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French Wargaming at Cannes International Boardgame Festival 2026

✇Homo Ludens
Von: Homo Ludens

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Welcome back to Homo Ludens! Join me on the sunny shores of the French Riviera for the 2026 Cannes International Boardgame Festival. In this video, we take a deep dive into the Carré Histoire, the dedicated heart of historical gaming at the festival, to see what the vibrant French wargaming scene has in store for us this year.

Whether you're a fan of grand strategy, tactical skirmishes, or innovative deck-building, the French scene is pushing the boundaries of the "playable history" we love. We’re sitting down with three of the most exciting publishers in the hobby to look at their latest releases and upcoming prototypes.

Shakos Games
We explore their diverse lineup of beautifully produced historical titles, including:
- Rex Britanorum: High-stakes Arthurian conflict.
- Breizh 1341: The War of the Breton Succession brought to the tabletop.
- Napoleon 1870: A fresh look at the Franco-Prussian War through the Shakos lens.

Les Trois Zouaves
The Zouaves are back with tactical depth and historical flavor:
- Austerlitz: The newest entry in the acclaimed Time for Heroes series.
- L'Envol de l'Aigle: A fascinating look at an upcoming deck-building game focused on Napoleon's daring escape from Elba.

Nuts! Publishing
We wrap up with a look at the newest addition to their Combat Ration series:
- Guerre Éclair: A fast-paced, tense depiction of the 1940 German invasion of France.

Your support not only keeps the lights on but also grants you access to our private Discord server, where we discuss history, design, and our favorite games.

☕ Support me here: https://ko-fi.com/homoludens1871
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Review de Meltwater - Un jeu de plateau anti-Guerre ? (avec Polgara)

✇Homo Ludens
Von: Homo Ludens

💾

Dans cette vidéo, je retrouve Polgara (https://www.lepointdepolgara.fr
) pour une discussion approfondie autour de Meltwater, un jeu aussi radical dans sa proposition ludique que dans son propos.

À travers cette review, nous nous interrogeons sur ce que peut être un jeu de société aujourd’hui : est-il un simple produit de divertissement, ou peut-il proposer une véritable expérience esthétique et philosophique ? Meltwater nous sert ici de point de départ pour explorer les limites du médium, la manière dont ses mécaniques peuvent être détournées ou mises en tension, et ce que cela implique pour les joueuses.

Dans ce monde post-apocalyptique où les survivants s’affrontent sur les glaces de l’Antarctique après une guerre nucléaire, le jeu propose une expérience dépouillée, brutale, presque inconfortable, qui questionne directement notre rapport à la guerre, à la stratégie, et à la victoire.

Meltwater est-il un jeu “anti-guerre” ? Ou simplement une autre manière de représenter le conflit ? C’est ce que nous essayons de démêler dans cette discussion.

Si ce type de contenu vous intéresse, vous pouvez soutenir la chaîne sur Ko-fi et rejoindre notre communauté Discord :
https://ko-fi.com/homoludens1871
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Baltic Empires - Unboxing of Brian Asklev's upcoming wargame with GMT

✇Homo Ludens
Von: Homo Ludens

💾

In this video, I unbox Baltic Empires, a new strategic-level wargame set in the early modern Baltic region. But this isn’t your typical unboxing ! As a developer on the project, I take the opportunity to go beyond the components and share insights into the design choices, development process, and production decisions that shaped the final game.

Baltic Empires is an approachable 2–5 player wargame where Denmark-Norway, Sweden, Russia, Poland-Lithuania, and Prussia compete for dominance through a mix of economic development, political maneuvering, and warfare. With asymmetric objectives and a strong focus on state-building, the game explores a transformative period marked by religious conflict, shifting alliances, and the rise of modern power structures.

As I go through the box, I’ll talk about how the system evolved, what we tried to achieve in terms of accessibility and historical framing, and some of the challenges we faced along the way.

