench-warfare-a-review-of-fields-of-despair-france-1914-1918-by-gmt-games/
If you are interested in Fields of Despair: France 1914-1918 2nd Printing, you can order a copy for $108.00 ($69.00 if you hurry and place your order before they ship in mid-August) from the GMT Games website at the following link: https://www.gmtgames.com/p-686-fields-of-despair-2nd-printing.aspx
While attending the World Boardgaming Championships 2 years ago, I was able to meet up with Dave Stiffler (acting as Developer on the project) and Bruno Sinigaglio who is the designer to get an early look at the upcoming debut release in the Small BoAR Series called The Battle of Cowpens.
I didn’t get any pictures because they didn’t have the components along to show but learned a lot about the design and how it changes the Battles of the American Revolution Series from GMT Games. First off, the scale is the major difference as it is 1/8th of the scale used in the normal series. This means 25 yard hexes and 2-3 men per counter. They also have included both rifle fire and musket fire which is a change as musket fire is simply an abstracted part of the close combat mechanic in BoAR. They also have added some new mechanics to account better for things like morale and being shaken or even shattered.
I have known about this game for a few months, actually nearly a year or so, but am very excited to see this one added to the P500 and hope that the reception is great and that the game does well because I would like to see more small battles covered in future volumes.
From the game page, we read the following:
Two critical battles were considered turning points in the American Revolutionary War: the Battle of Saratoga in New York and the Battle of Cowpens in South Carolina. The Battle of Cowpens was a catalyst to a series of events that led eventually to the surrender of the British at Yorktown. Small BoAR Volume I, The Battle of Cowpens, puts players directly into the milieu of this decisive contest.
The goal of the Small BoAR design concept is to include small yet critical battles that otherwise do not fit the scale of the historically simulating and highly successful Battles of the American Revolution (BoAR) system designed by Mark Miklos. This new system, aptly termed Small Battles of the American Revolution (Small BoAR), was designed by Bruno Sinigaglio working closely with Mark Miklos to preserve the continuity and popularity of the original Battles of the American Revolution game system.
Although extremely important to the history of the Revolutionary War, the Battle of Cowpens involved slightly over 1000 participants per side. In the Battles of the American Revolution system, which represents 100 men per strength point, this would equate to only ten or so combat factors per side. The scale for the battle of Cowpens, on the other hand, is 12 men per strength point, or one-eighth that of the BoAR system. The map scale is also correspondingly reduced to 25 yards per hex from the BoAR scale of 200 yards per hex. The time scale is approximately four minutes per turn as compared with one hour per turn in BoAR.
I think that one of the best parts of this new series, aside from the size and scope of the battles covered being smaller, is that they have not just rested on their laurels and reproduced the BoAR System but have added new mechanics and elements to better deal with these battles and to model the smaller scale battles.
Although Army Morale, the game-within-the-game in BoAR, is faithfully preserved in Small BoAR, and the Small BoAR sequence of play resembles that of BoAR and will look familiar to anyone who has played games in the original series, certain novel elements appropriate to the new scaling have been added. These include:
- The ability to designate cavalry units in reserve
- Artillery Fire conducted both offensively and defensively
- Simultaneous ranged musket Fire as a complement to ranged rifle fire
- A Cavalry Reserve Phase where units designated in Reserve may charge after the normal Close Combat Phase
- And Opportunity Card Management
As mentioned earlier, I had the honor of sitting down with Bruno Sinigaglio and Dave Stiffler to discuss this new series and The Battle of Cowpens. Here is a link to that video interview:
If you are interested in Small Battles of the American Revolution Volume I: The Battle of Cowpens, you can order a copy for $75.00 ($48.00 if you hurry and place your order before they ship in mid-August) from the GMT Games website at the following link: https://www.gmtgames.com/p-1140-the-battle-of-cowpens.aspx
As if you don’t know but Twilight Struggle is a 2-player game simulating the forty-five year ideological struggle known as the Cold War between the Soviet Union and the United States which can be played in 2-3 hours. The entire world is the stage on which these two countries “fight” to make the world safe for their own ideologies and way of life. The game starts right after the end of World War II in the midst of the ruins of Europe as the two new “superpowers” of the world squabble over what is left and ends in 1989, when only the United States remained standing.
I remember my first impressions of Twilight Struggle was that it needed some graphic design improvements and the game just didn’t grab me visually but that was all erased the first time we played as the topic and the mechanics just really spoke to me. This game was our gateway to the CDG mechanic and I still have a real soft spot in my heart for it. Well, this month I got my wish and this new edition of TS with upgraded art is now on the P500.
From the game page, we read the following comments and a bit about the history of Twilight Struggle on the new offering:
“Twilight Struggle is my all-time favorite game. It is a brilliant first design by the team of Jason Matthews and Ananda Gupta. It takes the card-driven genre of games like We The People, Hannibal: Rome vs. Carthage, and Wilderness War to its highest peak. Every game is different and the game gets better and better as you become more familiar with the individual cards. You are surprised as hidden combos are revealed game after game. Every turn is filled with tension as you try to figure out the best way to play the hand of cards you’ve been dealt. Gaming simply doesn’t get any better than this”. – Alan R. Moon
That quote from legendary designer Alan Moon, spoken not long after Twilight Struggle was released in 2005, helped sell out the game’s first print run and introduced thousands of gamers to Twilight Struggle. Fortunately, they mostly shared Alan’s opinion of the game and they told their friends. Soon, a groundswell of play and support for the game ran rampant across the gaming community as tens of thousands of players immersed themselves in the tense competition and compelling storytelling of Twilight Struggle. As a result, Twilight Struggle was the #1 ranked game on BGG for over five years, something no other game has achieved.
Soon there was a digital version of the game for Steam and tablets, introducing hundreds of thousands of additional gamers to GMT’s most commercially and critically successful all-time game and supporting a total of twelve sold-out versions of the boardgame. And over those years, the awards rolled in, reflecting the joy and challenge that Twilight Struggle brought to so many gamers: BGG Golden Geek Game of the Year, IGA Game of the Year, Charles Roberts Awards, and more.
Then, in the summer of 2024 at its Origins convention, GAMA (Game Manufacturers of America) bestowed on Twilight Struggle its most prestigious award, inducting Twilight Struggle into the GAMA Hall of Fame. Designers Ananda Gupta and Jason Matthews attended the awards ceremony and jointly accepted the honor on their behalf and for all of the Twilight Struggle team at GMT.
As we now approach the 20th anniversary of the game’s release, and in light of the recent Hall of Fame honor, we are thrilled to announce a new edition of our most successful game. We invite you to check out Twilight Struggle 20th Anniversary Hall of Fame Edition.
So what exactly is new and different about this edition:
Twilight Struggle 20th Anniversary Hall of Fame Edition adds even more beauty and play options to the original game. Here are some of the additions you’ll see in this new Edition:
- A brand new game box by the incomparable Terry Leeds
- A double sided map with a new Terry Leeds map on the front and the familiar Deluxe Edition Mark Simonitch map on the back
- The Turn Zero and Alternative Space Race variants included.
