Personal ludography

Below are the various games I have designed, in rough chronological order of their design. Not all have been officially published; some were testbeds for later designs and some just aren’t finished yet.

(updated 22 September 2022)

Title (year designed)	Publication dates and publishers	Details	Notes on versions, etc.
Power Play (1991)	1997 (Cry Havoc! #18) 1999 (Academic Gaming Review, vol 1 #2) 2000 (Schutze Games) 2017 (BTR Games)	2 players, 50 counters, area map, abstract troop and time scale, playing time 30-45 minutes.	Coup d’etat in an imaginary country. Designed while living in Japan. ‘Seminar’ version for nine players published in AGR. 2017 version is complete redesign called Palace Coup.
Civil Power (1991)	1996 (Strategist #294) 2016 (BTR Games) 2020 (Conflict Simulations LLC)	2-3 players, 200 counters, two-part  generic B+W staggered square map, troop scale individuals to mob size, 1-3 hours to play. 2016+2020 version has squared map and 140 counters.	Generic tactical riot-making and –breaking. Inspired by Hunter S. Thompson’s essay “The Police Chief”. Designed while I was living in Japan. Many wacky scenarios.
Land of the Free (1994)	1995 (Microgame Design Group) 2014 (BTR Games)	3 players, 280 counters, area  map of the USA, abstract troop/ time scale	Radical American politics during the Great Depression. MDG production 200+.
Arriba Espana! (1994)	1995 (Microgame Design Group) 2004 (Fiery Dragon) 2007 (Fiery Dragon) 2009 (Decision Games, World at War #8)	2-3 players, 280 counters (brigade/division), area map, time scale 2-3 months per turn. 3-4 hours to play.	Spanish Civil War, 1936-9. One of MDG’s original and best selling titles (production 500+). 2007 FD version had better components. 2009 Decision Games edition production 1,000+?
Somalia (1994)	2000 (Schutze Games) 2011 (Blue Panther reissue)	2-6 players, 100 counters, area map of Somalia, troop scale roughly battalion size for the UN and “large group” for the Bandits	On the UN intervention there, 1993. 2011 Blue Panther reissue has box, diecut counters, a better map, and a 2002 American invasion scenario (scenario available free on my webpage).
Tupamaro (1995)	1996 (Strategist #287) 2000 (Schutze Games) 2009 (Simulacrum #29) 2015 (BTR Games) 2018 (One Small Step)	2 players, 80 counters, non-representational map, abstract troop and time scale.	Urban guerrillas in Uruguay, 1968-72. BTR Games and 2018 OSS edition has graphic update and revised rules.
Green Beret (1996)	2002 (Simulations Workshop) 2014 (BTR Games) 2015 (One Small Step Games)	2 players, 99 cards, 40 markers. 2014-15 version is 140 counters, area map.	Central Highlands 1964-5. Probably the first card game on the Vietnam War. SW production 65 copies. Submitted to Wizards of the Coast, who actually tried to play it. 2014/15 OSS Games edition is heavily revised map-and-counter port.
Shining Path (1996)	1997 (Strategist #306) 1998 (Microgame Design Group) 2015 (One Small Step Games)	280 counters, area map of Peru, abstract troop and time scale. 2015 version has 140 counters.	Maoist guerrillas in Peru, 1980-. First use of 4Box system. Microgame Design Group production 200+. Self-published and OSS versions have graphic update and revised rules.
Red Guard (1996)	2002 (Schutze Games) 2020 (BTR Games)	2-6 players, 192 counters, 36 tiles, abstract troop and time scale.	On the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, 1966-69. Went through several conceptual reworks before publication.
1848 (1997)	2015 (BTR Games)	2-4 players, 200 counters, area-movement map, abstract troop and time scale.	On the popular revolutions of that year.
Freikorps/ Strike for Berlin (1998)	1999 (MDG) 2004 (Fiery Dragon) 2007 (Fiery Dragon) 2012 (Decision Games, Strategy and Tactics #276) 2018 (Flying Pig Publishing, Yaah! #11)	2 players, 280 counters (divisions and brigades), hex map. 2012 Decision Games version had 176 counters.	1920 alt-hist Soviet invasion of Germany. MDG production 260+. 2007 FD version had better components. 2012 Decision Games version published with very different system and title (Reichswehr and Freikorps); actually co-design with Ty Bomba. 2018  version heavily revised and updated; published as Strike For Berlin.
Pusan Perimeter (1982, 1999)	2000 (Schutze Games) 2011 Blue Panther reissue	2 players, 100 counters, hex map, division/regiment level with some battalions, 2 hours to play.	Korean War, summer 1950. Overhaul of a game I designed in high school. Blue Panther reissue has box, diecut counters and better map.