If you enjoy this kind of behind-the-scenes content, consider supporting the channel on Ko-fi, it helps keep Homo Ludens independent and ad-free, and gives you access to our Discord community:
https://ko-fi.com/homoludens1871
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Best boardgames and wargames of 2025 and a channel update

✇Homo Ludens
Von: Homo Ludens

💾

In this video I go over the best boardgames and historical games that were new to me in 2025 and provide a channel updat eon what to expect in 2026.

Chapters :
Intro 00:00
Best boardgames of 2025 00:31
Channel update 04:46
Best Historical boardgames of 2025 12:08
Preview of 2026 18:04

Support the channel on Ko-Fi and join the Discord server : https://ko-fi.com/homoludens1871
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Star Wars : La Bataille de Hoth – Peut-on y jouer en famille ? Review spéciale Noël

✇Homo Ludens
Von: Homo Ludens

💾

Pour cette review spéciale Noël, Homo Ludens change de configuration : autour de la table, mes nièces Camille et Lisa, ainsi que mon frère Nicolas, pour découvrir et discuter ensemble de Star Wars: Battle of Hoth.

Le jeu propose des affrontements héroïques et rapides de figurines, situés sur la planète glacée Hoth, et recrée l’une des scènes les plus emblématiques de Star Wars: L’Empire contre-attaque. Basé sur le système Command & Colors, il repose sur une mécanique accessible mais tendue : à chaque tour, les joueurs choisissent des cartes de commandement pour activer leurs unités, manœuvrer sur le champ de bataille et résoudre les combats.

La boîte inclut 17 scénarios, permettant de rejouer la bataille sous différents angles. Pour celles et ceux qui souhaitent aller plus loin, le jeu propose également l’ajout de cartes Leader, mettant en scène des personnages iconiques de la saga, ainsi que deux campagnes multi-scénarios où les succès et les échecs influencent les affrontements suivants.

Dans cette vidéo, nous abordons le jeu avec un regard familial et intergénérationnel : accessibilité pour des joueuses et joueurs plus jeunes, lisibilité des règles, plaisir de jeu, mais aussi ce que Battle of Hoth apporte à la longue tradition des jeux Command & Colors et des adaptations Star Wars.

Si vous appréciez ce type de contenu mêlant jeu d’histoire, culture ludique et transmission, vous pouvez soutenir la chaîne, rejoindre la communauté Discord et faire un don sur Ko-Fi :
https://ko-fi.com/homoludens1871
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Brandywine 1777: A Time for Heroes – History, Design, and Play | Live Stream

✇Homo Ludens
Von: Homo Ludens

💾

In this upcoming live stream, I will be joined by Yves Roig, the designer of Brandywine 1777: A Time for Heroes, and Valentin Crespel, the developer of the game, for an in-depth discussion and play session.

Brandywine 1777: A Time for Heroes is a two-player historical wargame covering the Battle of Brandywine, fought on 11 September 1777 during the American War of Independence. One player commands the British and Hessian forces under Howe, while the other leads the Continental Army under Washington. The game focuses on command decisions, maneuver, and the friction of 18th-century warfare, offering a tense and historically grounded experience.

During the stream, we will discuss the historical background of the battle, the core design principles behind the system, the development process, and what makes Brandywine 1777 distinct within the landscape of American Revolutionary War games. We will also talk about the production choices and what players can expect from the final version.

The game is currently available in late pledge on Gamefound. You can find the campaign here:
https://gamefound.com/en/projects/les-3-zouaves/brandywine-1777-a-time-for-heroes?ref=search

If you enjoy this content and want to support the channel, you can join the Discord and help keep Homo Ludens alive by donating on Ko-Fi:
https://ko-fi.com/homoludens1871
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Star Wars: Battle Of Hoth - Design Interview with Adrien Martinot

✇Homo Ludens
Von: Homo Ludens

💾

In this interview, I speak with Adrien Martinot, co-designer of Star Wars: Battle of Hoth alongside Richard Borg. We discuss his journey from leading the Days of Wonder studio to becoming a board game designer, his long-standing passion for Memoir ’44, and how he collaborated with Richard Borg to bring this new Command and Colors adaptation to life.