- A new alt-history scenario, “Red Sun Rising” with new cards.
- A collection of promotional cards including the Kickstarter Promo Packs #1 and #2 and a selection of promo cards from foreign editions of Twilight Struggle
- A background booklet including retrospective essays from the designers
We cannot think of a better way to commemorate the Cold War, this vital piece of world history, than with our freshest and richest version of Twilight Struggle to date.
Here is a comment from Gene Billingsley about this game offering:
We’re really proud of Jason and Ananda and what they and their brilliant game have meant to GMT over these past 20 years—and for all of the TS team that helped to make their design vision a reality. And we’re so honored and really happy that Twilight Struggle was inducted into the GAMA Hall of Fame at Origins this past summer. That is a rare honor. So, to celebrate both the 20th Anniversary of Twilight Struggle and it’s HoF induction, we are adding a new Twilight Struggle 20th Anniversary Hall of Fame Edition to our P500 list this month. As you can see from the artwork, this is a beautiful new edition, featuring a new box and mounted map from Terry Leeds (with the Mark Simonitch map on the back side) as well as all new card fronts (we’re keeping the backs standard so there’s no problem mixing in cards from other versions). It’s also chock-full of a lot of new or hard-to-find play value, with a new scenario and a variety of cards and other game add-ons all in one new package.
With the recent advances in art and production, I have often longed for GMT to retouch some of their best games and give them the art and components that they deserve. It looks like this might be the first step in that direction and I would argue there are other great games that deserve a similar treatment including Here I Stand, Labyrinth, Wilderness War and others.
If you are interested in Twilight Struggle 20th Anniversary Hall of Fame Edition, you can order a copy for $94.00 ($60.00 if you hurry and place your order before they ship in mid-August) from the GMT Games website at the following link: https://www.gmtgames.com/p-1138-twilight-struggle-20th-anniversary-hall-of-fame-edition.aspx
More WWI is never a bad thing. Particularly when that game focuses on a front that doesn’t get a lot of love in the wargaming world. But Falling Crescent is such a game that focuses on the British offensive against the Turks in Palestine in the fall of 2018.
From the game page, we read the following:
Falling Crescent is an operational-level game of the British offensive of September-October 1918 against the Turks in Palestine. One player controls the Turkish, German, and Bedouin forces, and the other, British, French, and Arab guerilla forces. A three-player version, commanding the Arabs separately is also included.
After lasting for centuries, the Ottoman Turks’ hold on Palestine is at risk. British forces and Arabs in revolt threaten to bring down the Ottomans and their Crescent flag. The game is one of skill, in which it is entirely possible to change the course of history. This game proves to be an interesting challenge as modifications to the design, such as strategic and operational cards, bring a new feel to the classic model also built-in!
In designing Falling Crescent, designer Roger Nord brought out the flavor of encirclement and surrender, of charging cavalry and elusive Arab guerillas. The Palestine campaign is one of history’s last great cavalry actions. In this fluid scene, local plans can often go astray unforeseen developments may hinder or even alter command plans. The players’ cards, new to this edition, add their part to the fortunes of war with reactive tactics and shifting events.
The game’s pace is swift, and we believe players will enjoy it as a World War I game devoid of attrition and stalemate. Especially in the use of cavalry and air, they will see a hint of things to come in 1939-1940, when a later war will no longer be fought with horses and canvas biplanes, but with treaded armor and screaming dive bombers.
I am very much looking forward to this one. Games on this subject and with this scale are pretty rare and the comment in the description about “one of history’s last great cavalry actions” definitely has my attention!
If you are interested in Falling Crescent: The British Offensive: September-October 1918, you can pre-order a copy for $69.00 from the Compass Games website at the following link: https://www.compassgames.com/product/falling-crescent-pay-now/
As usual, thanks so much for reading along and sticking with me this month as I navigated through the many websites and game pages looking for new and interesting games to share.
Finally, thanks once again to this month’s sponsor Nuts! Publishing!
-Grant
Hallo Abenteurer, Entdecker und mutige Kirschen!
Da die Produktion von The Elder Scrolls: Betrayal of the Second Era abgeschlossen ist und wir gemeinsam mit euch der Ankunft im Oktober entgegenfiebern, wollen wir direkt die nächste frohe Nachricht mit euch teilen: Natürlich werden wir auch die neusten Erweiterungen aus Heroes of Tamriel auf Deutsch für euch umsetzen. Im Folgenden erfahrt ihr, was euch erwartet.
Die wichtigste Info zuerst: Mit Ausnahme der Guild Chest Sortierlösung werden wir euch alle Inhalte der Wave 2 der englischen Crowdfunding-Kampagne anbieten können.
Das Artbook und die Premium Battlemat waren bereits in Wave 1 nicht Teil des Angebots und werden auch in Wave 2 nicht angeboten.
– Elsweyr Expansion
– Summerset Expansion
– Fur and Fang Expansion
– Heroes of Tamriel Expansion
– Shadows of Oblivion Expansion
– Scribe Pack
– Chef Class
– Blacksmith Pack Vol. 2
– Basic Organizer Pack
– Deluxe Reversible Draw Bag
– Alternate Entrance Tile Pack
– Magnetic Bookmark Set
– Deslandra Metal Chip
– Luxury Wear
Für die fehlende Guild Chest werden wir jedoch ein lokalisierendes Sticker Pack zur Verfügung stellen, falls ihr die englische Version besitzen werdet, damit ihr alles konsistent auf Deutsch habt.
Ihr seht also:
Wir bieten das komplette The Elder Scrolls Erlebnis auf Deutsch mit gewohntem Frosted Games Qualitätsversprechen. Die Preise werden sich an den bisherigen Preisen der Elder Scrolls-Produkte orientieren. Und jetzt das Beste: Wir starten die Vorbestellaktion voraussichtlich noch im Q4/26. Also freut euch auf mehr Elder Scrolls!
Der Beitrag The Elder Scrolls: Heroes of Tamriel erscheint bei Frosted Games! erschien zuerst auf Frosted Games.
Die Geheimgesellschaft Candela Obscura sucht Dich! Werde okkulte*r Agent*in im Kampf gegen das Übernatürliche. Dokumentiere furchteinflößende Magie, erkunde magieverseuchte, uralte Ruinen und vernichte Kreaturen aus der jenseitigen Welt. In diesem stimmungsvollen Horror-Rollenspiel schlüpfen die SC in die Rollen okkulter Ermittler*innen einer paranormalen Geheimgesellschaft, die die Welt vor magischen Phänomenen beschützt.
