Mesopotamia Birth of Civilization is a free, downloadable board game by Garry Stevens designed to teach the history of the Fertile Crescent. Garry writes:
Mesopotamia follows the rise and fall of twenty nations from the Sumerians to the Persians over two thousand years of history. It purloins freely from those wonderful classic games Civilisation, History of the World, and Ancient Conquests, to which I owe a huge debt. The game is more historical than Civilisation, but less world-encompassing than History of the World (HOTW). The basic system is that of History of the World, but with one very significant difference.
Are you old enough to remember the DwarfStar board games? If so, then you probably have the same fond memories as I do. One of my favorites was Goblin. In it, players take turns pillaging and plundering a hapless valley.
Anaxis is a tactical space board wargame for you to download. The author writes:
Anaxis is a tactical space wargame, using ship counters and hex paper. It’s moderate in complexity and detail (especially when compared to some other games in the genre). For instance, while each ship is kept track of separately, its weapons are grouped into “primary” and “secondary” banks. It has some unique die mechanics that speed things along, and there’s little to write down, so a large battle can be played out in a few hours.
The rules come with six different races, each with four main-line ships and one special ship that can bend the rules in some way. It also has several small scenarios to get you up and playing quickly.
GMT Games offers a free download of a Battle of Agincourt game. If you’re familiar with their commercial board war games, you’ll know that they have wonderful graphics and gameplay, both of which are on display here.
Ed Mueller offers a fast play medieval card game called Chevauchee. The game is well-designed, with good lookign cards and extensive rules. You need to join the Yahoo group to download.
Bloody Mary is the title of Gary Stevens’ free downloadable board game of intrigue in the Tudor Court. Stevens writes:
In this game you get to relive the politics of middle Tudor England as you strive to secure your candidate for the Throne… and keep your own head.
The game starts at the coronation of Henry VIII’s son Edward. It follows the history of mid-Tudor England for a further 25 years. You must plot to place your favoured candidate on the throne. You play the part of a faction of courtiers trying to preserve your power and influence. The game is solidly based in history (well, as solidly as I can make it). It is meant to be educational as well as entertaining.
In this rambunctious but historically accurate game you scheme and connive to win influence with the King, so that your faction will control his chosen heir and rule all England when the King dies.
The game contains all the important characters of the time, rated for religion, ability and guile. You play Court cards to improve your own standing and confound your enemies. Can you marry a woman of your faction to the King? Perhaps your Ladies of the Bedchamber can persuade Henry of her charms. Your future seems assured if she gives Henry a son. But woe betide you should the King tire of her.
Rich rewards are yours if you can convince the King to give you high office. But how long can you stay in power? You may be placed under secret investigation at any time, only awaiting a dreaded Warrant of Arrest from the Lord President of the Council to send you to the Tower. If the Principal Secretary sends you to the rack, your entire faction could be implicated. Of course, you can avoid the plots that surround Henry by travelling to Europe, but if you are there when the King dies, all your influence is to no avail.
And where do you stand if the King demands a divorce?
Ludo is a board game for two to four players where each player controls a team consisting of a sniper, a commando, a demo guy, a heavy gunner and two troopers. The goal is to kill the other teams, of course.
Venturers In Argent looks like a lot of fun. Currently in Beta for downloading, it is
a fantasy boardgame set in the World of Argent. It is a cooperative game in which as many as five players can participate, or as few as one (thus it is suitable for solitaire play). The players take on the parts of venturers, who set out to find treasure on a dangerous enterprise called a venture.
The game can be played as a single venture in one session (which lasts about three hours). Or it can be played as a campaign of several ventures, with the power and abilities of the venturers increasing as they prepare for their final objective: the stronghold of the Silent Mountain … and the One Who Waits.
Miniature Wargaming is part of the "adventure games" hobby, which includes r ole p laying and board games. Wargamers recreate battles on the tabletop with toy soldiers, like a more complicated game of chess. Models range in height from 6mm to 28mm tall, with 15mm and 25mm being the most popular. There also is a growing interest in toy soldiers and military models, such as the 1/32 and 1/35 scale plastic soldiers from Conte, and Marx.
The most popular miniature wargames are fantasy and science fiction based, such as Warhammer, Warhammer 40K, Warmachine and The Lord of the Rings. World War II games such as Flames of War and Axis and Allies are new favorites. Other favorite historical periods include Napoleonics, the American Civil War, and ancients, such as Romans or Greeks. Other gamers enjoy miniature naval wargames, recreating battles like Trafalgar, Jutland and the Coral Sea.
Hobbyists research historical periods and paint their tiny soldiers in accurate uniforms. Others develop "historically realistic" rules sets or build scale battlefield terrain using model railroad techniques.
For pictures, visit the gallery.
Some of the bigger hobby companies are Games Workshop, which produces Warhammer, Wargames Foundry and Old Glory Miniatures. Wizards of the Coast produces several lines of pre-painted miniatures games, such as the Star Wars and Dungeons and Dragons miniatures games, and a historical game with pre-painted miniatures: The new Axis and Allies game. Wizkids produces a fantasy collectable miniatures game, such as the Mage Knight and Heroclick fantasy games, the science fiction games MechWarrior and Rocketmen, as well as the quasi-historical Pirates of the Spanish Main.
