Gaming the Past

Command and Chaos Prototype Documents (download both files)

My first foray into designing what will hopefully be a commercial historical boardgame is Command and Chaos.  There are historical notes in the rules. The basic premise is that many games about ancient warfare over-exaggerate and even misrepresent many features of battle. Most importantly, they suggest, misleadingly, that units could maneuver quite flexibly and independently of their comrades and that commanders had often significant tactical control over units. Command and Chaos is an attempt to make a more realistic model of ancient battle in a fun-to-play not overly complicated game.

Play-testers are most welcome.

• Command and Chaos Prototype C Rules
• Command and Chaos Prototype Pieces

Student Simulation Designs Simulation prototypes from seniors studying simulation design at Cincinnati Country Day School.

King’s College, Department of War Studies, Conflict Simulation – A site that describes Prof. Philip Sabin’s conflict simulation course and includes a number of excellent war simulations that can be played with a computer map aid or as traditional tabletop simulation games.

Web-Grognards – A comprehensive wargame site. This site contains descriptions and articles on hundreds, if not thousands of tabletop (and computer) wargames.

The Junior General – A website providing simulations and resources for use in middle school history classrooms.

Reacting to the Past – A published series of role-playing simulations developed by Barnard College for use in the college classroom.