Star Wars: Battle of Hoth is a fast-paced miniatures wargame set on the iconic ice planet from The Empire Strikes Back. Built on the Command and Colors system, it offers seventeen scenarios, optional leader cards featuring six classic Star Wars characters, and two branching campaigns where each battle shapes the next.

If you want to learn more about the design process behind this game and Adrien’s insights into the board game industry, this conversation is for you.

Support the channel and join the community by donating on Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/homoludens1871
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Quatre Bras with Paolo Mori — Battlefields of the Napoleonic Wars Play & Teach

✇Homo Ludens
Von: Homo Ludens

💾

In this video, I sit down with designer Paolo Mori to play through the Quatre Bras scenario from Battlefields of the Napoleonic Wars, his new Napoleonic wargame system co-designed with Alessandro Zucchini. We walk through the rules, tactics, and historical considerations behind this fast, elegant system while trying to determine whether Wellington can hold the line against Ney’s assault.

This stream is also a chance to discuss Paolo’s design intentions, how the system evolved, and why he believes Battlefields can appeal both to experienced grognards and newcomers.

A review copy of the game was kindly provided by Paolo.

If you enjoy this type of content, consider supporting the channel on Ko-fi — it keeps the show independent and ad-free, and grants access to the Homo Ludens Discord:
👉 https://ko-fi.com/homoludens1871

Timecode:
00:00 Intro
03:40 Play
01:09:14 Debrief Chat
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Ion Game Design - MinIon and other updates

✇Homo Ludens
Von: Homo Ludens

💾

In this interview I speak with Besim Uyanik and Jon Manker of ION Game Design about their bold 2026 initiative: MinION — a monthly subscription program delivering a compact, standalone board game each month, designed as an entry point into ION’s award-winning strategy universe. We explore the thinking behind making “big game” depth accessible in a smaller format, how MinION bridges into their core titles, and why they’re launching it in early 2026.

We also dive into ION’s production update: how they manage physical game manufacturing, their approach to video game adaptations, and their educational initiatives aimed at bringing strategic gaming to wider audiences.

Timecode:
00:00 Intro
01:30 Essen
06:23 MinIon Games
17:04 Educational Games
24:12 Ion Game Design and Video Games
32:44 Production Pipeline

For more info on the MinION project, see:
https://iongamedesign.com/pages/minion

☕ If you enjoyed the video, please consider supporting the channel via Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/homoludens1871
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O/U Discussion with Pierre, Joe, Luke Gearing and Seedling

✇Homo Ludens
Von: Homo Ludens

💾

Joe Dewhurst and I recently took part in a massive, month-long, real-time play-by-post, multi-faction sci-fi roleplaying game called OVER/UNDER, based on the Prospero’s Dream Mothership module, which billed itself as a wargame! More than 1,600 players took part, and it was a genuinely unique experience.

A small number of players were assigned as faction “bosses,” and we’ve managed to wrangle a couple of them to come talk about the game and how things looked from their side: indie RPG designers Luke Gearing and Seedling. OVER/UNDER's designer, Sam Sorensen, also created his own wargame called Cataphracts - seemingly built from TTRPG first principles - which is fascinating in its own right so we'll likely chat about that too.

Check out Luke's work at lukegearing.blot.im
Check out Seedling's work at https://seedlinggames.com/
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Combat Commander: Vietnam - Preview of the upcoming tactical wargame

✇Homo Ludens
Von: Homo Ludens

💾

Developper Joe Dewhurst comes back on Homo Ludens to showcase the upcoming Combat Commander game about Vietnam. This Chad Jensen project has been picked up by Stephen Rangazas & Non-Breaking Space.

Support the show on Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/homoludens1871

Find more info about the game on GMT's website: https://www.gmtgames.com/p-1160-combat-commander-vietnam.aspx

Patrick's channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXfBw670IAUE4VtYayeWqxA

Gene's article about the genealogy of the game: https://insidegmt.com/for-everything-there-is-a-season-the-origin-story-of-combat-commander-vietnam/
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A Very Civil Whist - Unboxing

✇Homo Ludens
Von: Homo Ludens

💾

It’s finally here! In this video, I unbox my latest design, A Very Civil Whist, freshly released by PHALANX Games. This is my third published game, and one that had a peculiar design process as it started as a convention freebie.