Dieser Beitrag wurde von Gastautor*in geschrieben
We have an ongoing video series on our YouTube Channel called From Cover to Cover where we read a book on a subject and then pair that with a discussion of the book while covering a few games also on the subject. In this 14th entry in the series, Alexander takes a look at The Napoleonic Wars: A Global History by Alexander Mikaberidze. He then discusses a few games on the subject including Congress of Vienna from GMT Games, Imperial Struggle from GMT Games, Alliance from Columbia Games, Commands & Colors: Napoleonics from GMT Games and The Napoleonic Wars from GMT Games. amongst many others
-Grant
A few years ago, after playing all of the games in the Great Statesmen Series, we heard of a new game in the series from a designer not named Mark Herman and I was immediately interested and intrigued as we have had so much fun with Churchill, Pericles and Versailles 1919. Congress of Vienna from GMT Games is a diplomatic card driven wargame based on Churchill and is the 4th game in the Great Statesmen Series. The game is set during the years of 1813-1814 and sees players take on the role of the main characters of the struggle between the Napoleonic Empire and the coalition of Russia, Austria, and Great Britain with their Prussian, Spanish, Portuguese, and Swedish allies. We played the game twice last year at Buckeye Game Fest and at the World Boardgaming Championships and absolutely were amazed at the changes and innovations to the system introduced by the designer Frank Esparrago.
I posted a fairly in-depth overview of the game in my First Impression post and you can read that at the following link: https://theplayersaid.com/2025/08/06/first-impressions-congress-of-vienna-from-gmt-games/
-Grant
Mit Herz des Imperiums erzählt Everina Maxwell in ihrem Debütroman eine queere Slow-Burn-Romanze vor dem Hintergrund galaktischer Konflikte. Nach einer überstürzten Hochzeit müssen Kiem und Jainan ein galaktisches Bündnis retten und die Wahrheit über einen tödlichen Unfall herausfinden. Lernen sie einander zu vertrauen, bevor die Resolution zerbricht?
Dieser Beitrag wurde von Julie Tabea Fiona Wolz geschrieben
Der Einstieg kommt dir bekannt vor? Bitte verzeih mir das Selbstzitat, denn Die hängenden Gärten teilen die gleiche Hintergrundgeschichte wie Eine Stadt für Amytis (meine Rezension) und einige andere Titel. So weit, so wenig Innovation.
Greater Than Games steckt seit über einem Jahr in der Krise, jetzt wechselt die Verlagsmarke den Besitzer. Mitte April 2026 hat die Flat River Group, die Eigentümerin von Greater Than Games (kurz GTG), die Marke samt den Produktlinien rund um Sentinels of the Multiverse an den Digital-Entwickler Handelabra Games verkauft. Das berichtet das Branchenmedium BoardGameWire.
Für viele in der Szene steht dabei vor allem eine Frage im Raum: Was wird aus Spirit Island, dem bekanntesten Titel des Verlags? Die kurze Antwort zuerst, denn sie entlastet: Spirit Island ist ausdrücklich nicht Teil des Verkaufs. Und für die deutsche Ausgabe ändert sich nach aktuellem Stand ohnehin nichts, weil die nicht bei GTG liegt, sondern bei Pegasus Spiele.
Wir ordnen ein, was verkauft wurde, warum GTG überhaupt in diese Lage geriet und was das konkret für euch als deutschsprachige Spielende heißt.
Verkauft hat die Flat River Group die Markenrechte an Greater Than Games sowie die Produktwelt rund um Sentinels of the Multiverse: das Kartenspiel selbst, die Reihe Sentinel Tactics, das Sentinel Comics RPG, die Sentinels-Miniaturen und den kooperativen Deckbuilder Galactic Strike Force. Käufer ist Handelabra Games, ein Studio, das seit über einem Jahrzehnt die digitalen Umsetzungen der Sentinels-Spiele entwickelt. Der Schritt vom Software-Partner zum Marken-Eigentümer ist also weniger ein Quereinstieg als die Übernahme einer Welt, die das Studio schon lange kennt. Handelabra-Chef Jaye Handel zeigte sich laut BoardGameWire optimistisch für die Zukunft der Sentinel-Comics-Marke auf digitalen wie analogen Tischen. Weitere Details stellte das Studio für Ende April 2026 in Aussicht. Markenverkäufe und Übernahmen häufen sich gerade in der Szene, erst kürzlich übernahm Awaken Realms den Verlag ThunderGryph Games.
Der entscheidende Punkt für die Spirit-Island-Gemeinde: Spirit Island gehörte nicht zum Paket. Der Titel bleibt bei der Flat River Group. Handelabra stellte ausdrücklich klar, dass sich an der Beziehung zu Flat River in Bezug auf Spirit Island nichts geändert habe. Wer also befürchtet hat, sein Lieblingsspiel verschwinde im Zuge des Deals, kann durchatmen: Der Markenverkauf betrifft die Sentinels-Welt, nicht die Geisterinsel.
Der Verkauf ist der vorläufige Endpunkt einer längeren Schieflage. Bereits im April 2025 hatte GTG den Betrieb weitgehend heruntergefahren und den Großteil der Belegschaft entlassen. Als Grund nannte der Verlag den Druck durch neue US-Importzölle, die das Geschäft mit überwiegend in Asien gefertigten Brettspielen empfindlich verteuerten. Greater Than Games ist damit nicht allein, auch andere US-Verlage geraten unter den gestiegenen Kosten ins Wanken.
Spirit-Island-Designer R. Eric Reuss meldete sich damals auf seinem Blog zu Wort. Er fand klare Worte für die Belegschaft: "This is a tragedy, and my heart goes out to all the >G folks who've been laid off; they're excellent people and have been great to work with." Zugleich beruhigte er die Fans mit Blick auf das Spiel selbst: "I'm certainly not done with the game, so don't worry about it vanishing into the ether." Reuss verwies außerdem darauf, dass der Webshop weiterlaufe, lagernde Titel bestellbar blieben und der aktuelle Katalog bei Bedarf weiter produziert werde.
Im Juni 2026 legte Reuss mit einem weiteren Spirit-Island-Update nach, das er per E-Mail und über die Community-Kanäle verbreitete. Der Tenor blieb beruhigend und nüchtern: Vorrätige Titel bleiben bestellbar, der laufende Katalog wird bei Bedarf weiter nachproduziert. Zu den laufenden Crowdfunding- und Vorbesteller-Projekten kündigte er Informationen für einen späteren Zeitpunkt an.
Konkrete Termine für künftige Spirit-Island-Erweiterungen auf dem US-Markt nennt Reuss damit noch nicht. Der Stand ist also: Das Spiel läuft weiter, der bestehende Katalog ist gesichert, und über die nächsten großen Schritte entscheidet sich erst in den kommenden Monaten mehr.
Hier kommt die für euch wichtigste Einordnung, und sie fällt entwarnend aus. Die deutsche Ausgabe von Spirit Island liegt nicht bei Greater Than Games, sondern bei Pegasus Spiele, betreut über das Label Frosted Games. Pegasus hält die deutschsprachige Lizenz und steuert die Lieferkette hierzulande. Der gesamte US-Wirbel um GTG, Flat River und Handelabra läuft damit an der deutschen Ausgabe vorbei: Wer Spirit Island auf Deutsch sucht, bekommt es weiterhin über den gewohnten Vertriebsweg.