Battle for China (1999)	1999 (Microgame Design Group) 2004 (Fiery Dragon) 2002 (Japanese Command #42) 2007 (Fiery Dragon) 2009 (Fiery Dragon) 2009 (Decision Games, Strategy & Tactics #259)	2-3 players, area map, 280 counters (brigade to army), 3 months per turn	1937-41 Sino-Japanese War. MDG version sold well, 300+. 2002 Japanese Command Japanese language version included expansion kit (see below)  and had die-cut counters, production 1,000 copies?. 2007 FD version had better components. 2009 FD version was “deluxe” version with expansion kit and revised rules, production <125. 2009 Decision Games production 3,000+?
More Battle For China (1999)	1999 (Microgame Design Group) 2002 (Japanese Command #42) 2008 (Fiery Dragon)	2 area expansion maps, 140 more counters, more rules and scenarios.	Expansion for Battle for China, including Civil War. MDG production 160+. Included in Fiery Dragon “deluxe” version. Now available as a free download on Boardgamegeek.
Battle of Seattle (2000)	2000 (Strategist #336) 2002 (self)	96 counters, area map, abstract troop and time scale.	Anti-WTO riots of 1999. Now available as free download on my webpage, and other “copylefted” places on the Internet.
Algeria (2000)	2001 (Microgame Design Group) 2005 (Fiery Dragon) 2016 (One Small Step Games)	2 players. 280 counters, area map. 2016 version has 140 counters.	French-Algerian War, 1954-62. MDG production 200+. Later used by US government personnel as base for research and training aid. Modified 4Box, 2016 version is extensively revised, 140 counters and updated rules and map.
War Plan Crimson (2000)	2001 (Microgame Design Group) 2006 (Fiery Dragon) 2007 (Fiery Dragon) 2016 (Tiny Battle Publishing)	2 players, 2 hex maps, 280 counters (battalion to brigade). 2016 version has 176 counters.	Alt-hist American invasion of Canada, 193-?. Modified Freikorps system. MDG production 160+. 2007 FD version had better components,  Alex Cox has a copy. 2016 version has better art and counters and some revisions.
Operation Whirlwind (2002)	2002 (free) 2002 (Microgame Design Group) 2007 (Fiery Dragon) 2015 (One Small Step Games)	2 players, area map of downtown Budapest, 192 counters (company to regiment), 8 hours per turn. 2015 version has 140 counters.	Street fighting in Budapest, November 1956. Won first prize in the 2002 Microgame Design Contest. MDG production 160+.
Autumn Mist (2002)	2004 (Fiery Dragon) 2007 (Fiery Dragon) 2015 (Tiny Battle Publishing)	2 players, hex map, 280 counters,  2 days/turn. 2015 version has 176 counters.	Battle of the Bulge. 2007 FD version had better components. 2015 version revised and published under title Winter Thunder.
Paranoid Delusions (2006)	(2006) (BTR Games)	2-? players, 160 1″ counters, no map, no scale	Crazy game about conspiracy nuts. Tied for first prize in the 2006 Microgame Design Contest (there were only two entries!). Available as free download on my web page.
Konarmiya (2007)	2008 (Fiery Dragon) 2017 (Tiny Battle)	2 players, hex map, 192 counters.	Russo-Polish War, 1920. Prequel to Freikorps, games can be mated. Freikorps system. Heavily revised version published in 2017 as Red Horde 1920.
Balkan Gamble (2006)	2015 (BTR Games)	2 players, hex map, 280 counters, brigade-division scale.	Alt-hist on Allied Balkan invasions that weren’t, 1943-5. Autumn Mist system. Originally advertised as Balkan Gambit. Only 30 copies made.
Virtualia (2008)	Not officially published	2-5 players, area map, 280 counters	Game on urban insurgency in fictionalized post-Chavez Venezuela. Amplification of Tupamaro system.
Andartes (2008)	2015 (BTR Games)	2 players, area map, 280 counters.	Greek Civil War 1947-49. Modified 4Box system.
Summer Lightning (2009)	2011 (Lock n’ Load) 2018 (Lock n Load)	2 players, hex map, 280 counters, brigade-division scale.	Published May 2011. Production likely 650 or so. Autumn Mist system. 2018 edition had larger map and counters (but no rule changes).
Finnish Civil War (2009)	2010-12 (self) 2016 (Compass Games, Paper Wars #84)	2 players, hex map, 270 counters.	2 versions, coy/bn and bn/bde scale. Heavily modified Freikorps system. Compass Games version significantly different from free PnP version.