A Very Civil Whist is a fast, strategic, and historically grounded game that reimagines the English Civil War through the elegant mechanics of the classic card game Whist. Players take sides as either the Royalists or the Parliamentarians, battling for political, military, and religious dominance in mid-17th-century England.

As I open the box for the first time, I’ll walk you through the components, share some behind-the-scenes notes about the design process, and reflect on what this project means to me as both a designer and a student of history.

Support the channel on Ko-Fi and join our community on Discord:
👉 https://ko-fi.com/homoludens1871
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Old King's Crown - Designer Interview with Pablo Clark

✇Homo Ludens
Von: Homo Ludens

💾

In this interview, I sit down with Pablo Clark, the designer and artist behind The Old King’s Crown — one of the most acclaimed indie releases of the year.

Pablo and I first met before his incredibly successful Kickstarter campaign, and now that the game has finally reached players’ tables, it’s already being praised for its stunning visuals and unique design. We talk about what it means to create such an ambitious project as a first-time designer, how his artistic background shaped the world of The Old King’s Crown, and the process of building a passionate online community around his work.

We also dive into the lore of the game’s universe, how Pablo handled feedback and iteration during development, and what’s next for his studio, Eerie Idol Games.

If you haven’t yet secured your copy, make sure to check out the Hop On Board channel, we’ll soon be doing a livestream of the game featuring Pablo and myself, with a giveaway for The Old King’s Crown!
👉 https://www.youtube.com/@HopOnBoardChris

Support the channel on Ko-Fi and join our community on Discord:
👉 https://ko-fi.com/homoludens1871
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Convention du Roi de Rome – La nouvelle rencontre des passionnés de wargames à Rambouillet

✇Homo Ludens
Von: Homo Ludens

💾

Dans cette vidéo, je vous emmène à Rambouillet pour découvrir la toute première Convention du Roi de Rome, un nouvel événement consacré aux jeux d’histoire et aux wargames.

J’y rencontre les organisateurs ainsi que plusieurs auteurs emblématiques du jeu d’histoire francophone :

- Yves Roig, créateur de Gettysburg, Keep ’Em Rolling et Brandywine — dont la campagne Gamefound est en cours : https://gamefound.com/en/projects/les-3-zouaves/brandywine-1777-a-time-for-heroes
- Clem’, auteur de Heroes of Normandie
- Hervé, concepteur de Marches & Batailles — actuellement en late pledge sur : https://gamefound.com/en/projects/sapper--fifer/marches--batailles

On parle de la genèse de cette convention, de la scène wargame francophone, et de la passion qui anime cette communauté toujours plus active.

Pour plus d’informations sur la convention :
https://rambouillet.fr/evenements/convention-du-roi-de-rome/

Soutenez Homo Ludens sur Ko-Fi :
https://ko-fi.com/homoludens1871
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Wargame Archaeology: Digging Into the History of Miniature Wargaming with Matthew Kirschenbaum

✇Homo Ludens
Von: Homo Ludens

💾

In this new episode of Wargame Archaeology, I’m joined by Liz Davidson from Beyond Solitaire and special guest Matthew Kirschenbaum, one of the authors of Zones of Control: Perspectives on Wargaming, for a deep dive into the origins and evolution of miniature wargaming.

While Liz and I come from the world of board wargames, Matthew will guide us through the fascinating history of figurine wargaming from its 19th-century roots to its modern tabletop communities. Together, we’ll look at how miniature wargaming and board wargaming grew into two parallel traditions, what the miniatures scene looks like today, and how it grapples with questions of accessibility, tradition, and renewal. We’ll also discuss how the creative energy and design innovations of recent years have reshaped both sides of the hobby, and how the conversations sparked by Zones of Control continue to echo through today’s wargame design culture.