Das gilt auch für die bereits erschienenen Erweiterungen. Die großen deutschen Ausgaben wie Ast und Tatze (im Original Branch & Claw) und Zerklüftete Erde (Jagged Earth) sowie die Geist-Pakete wie Sonnenheller Wirbelwind, Seele des Flächenbrands, Bodenloser Schlamm der Sümpfe und Sturzregen durchnässt die Welt sind Pegasus-Ausgaben und hängen nicht an den verkauften Markenrechten. Die Verfügbarkeit einzelner Titel schwankt wie immer mit den Nachdruck-Zyklen. So ist Zerklüftete Erde laut Handelsangaben ab Juli 2026 wieder erhältlich. Das ist der normale Lauf eines stark nachgefragten Spiels und keine Folge des US-Deals.
Bei der Frage nach künftigen Erweiterungen solltest du zwei Dinge auseinanderhalten. Der bestehende deutsche Katalog ist gesichert: Was Pegasus bereits lokalisiert hat, bleibt lieferbar und wird nachgedruckt. Ob und wann es darüber hinaus neue Erweiterungen auf Deutsch gibt, hängt dagegen davon ab, was Reuss in den USA überhaupt erst neu anstößt. Eine feste Zusage für weitere deutsche Ausgaben gibt es derzeit nicht. Genau hier lohnt sich für dich der Blick auf die angekündigten Updates der kommenden Monate.
Dass ein Verlagsverkauf in einem US-Nischenmarkt so viel Aufmerksamkeit erzeugt, sagt vor allem etwas über den Stellenwert von Spirit Island aus. Das kooperative Experten-Spiel von R. Eric Reuss erschien 2017 und zählt heute zu den meistgespielten und am höchsten bewerteten Koop-Spielen überhaupt. Auf BoardGameGeek steht es auf Rang 11 der Gesamtwertung, bei einer Durchschnittsnote von 8,3 und einem Komplexitätsgewicht von gut 4 von 5. Es ist für 1 bis 4 Spielende ab 13 Jahren ausgelegt, die Schachtel nennt 90 bis 120 Minuten, und in der Praxis zieht sich vor allem die Erstpartie gern länger. Ein dicker Brocken also, der seine Fans gerade wegen seiner Tiefe an sich bindet.
Bemerkenswert ist auch das Thema. In Spirit Island verteidigen Naturgeister ihre Insel gegen koloniale Invasoren. Das dreht die übliche Eroberer-Perspektive vieler Aufbauspiele bewusst um und gibt dem Titel eine antikoloniale Haltung, die in der Szene viel diskutiert wird. Ein Spiel mit dieser Strahlkraft verschwindet nicht leise, wenn sein Verlag ins Wanken gerät. Genau deshalb war die Sorge groß, und genau deshalb ist die Entwarnung die eigentliche Nachricht: Die Marke wechselt den Besitzer, der Klassiker bleibt, wo er ist, und für deutsche Fans bleibt der Weg zum Spiel der gleiche.
Carni Flora von Martino Chiacchiera (Haba) erscheint in einer kleinen, quadratischen Spielschachtel. Die Grafik springt mich fast an: Ein nett aussehender Blütenkopf mit scharfen Zähnen lacht mich an. Was ist…
The post Carni Flora appeared first on Reich der Spiele.
Mit PICK A PIC veröffentlicht NSV im Juni ein neues kooperatives Deduktionsspiel. Ein Team muss gemeinsam aus fünf detailreichen Bildkarten die gesuchte finden – ausschließlich mithilfe ausgewürfelter Hinweise. Der Titel basiert auf der Spielidee des früheren NSV-Kinderspiels INSPEKTOR NASE und interpretiert dessen Kernmechanik nun als Familienspiel für ein breiteres Publikum neu.
Unter dem Label KIDDYS brachte NSV ab 2018 eine Reihe von Kinderspielen auf den Markt. Kindgerechte und pädagogisch wertvolle Mechaniken sollten mit der NSV-typischen Kompaktheit verbunden werden. Einer der Titel war INSPEKTOR NASE, entwickelt von Reinhard Staupe. Obwohl sich das Label am Ende nicht etablieren konnte und mittlerweile eingestellt ist, erkannte NSV in diesem Spielprinzip deutliches Potenzial über den Kinderspielbereich hinaus. Ein Platz auf der Empfehlungsliste zum Kinderspiel des Jahres 2021 unterstrich zusätzlich die Qualität der zugrunde liegenden Idee.
Mit PICK A PIC überführt NSV diese Mechanik nun in ein Familienspiel. Ziel ist es weiterhin, in fünf Runden gemeinsam möglichst viele Punkte zu erzielen. In jeder Runde liegen fünf Bildkarten aus, von denen eine gesucht wird. Eine Person ist „im Bilde“, was die richtige Karte angeht, und versucht, das Team auf die richtige Spur zu bringen. Das einzige erlaubte Mittel sind zufällig gewürfelte Symbole. Für jede Karte, die das Team erfolgreich ausschließt, gibt es einen Punkt. Im Idealfall ist am Ende der Runde nur die gesuchte Karte übrig.
Mit seinem bildbasierten Deduktionsansatz spricht PICK A PIC alle Spielgruppen an, die kommunikative und assoziative Spielerlebnisse schätzen. Das vollständig neu gestaltete Artwork ist im Vergleich zu vorher wesentlich detailreicher. Jede Karte hat so mehr Spielraum zum Interpretieren. Das macht das Deuten für beide Seiten spannender; sowohl für den, der die Hinweise gibt, als auch für das Team, das raten muss. Eine zusätzliche Spielvariante erhöht darüber hinaus die Herausforderung und steigert den Wiederspielreiz.
PICK A PIC von Reinhard Staupe, illustriert von Nicolas Bernard, ist für zwei bis fünf Personen ab acht Jahren geeignet und dauert etwa 20 Minuten pro Partie.
Momentan warten wir auf den Erhalt unserer Mass Production Copy.
Bisher haben wir dafür noch keinen Termin genannt bekommen.
Unser nächster Blogpost zu diesem Thema wird also erst kommen, wenn dieser Meilenstein erreicht ist.
In der Zwischenzeit erwähnen wir The Elder Scrolls aber auch immer in unserem zweiwöchentlichem WKW Update Live-Format auf unserem Youtube Kanal.
Auch, wenn es noch keinen weiteren Fortschritt gibt.
In diesem Format geben wir nicht nur kleinere Details und Hintergründe zu den aktuellen Produktionsprozessen, sondern beantworten euch im anschließendem Q&A-Teil auch live eure Fragen.
Der Beitrag The Elder Scrolls Update 2.06.26 erschien zuerst auf Frosted Games.
