Free game: Putin’s War

(No longer quite as illustrated.)

From two Italian game designers, Riccardo Affinati and Mauro Faina: Putin’s War, a free print-and-play mini-game on the current invasion. I haven’t tried it yet myself but it appears to be a simpler game focusing on the kinetic part of things; reactions by foreign countries and so forth are largely randomized through the unknown nature of the Ukrainian opposition that appears as the Russian units enter each new area. 

Notable in that it recycles the map and oblast victory point values from my 2014 game Ukrainian Crisis. I suppose that is about all of that game that is salvageable and useful for the 2022 situation. Still, I don’t mind. 

PUTIN’S WAR – ENGLISH RULES   PDF file complete, 4 MB.

Surprisingly candid designer’s notes – bravo!

DESIGNER’S NOTES: 

The game system of this solitaire boardgame derives in its planning from the game “AFGHANISTAN 1979-1989” by Mauro Faina published in the magazine “Guerre e Guerrieri” (April 2022), while for the map the game “Ukranian Crisis ”by Brian Train (2014) and the cover is the work of Marco Longobardo. English translation by Ty Bomba.

Being an introductory boardgame, we avoided adding additional complexities and a large number of pieces, tables or accessories. The boardgame is distributed for free and privately, not for profit, but to spread the passion for simulations and military history. Studying wars to never make them, this is our watchword, while our thanks go to all those who will help us “test” the boardgame and spread the idea that those who do not play will never know how to be a excellent human being.

Last warning, you will not find a simpler solitaire military simulation than this, if you have problems in interpreting the rules, then forget about the world of boardgames and do not ask me for clarification, while feel free to modify or confuse the rules written according to your own. tastes. 

Riccardo Affinati

Greek Civil War in Japanese Command magazine

In a forthcoming issue of the Japanese -language wargaming magazine Command: a reissue and updating of my game Greek Civil War!

This edition features lovely map production, fine counters, my original rules and an updating of the 1944-45 scenario that was thrown into the DG edition. Also some additional designer’s notes and a reminiscence of my time spent in Japan from the perspective of game design.

I see someone has taken the trouble to look at Ukrainian Crisis as well.

Nice item!

If and when you get a copy of this (production is small, but copies do make their way overseas) you can use these English-language rules and charts (and you can also use them if you have the Decision Games edition too; no changes required to the map or counters, just drop these in).

GCWrules11 18 apr 22

GCWchts11 18 apr 22

This is actually my second appearance in this magazine: back in 2002 my game Battle for China was in issue #42, apparently the first time in the magazine’s run that an original game by a non-Japanese designer was featured (they had been doing a lot of well-produced reprints of classics, for example much of the GDW Series 120 games). It was quite the best physical production the game ever got: larger, well-printed maps; SPI style matte counters, and best of all it included the expansion kit to take the game beyond 1941 and into the Civil War.