Links to Beyond Solitaire podcasts mentioned on the show:
- Liz & Matthew talking about Kriegsspiel https://youtu.be/IlzIGaQdGPs
- Liz & Pat Harrigan talking about Zones of Control https://youtu.be/cIyAb-Cnypw

Support Homo Ludens on Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/homoludens1871
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8K Special! Ask Me Anything (feat. Pierre Vagneur-Jones) — Woke Wargaming and other nonsense

✇Homo Ludens
Von: Homo Ludens

💾

To celebrate reaching 8,000 subscribers, I’m doing a totally serious, absolutely professional Ask Me Anything co-hosted by my partner in crime Pierre Vagneur-Jones.

Expect hard-hitting journalism like:
- “What are your next design projects?”
- “When will you finally take your turn in our async game?”
- “What makes a wargame woke?”

Thank you all for the support, questions, and general chaos that makes this channel what it is. Come hang out, laugh with (or at) us, and help us toast 8 k!

☕ If you want to keep the nonsense going, you can support the channel here: https://ko-fi.com/homoludens1871
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Battlegroup Clash Baltics - Interview and Game Preview with designer James Buckley

✇Homo Ludens
Von: Homo Ludens

💾

I’m joined by designer (and friend of the show) James Buckley for an interview and live demo of Battlegroup Clash: Baltics—a 2–6 player tactical land warfare game adapted from a training tool used by the British Army for junior officers. Set in Estonia amid a near-future Russian invasion, the game pits reinforced-battalion-sized forces (units at platoon/section scale) across six scenarios and multiple play modes (Basic, Standard, Advanced) for 2–3 hours of modern combined-arms decision-making.

We’ll talk design goals and then jump into play, highlighting the system’s distinctive features: pre-game Orders drafting that shapes tempo and initiative; drones and electronic warfare (UAS recon, FPV strikes, jamming, SIGINT); and real-world maps derived from satellite imagery (no hexes—read the ground like a real ops map). If you’re curious how contemporary tactics translate to the tabletop, this is a great entry point.

You can pre-order it here: https://www.sapperstudio.com/battlegr

☕ Support the channel and the Homo Ludens community: https://ko-fi.com/homoludens1871
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Quartermaster General East Front - A Historical game review

✇Homo Ludens
Von: Homo Ludens

💾

In this video I take a closer look at Quartermaster General: East Front, the latest entry in the Quartermaster General series. It’s a clever new design that brings fresh mechanics to the system, but it also raises some questions about historical content and how the game portrays the Eastern Front of WWII.

This is also my first attempt at returning to proper game reviews on the channel, so let me know in the comments if you’d like to see more of these in the future!

Support the channel and keep Homo Ludens independent: https://ko-fi.com/homoludens1871

Videos mentioned:
Clean Wehrmacht panel: https://youtube.com/live/fiwf2f5pb7U?feature=share
When Titans Clashed panel: https://youtube.com/live/6oCtflbaxvs?feature=share
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Mark Herman Teaches Army of the Potomac

✇Homo Ludens
Von: Homo Ludens

💾

Join me for a very special stream with legendary designer Mark Herman, as he demos his latest design, Army of the Potomac: Campaigns of 1862 and 1864, the upcoming release in GMT Games’ Civil War Heritage series.

Following on from the acclaimed Rebel Fury, this volume brings players into the shoes of Union and Confederate commanders across some of the most pivotal battles of the Civil War, including the Seven Days, Spotsylvania II, North Anna River, and Cold Harbor. With streamlined setup, low counter density, and a clever Zone of Influence mechanic, Army of the Potomac delivers fast-playing scenarios that still capture the drama of division-level Civil War combat — from artillery duels to desperate multi-wave assaults.

Mark will walk us through the design, show how the system builds on Rebel Fury, and give us a taste of the operational and tactical decisions that shaped these campaigns. If you’re curious about what makes this new entry stand out, or just want to see a master at work, you won’t want to miss this session.

Support the channel and keep independent historical board game content alive: https://ko-fi.com/homoludens1871
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