Es gibt so manche Spiele, die in einer Erstpartie mal so gar nicht zünden. Als langweilig und spannungsarm abgestempelt und mit vielen Fragezeichen auf meiner Stirn, weil Autor und betreuender Redakteur zu den ganz Großen in der Branche gehören. Zudem bei einem Verlag veröffentlicht, der den Qualitätsbegriff für Kennerspiele neu definiert hat in der Vergangenheit. Inzwischen weiß ich für mich, dass ich mich im Ersteindruck mächtig geirrt habe, obwohl wir alles richtig gespielt hatten.
Machen wir uns nichts vor, der Ruhm der Kennerspielmarke des Ravensburger Spieleverlags für anspruchsvolle Strategiespiele ist derweil verblichen und zehrt aus der nostalgisch verklärten Erinnerung. Im Jahr 1999 ging es mit RA und Chinatown los und spätestens mit Puerto Rico und Die Burgen von Burgund wurden zwei zeitlose Klassiker geboren. Alea stand für spielmechanische Qualität und ein Regelwerk, das nicht nur keine Fragen offen ließ, sondern auch die Randspalte mit der eingebauten Kurzregel in die Brettspielwelt einführte. Eine Randspalte gibt es bei The Druids of Edora weiterhin, sofern mich meine Erinnerung nicht trügt, denn online bei Ravensburger ist die Anleitung nicht hinterlegt. Ein Unboxing-Video hat mir schließlich Gewissheit gegeben.
Was allerdings bei The Druids of Edora fehlt, ist das Vertrauen in den deutschsprachigen Markt. Die einzig verfügbare Auflage liegt in sechs Sprachen in einer Spieleschachtel vor. Das sind dann auch sechs entsprechend sprachige eigene Anleitungen und ein Beiheft, das hingegen alle Sprachen bündelt. Reicht mir meine Landessprache aus, habe ich eine ganze Menge an Papiermüll und ein unnötig dickes Beiheft, von dem ich eigentlich nur die erste Seite benötige. Deswegen muss das Spielmaterial auch sprachneutral sein und sich über Icons verständigen, die wir mit Anleitung und Beiheft auswendig lernen und in den ersten Partien dauernd nachschlagen müssen. Ich kann Euch deshalb nur empfehlen, eine der Kurzübersichten aus Spielerhand für jeden Mitspieler auszudrucken, um Euch das Herumreichen und Blättern zu ersparen. Alea-Qualität hatte ich anders in Erinnerung. Auch das hat mir meine Erstpartie verleidet.
Viel Kritik und doch soll es Eurogame-Liebe sein? Wie passt das zusammen? Ganz einfach, denn fernab einer Zweierpartie spielte sich The Druids of Edora angenehm interaktiv, weil so viel mehr auf dem Spielbrett los war. Zwar wird das Brett modular je nach Spielerzahl angepasst, aber im direkten Duell zu Zweit entpuppte sich das als ein freudloses Nebeneinander-Vorbei-Spielen. Dabei lebt der Spannungsbogen von dem Druck, dass die Mitspieler einem Dolmenwertungen und Kultplätze vor der Nase wegschnappen. So in meinen Folgepartien zu viert und danach zu dritt erlebt. Dabei haben wir ganz bewusst auf alle Regelvarianten verzichtet. Das anfängliche Würfelglück entscheidet, welche taktischen Wege es sich lohnt, einzuschlagen. Wer kaum bis wenig hohe Augenzahlen zur Verfügung hat, der wird einen Wettstreit um Kultplätze kaum gewinnen und auch in der Endwertung dort wenig mitzureden haben. Dafür braucht es weitaus weniger Aktionen, um Proviant zu besorgen, und auf der Wissensleiste per Aktionen voranzuschreiten ist auch nicht nötig. Der Fokus kann also gut und gerne auf all die Aktionen liegen, die unabhängig von den Augenzahlen sind.
Das ist auch die Besonderheit von The Druids of Edora, die für mich den eigentlichen Spielreiz im Sammelbecken der Punktesalat-Spiele ausmacht. Vor dem ersten Spielzug gilt es zu analysieren, was diesmal mit den Voraussetzungen des modularen Spielplans mit seinen eventuell verschlungenen oder gradlinigen Wegen möglich ist, wo sich Dolmen gut oder auch weniger gut verbinden lassen und wie die Auslage der eigenen Heilkräuter dabei helfen können. In einer Erstpartie kann das kaum jemand überblicken, weshalb ich Euch mindestens eine zweite Chance empfehle, denn mit dem Wissen, was alles möglich ist und was eben auch nicht, spielt sich The Druids of Edora ganz anders.
Allerdings ist die Herbstveröffentlichung 2025 vom Autor Stefan Feld auch ein Kennerspiel, das keine Spielfehler verzeiht und gnadenlos mit denjenigen ist, die im Proviantverbrauch falsch planen oder sich von den Mitspielern überraschen lassen, weil der sicher geglaubte Kultplatz zum Nachschub tanken plötzlich besetzt ist. Dann heißt es, zwangsweise eine Notaktion auszuführen, die einem im Spiel hält, aber einen erheblichen Tempoverlust bedeutet. Ich weiß, wovon ich schreibe.
Großspurig mit vielen hohen Augenzahlen als letzter Spieler in der Reihenfolge ins Spiel gestartet und ich wollte mal eben, mit wenigen Zügen zwei Dolmenpaare miteinander verbinden und auf dem Weg ein paar Feuerstellen für mich zu erzünden. Hätte auch alles geklappt, wenn ich mich nicht um ein Proviant in meiner Aktionskette verrechnet hätte. Als Aktion der Druiden-Schande hingenommen und am Ende reichte es doch mit Abstand zum Spielsieg. Ich hatte mich vollkommen auf meine hohen Würfel fokussiert, deshalb frühzeitig per Zauber mir das Heilkraut mit Proviantvorteil freigeschaltet und ansonsten meine Wissensleiste auf den maximal möglichen Multiplikator hochgetrieben. Für eigene Menhire und Stelen blieb da kaum Zeit. In der Schlusswertung der Kultplätze konnte ich so in Summe 17 Würfel, Stelen und Menhire erreichen, was mit 4 multipliziert mal eben 68 Punkte ergab. Dazu drei erfüllte Aufträge und 20 Punkte für die dreifach belegte linke Amuletthälfte. Zudem zog ich im Laufe der Partie über diverse Feuerstellen-Punkte fleißig voran. Da passte vieles einfach zusammen.
Im Rückblick habe ich Stefan Feld typisch nur ein Bruchteil der möglichen Aktionen durchgeführt. Für meine nächste mitgespielte Partie wird es sicher ganz anders laufen, weil die Voraussetzungen ganz anders sein werden. Auch genau das macht inzwischen für mich den Widerspielreiz von The Druids of Edora aus. Gerne wieder, auch weil es sich angenehm flott spielen lässt, ich meine Mitspieler im Blick haben sollte, aber vor allem meinen Fokus nicht aus den Augen verlieren sollte und sich das alles zu einem tollen Spannungsbogen formt. Leider steht sich The Druids of Edora redaktionell und von der Ausstattung selbst im Wege, besonders in der Erstpartie mit zu geringer Spieleranzahl. Wer sich trotzdem durchbeißen mag, erlebt eventuell auch so eine positive Überraschung wie ich selbst. Deshalb mein Tipp: Gebt The Druids of Edora nicht zu früh auf.
Mein Erstkontakt mit der Eurogame-Neuheit aus dem PD-Verlag beschreibt eine Geschichte des Scheiterns. Nun wäre es für mich viel zu einfach, mein spielerisches Versagen einem blöden Spieldesign zuzuschreiben. Stattdessen habe ich in meiner mitgespielten Kennenlernpartie ganz viel gemacht, nur wenig davon hat mich in der Endabrechnung auf die Siegerstraße geführt. So bleibt für mich ein arg diffuses Gefühl übrig, die zugrunde liegenden Erfolgsfaktoren noch gar nicht entschlüsselt zu haben. Folgt mir auf meiner Spurensuche der Gründe.
Der PD-Verlag setzt den ersten Fokus seiner Webseiten-Spielbeschreibung auf Abschreckung: „Die Ameisen von Amyra (englisch Ants) steht in einer Reihe mit Die Ratten von Wistar.“ Denn das Ratten-Spiel hat mich in meiner Erstpartie schlicht aufgrund der vielen Möglichkeiten verloren, da ich mich einer Informationsflut aus Karten und Icons und Mechanismen gegenüber sah, aus der sich eine Überforderung an der Grenze des Chaos ergab. Ein Spiel, bei dem ich irgendwann abgeschaltet und einfach mal alles Mögliche ausprobiert habe, ohne überblicken zu wollen, ob sich irgendwo effektive Wege ergeben würden. Ein Spiel, das ich nach meiner Messepartie auch nicht mehr mitspielen wollte, weil es zwar viele spielerische Möglichkeiten bot, mir die Erarbeitung dieser Möglichkeiten aber zu mühsam und zu wenig belohnend erschien.
Beide Spiele bieten denselben grafischen Stil der Illustratoren Candida Corsi und Sara Valentino, die uns in eine liebevoll und teils humorvoll präsentierte Tierwelt entführen. Beide Spiele lassen uns unser eigenes Tableau in seinen Möglichkeiten ausbauen und glänzen mit einer schier unüberschaubaren Anzahl von einzigartigen Karten in einer gemeinsamen offenen Auslage, die effektiv kombiniert werden wollen. In beiden Spielen wird uns eine Welt an Möglichkeiten geboten, welche möglichst sprachneutral durch ganze viele Icons zusammengehalten wird und von uns erforscht werden will. Das scheint hier das verbindende Eurogame-Element der italienischen Kreativschmiede Cranio Creations zu sein, denn die Autoren sind in beiden Spielen unterschiedlich, so dass hier dann auch meine Vergleiche aufhören.
Für das Autoren-Duo Renato Ciervo und Andrea Robbiani ist Ants im Original ihr veröffentlichtes Erstlingswerk. Ein thematisches Eurogame der komplexeren Ausprägung, das zwar viele Spielmechanismen bietet, dafür aber nicht wirklich kompliziert in seinen Details ist. Es gibt einfach nur viel zu machen und das an den unterschiedlichsten Stellschrauben, um die eigene kartengetriebene Maschinerie ans Laufen zu bringen. Genau deshalb sah ich mich im Spielverlauf meiner Dreierrunden-Erstpartie von „Die Ameisen von Amyra“ scheinbar auf der Siegerstrasse unterwegs. Ich konnte viele Karten ausspielen, hatte viele Ressourcen und meine Präsenz auf dem zentralen Spielplan schien beeindruckend. Am Ende wusste ich, dass das alles nur schöner Schein war und mir einen dritten und damit letzten Platz mit Abstand einbrachte – nur halb so viele Siegpunkte wie die Führende.
Geschenkt und abgehakt, denn Erstpartien sehe ich für gewöhnlich für mich als Kernnenlernpartien der Möglichkeiten. Genau die habe ich auch genutzt in ihrer vollen Bandbreite. Nur kamen dabei kaum und noch weniger effektiv Siegpunkte dabei herum. Ganz viel gemacht, aber vollkommen den Fokus verloren und an den Siegpunkt-Möglichkeiten vorbeigespielt. Dabei haben wir die angegebene Spielzeit von 90 Minuten eher an die Vierstunden-Marke gebracht und damit locker mehr als nur doppelt überschritten. Langweilig oder gar langatmig kam mir Ants dabei aber in keinster Weise vor. Die einzelnen Spielzüge sind recht kurz, es verändert sich auf dem Spielbrett und in der Kartenauslage etwas, das ich auch in meine Überlegungen einbeziehen sollte.
Wobei ich anfangs vor allem mit der Iconflut zu kämpfen hatte. Auf zwei Seiten im Anhang der Anleitung werden diese in einer endlos langen Auflistung beschrieben. Dabei geht es um Bedingungen und Kosten und Effekte, die wir verstehen sollten, um die eigenen Handkarten und zudem die Kartenauslage von Ants lesen und verstehen zu können. Bis auf den Namen der Karten sind die vollkommen sprachneutral gehalten, so dass ich die mühsam über den Quervergleich der zum Glück ausgedruckten Icon-Auflistungen für mich entschlüsseln musste. Icon finden, Icon verstehen und das dann spielerisch einordnen und in den Nutzwert umsetzen können. Wer die sich ergebenen Muster der Möglichkeiten nicht sieht, der baut wie ich irgendwas auf, was aber weder effektiv noch zielgerichtet ist. Diese Einstiegshürde müsst Ihr hinnehmen und auch nehmen wollen.
Über unsere Arbeiter-Ameisen bauen wir unsere Präsenz auf dem zentralen Spielplan und in unserem eigenen Tunnelsystem auf unserem Tableau auf. Anfangs haben wir nur drei dieser Worker, die heranwachsen und dann später eingesetzt werden können. Im Laufe des Spiels wächst unsere Ameisenkolonie an, was uns mehr und vor allem stärkere Aktionen ermöglicht, bevor wir uns der Aufzucht als Alternativaktion widmen müssen, was Tempoverlust und zeitgleich erneute Möglichkeiten bietet, die nächste Generation von Arbeiter-Aktionen auszuführen. Das alles wird von unseren Handkarten unterstützt, die wir unter Beachtung der Vorbedingungen ausspielen. Da zeigen sich dann sofortige oder dauerhafte Effekte, sowie Effekte für die Aufzucht-Aktion und welche für das Spielende. So sammeln wir über Karten passende Symbole und spielen damit weitere Karten aus, um unsere Maschinerie effektiver zu gestalten. Und ernähren müssen wir unsere Kolonie der neuen Larven, die später zu Arbeiter werden, ja auch noch.
So gibt es für uns ganz viel zu beachten, zu koordinieren und dabei den großen Plan nicht aus den Augen zu verlieren, bis zum Spielende Siegpunkt-Potenziale anzuhäufen und freizuspielen, denn abgerechnet wird ganz am Ende. Eine belohnende Siegpunktleiste, die uns während der Partie klar macht, wo wir denn im Vergleich zu unseren lieben Mitspielern stehen, die gibt es nicht. Umso überraschender war dann schliesslich auch mein klägliches Endergebnis. Denn Ants (ich bleibe derweil beim Originaltitel, da die Lokalisation im Direktvergleich doch umständlich lang daherkommt) bietet etliche Verlockungen in Form von scheinbaren Abkürzungen, die einmalige Vorteile bieten, aber uns als Falle eher ausbremsen, weil wir stattdessen auf fortwährende Effekte verzichten. So gibt es Jokermarker und Kampfplättchen, die uns davon entlasten, ausreichend viele passende Symbole auf unseren ausgepielten Karten angesammelt zu haben. Nur einmal eingesetzt, sind diese Einmal-Hilfen weg und der Einsatz sollte sich dann hoffentlich langfristig auszahlen. Ich hingegen hatte darauf meine Strategie begründet und mich davon entlastet, zu viel zu planen und koordinieren zu müssen, ohne meine Maschinerie von sich aus ans Laufen zu bringen.
Ants ist ein stetiger Wettlauf gegen die Mitspieler. Denn eine feste Anzahl an Runden oder Spielzügen gibt es nicht. Stattdessen platzieren wir eigene Sternmarker in diversen Kategorien, die uns am Ende aufsteigend mehr Siegpunkte versprechen, je weiter wir diese Kategorie durch planvolles eigenes Spiel erfüllen. Allerdings führt uns das alle immer näher zum Spielende. Wer wie ich zunächst Sternmarker-Voraussetzungen vertrödelt, weil ich zu unfokussiert einfach mal alles machen wollte, bekommt am Spielende die Quittung dafür. In unserer Partie konnten wir diese Sternmarker erst im letzten Spieldrittel platzieren, was somit anfangs meine scheinbar imposante Präsenz an Karten und Ressourcen verschleierte.
Zu Spielbeginn sollen wir aus acht ausgeteilten Handkarten direkt die Hälfte davon wieder abwerfen. Die werden wir in deren Möglichkeiten und Chancen nie mehr wiedersehen in dieser Partie. Die zwei Könniginnenkarten versprechen uns viel, benötigen allerdings auch erhebliche Vorarbeit. Unsere sechs Startkarten sind hingegen einfacher auszuspielen. Mich hat diese Entscheidung schlicht überfordert. Ich kannte die ganzen Icons in ihren Bedeutungen noch nicht und sollte mir eine Anfangsstrategie zurechtlegen, die sich aus Karteneffekten und Symbolsynergien ergeben sollte. Da hilft nur Spielerfahrung und für eine Erstpartie einfach mal was wagen und ausprobieren. Bei mir hat sich trotz meiner schnell etablierten Präsenz-Masse wenig daraus ergeben. Ein Mitspieler, der hingegen eher kompakt und fast schon von mir bemitleidend wenig an Karten ausgespielt hatte, lag als weiterer Erstspieler unserer Partie am Ende weit vor mir. Ihr solltet Euch aber auch damit abfinden können, dass Ihr gegen Mitspieler, die schon Erfahrungen in Ants sammeln konnten, mal so gar keine Chance habt. Dafür möchte das Expertenspiel erst durchdrungen werden in seinen Einstiegshürden und taktischen Stolpersteinen im optimierten Spielablauf.
Was bleibt für mich übrig unterm Strich? Die Ameisen von Amyra fordert von Euch konzentriertes und fokussiertes Spiel ein. Ihr solltet die Kartenauslage gezielt als Potenziale verstehen und lesen können und wollen. Auf dem zentralen Spielplan ist nichts sicher und kann Euch von Euren Mitspielern vor der Nase weggeschnappt werden. Toll erdachte strategische Planungen können Euch so zerstört werden. Mit dieser Interaktion, in der sich Eure Mitspieler als direkte Konkurrenten und Störfaktoren präsentieren, müsst Ihr umgehen können. Das Spielgeschehen kann durchaus die Tendenz haben, grüblerisch zu werden, wenn Eure Pläne zu umfangreich in möglichen Optimierungen der Möglichkeiten verankert sind. Dann kann sich eine Partie für Schnelldenker ziehen. Als Bauchspieler habt Ihr eh keine Chance, also solltet Ihr Euch vorab darauf einigen, wie zügig Ihr spielen oder wie viel Zeit Ihr Euch jeweils lassen wollt. Deshalb empfehle ich besonders für Erstpartien eher drei Spieler statt einer Viererrunde in Vollbesetzung, die eigentlich nur für mehr Konkurrenz und für mehr Wartezeit sorgt.
Ich bin mir über Ants noch nicht wirklich einig in meiner eigenen Bewertung. Ja, es bietet durchaus viele Möglichkeiten, weil es etliche Spielmechaniken vereint, die ich hier in den Details gar nicht ansprechen konnte. Im Zweifel schaut Euch ein Play-Through-Video an oder stürzt Euch ebenso wie ich ins kalte Wasser einer Erstpartie. Ants braucht mehr als nur eine Spielpartie, um es für mich durchdringen zu können. Es braucht aber auch volle Konzentration aufs Spielgeschehen. Und es hat leider seine Einstiegshürde über die Iconflut, die Ihr zwingend verstehen müsst, damit sich Euer Spiel auch belohnend anfühlt, weil Eure Maschinerie Zahnrad für Zahnrad über Aktion für Aktion ineinandergreift
Ants hat mich zudem nach meinem ersten Aufzuchtzug, als alle Startressourcen verbraucht und meine Startkarten gespielt waren, in ein Loch fallen lassen, weil sich erstmal so gar keine Entwicklung zeigen wollte. Mit effektiverer Spielweise lässt sich das sicherlich vermeiden, nur muss es dazu auch kommen. Eventuell ist Ants dann doch nicht ausreichend belohnend im Spielablauf und baut nur dann einen Spannungsbogen auf, wenn Ihr selbst dafür sorgt. Eventuell sind mir diese Ameisen von Amyra dann doch eine Spur zu fordernd in der gebotenen Breite der Möglichkeiten. Nicht jede ausgebreitete Spielwiese bietet fernab der Herausforderung auch Spielspaß, der vom Spielgeschehen selbst kommt und nicht erst davon, wenn eigene Karten- und Zugkombinationen perfekt zusammenspielen. Macht das für Euch Sinn?
Der kryptische Spieletitel ist dem Umstand der internationalen Version geschuldet. Schwamm drüber, denn dahinter versteckt sich ein kommunikatives Echtzeitspiel im thematischen Gewand eines gemeinsamen Raubzuges. Wären da nur nicht die Laser-Sensoren, die nur jeder Zweite von uns sieht. Auf der Spiel DOCH! 2026 in Dortmund kennengelernt und aufgrund seiner Originalität direkt ins Spielerherz geschlossen.
Niemand hat etwas von einem chronologischen Rückblick auf die Spiel DOCH! 2026 in Dortmund erzählt. Ich schon mal gar nicht und deshalb war der Messestand von Piatnik auch meine allererste Station am Freitagmorgen der Veranstaltung in der Westfalenhalle 4 mit dem angenehmen Tageslicht, das für Wohlfühlatmosphäre sorgt. Eigentlich wollte ich dort ein ganz anderes Spiel erkunden, denn als alter Wortspielfreund hatte ich „Wort im Wort“ auf meinem Zettel. Allerdings wusste ich nicht, dass es sich dabei um eine neue Memory-Variante handelt, die Wortpaare ineinander schachtelt, also Eier-Feier, Lasche-Flasche und Ohr-Rohr. Ok, also diese Kennenlern-Session geschenkt und spontan das ausprobiert, was dort auf dem Tisch lag. Fix und kompetent erklärt und im Audio-Mitschnitt für Euch festgehalten – Ton ab dafür:
Diese Rot-Blau-Masken von 2gether sind schon der Hingucker, wenn wir die auf unserer Nase umgeschnallt haben. Leider dürfen offiziell nur zwei Spieler zusammen antreten. Das grenzt es für mich ein, wann ich dieses ansonsten familientaugliche Spiel der Autoren Arthur Anguilla, Antonin Boccara und Jules Messaud auf den Tisch bekommen könnte. Ich bin da mehr in größeren Spielrunden unterwegs. Aber als Einstieg oder Absacker, wenn die Meute noch nicht eingetrudelt ist oder vorab von dannen zieht, lässt sich der 20-Minuten-Happen gut einschieben. Zumal es dank der Missionsstruktur auch beliebig verlängert werden kann. Ansonsten wechselt Ihr Euch einfach ab, denn schon das Zuschauen mit vollem Durchblick aufs Spielgeschehen macht Laune.
Vier verschiedene Level mit ihren doppelseitigen Raumkarten sind im Spiel und wer es herausfordernder mag, der dreht das Versteck um und sorgt für eine gesteigerte Herausforderung. Anfangs sind wir noch im Herrenhaus unterwegs, bevor wir uns ins Casino wagen und über das Museum uns die Raumstation als Betätigungsort unserer Beutezüge vornehmen. Mit diesen insgesamt acht Spielplänen ist somit Abwechslung garantiert. Mir hat es gefallen, was ich da angespielt habe. Für rund 25 Euro im Handel und auch deshalb eine Empfehlung, wenn Ihr die ungewöhnliche Kombination 2er-Spiele, Zeitdruck, Kooperation und Kommunikation zu schätzen wisst.
Hier das aktuelle Update zum Bearbeitungsstand von Elder Scrolls: Betrayal of the Second Era aus unserer Redaktion:
https://frostedgames.de/tes_wkw/
Alle Daten sind abgegeben. Chip Theory Games hat die Gazetten, Rulebook und Tutorialheft bereits gesichtet und wir haben die Updates dazu eingearbeitet. Viele Dinge sind im Eproof schon abgesegnet (in der Tabelle 50%), bei anderen warten wir noch auf die Eproofs (in der Tabelle 25%).
Jetzt kommen wir in die Zeit geringfügigerer Updates, da wir nach dem Eproof erstmal auf das MPC warten.
Der Beitrag The Elder Scrolls Update 17.04.26 erschien zuerst auf Frosted Games.
Oh man, oh man, it’s time that we ask you (yes, you) to tell us (yes, us) what your favourite games are, because for one time a year, it doesn’t matter what we think about games, but you better be ready to tell us what you think about games. A lot of you did, so here it is, the listener top 20! Before we ask you to do all the work, we talk about Emberheart, Gods & Mortals, and Feya’s Swamp.
If you don’t want to miss an episode, please subscribe on Apple Podcasts/Google Podcasts/Stitcher/Spotify, or add our RSS feed to your favourite app. Reviews and subscriptions really help us and would be greatly appreciated! To download the episode directly, click here.
If you’d like to discuss anything in the episode, please do so in the comments below, visit our BoardGameGeek guild, join our Discord, or Facebook Group! Any feedback is also always helpful. If you’d like to show your support for the show, we also have a Patreon with some fun rewards, and a merch store!
Timecodes:
01:30 – Emberheart
14:11 – Gods & Mortals
23:46 – Feya’s Swamp
33:38 – Listener Top 20
37:14 – A Feast for Odin
37:55 – Agricola
38:32 – Terraforming Mars
39:17 – Guards of Atlantis II
40:09 – Concordia
42:05 – Tigris & Euphrates
43:16 – Blood on the Clocktower
44:00 – El Grande
44:47 – The Castles of Burgundy
46:12 – Inis
47:38 – Race for the Galaxy
48:06 – Arcs
49:08 – Ark Nova
49:30 – Root
50:06 – Innovation
51:11 – Spirit Island
52:05 – Ra
52:51 – Brass: Birmingham
53:26 – Dune: Imperium
54:04 – Hansa Teutonica
Thank you to Heart Society for generously letting us use What’s On Your Mind, Kid? from their album Wake the Queens.
If you don’t want to miss an episode, please subscribe on Apple Podcasts/Google Podcasts/Stitcher/Spotify, or add our RSS feed to your favourite app. Reviews and subscriptions really help us and would be greatly appreciated! To download the episode directly, click here.
If you’d like to discuss anything in the episode, please do so in the comments below, visit our BoardGameGeek guild, join our Discord, or Facebook Group! Any feedback is also always helpful. If you’d like to show your support for the show, we also have a Patreon with some fun rewards, and a merch store!
Timecodes:
01:30 – Emberheart
14:11 – Gods & Mortals
23:46 – Feya’s Swamp
33:38 – Listener Top 20
37:14 – A Feast for Odin
37:55 – Agricola
38:32 – Terraforming Mars
39:17 – Guards of Atlantis II
40:09 – Concordia
42:05 – Tigris & Euphrates
43:16 – Blood on the Clocktower
44:00 – El Grande
44:47 – The Castles of Burgundy
46:12 – Inis
47:38 – Race for the Galaxy
48:06 – Arcs
49:08 – Ark Nova
49:30 – Root
50:06 – Innovation
51:11 – Spirit Island
52:05 – Ra
52:51 – Brass: Birmingham
53:26 – Dune: Imperium
54:04 – Hansa Teutonica
Thank you to Heart Society for generously letting us use What’s On Your Mind, Kid? from their album Wake the Queens.
The post BGB Podcast #358 – Our Listeners’ Top 20 Board Games of All-Time 2026 appeared first on Board Game Barrage.Beiseite mit dem Kleingartenbesteck. Wer 2023 bei BONSAI noch mit dem Schäufelchen hantierte, braucht in KOI einen Bagger. Statt Miniatur-Botanik im Topf steht Gartenlandschaftsbau auf dem Programm. Ich fand BONSAI zwar nur nett, aber die durchsichtigen Acryl-KOI-Plättchen sahen auf dem Tisch so hübsch aus, dass ich den Garten unbedingt einmal umgraben wollte.
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