Kandahar I (2010)	not officially published	2-4 players, area map, 280 counters.	Afghanistan – situation in Kandahar province, 2010. Modified Virtualia system. Used in a Political Science class at McGill University in 2011, modified several times later.
Guerrilla Checkers  (2010)	2010 (self) 2017 (Nestorgames)	2 players, abstract game using checkerboard, checkers and Go stones.	Available as free download on personal web page and Free Games page. VASSAL module and beta of version for Android devices available free.
BCT Command Kandahar (2010)	2013 (Modern Conflict Studies Group)	2 players, area map, 242 counters, 98 cards	Co-design and development work with Joe Miranda and Mike Anderson.
Next War in Lebanon (2010)	2014 (Decision Games, Modern War #13)	2 players, area map, 228 counters	Hypothetical Israeli invasion of southern Lebanon, 201?. Modified Bulge 20 system.  Original version available as free PnP as Third Lebanon War.
The Scheldt Campaign (2010)	2012 (Microgame Design Group) 2016 (Hollandspiele)	2 players, hex map, 244 counters, 30 cards. (Hollandspiele: 264 counters, no cards)	Clearing of the Scheldt estuary by First Canadian Army, Oct-Nov 1944. Modified Bulge 20 system.
EOKA (2011)	2016 (BTR Games)	2 players, area map, 140 counters.	Greek Cypriots vs British security forces. Modified 4Box system.
Uprising (2011)	2015 (Flying Pig Games, Yaah! #2)	2 players, hex map, 45 counters	Abstract, single-blind game about insurgency.
Asymmetric Warfare/ Army of Shadows (2012)	2013 (Naval Postgraduate School) 2015 (Flying Pig Games, Yaah! #2)	2 players, 2 area maps, 40 counters	Abstract, single-blind game about insurgency. From an idea by Michael Freeman, faculty member at NPS where this game was used on the Combating Terrorism Fellowship Program – website. Published in Yaah! Magazine as Army of Shadows.
Kandahar II (2012)	2014 (BTR Games) 2015 (One Small Step Games)	2-3 players, area map, 140 counters.	Published as Kandahar. Players are ANSF and Taliban mid-level commanders, with optional Criminal. Heavily modified 4Box system pitched at mid-level command.
District Commander Basic  (2012-18)	test bed for modules; not published	2 players, area map, varying  counters.	COIN system with a generic Red vs. Blue setting to test engine. Basis for  later historical modules.
Greek Civil War (2012)	2014 (Decision Games, Modern War #11) 2022 (Kokusai-Tsushin, Command #165)	2 players, area map, 280 counters.	Complete redesign of Andartes for DG using modified Joe Miranda “Netwar” system. DG made extensive changes after 2014 redesign; 2022 Command version is original redesign.
Palace Coup (2012)	Not yet published	2-5 players, area map, 40 counters, 50 cards	Complete redesign of Power Play, featuring multi-player play and hidden agendas.
A Distant Plain (2012)	2013 (GMT Games)	4 players, area map, about 250 pieces and 72 cards.	Afghanistan 2003-14. Co-designed with Volko Ruhnke, using his COIN system.
District Commander Kandahar (2013-18)	2020 (Hollandspiele)	2 players, area map, 176+88 counters.	Kandahar Province, Afghanistan, 2009-10. Part of District Commander quad.
Caudillo (2013)	2016 (BTR Games)	2-5 players, 85 cards, various bits.	Card game on power struggle in “Virtualia” after departure of charismatic strongman ruler. Plays up tension between competition and cooperation. Coups too. Free PnP version and hand-made versions available.
Korean War Battles (2013)	2015 (Decision Games, Strategy & Tactics #296)	2 players, hex map, 240 counters	S&T #296, late 2015. Three battles of Korea 1950 (Pusan Perimeter, Seoul, Changjin) using the DG Fire & Movement folio game system.
Balkan Gambit  (2014)	2015 (Decision Games, Strategy & Tactics #298)	2 players, hex map, 240 counters	Complete redesign of Balkan Gamble for DG, using the Victory in Normandy system.
Ukrainian Crisis (2014)	2014 (self) 2017 (Hollandspiele)	2 players, area map, 48 cards, 70 counters	Designed very quickly in March 2014 to explore Ukraine-Russia crisis. Available as free PnP. Hollandspiele edition in box, with The Little War.
District Commander: Binh Dinh (2014-18)	2020 (Hollandspiele)	2 players, area map, 176+88 counters	Campaign in Binh Dinh province, Vietnam 1969. Part of District Commander quad.
Binh Dinh 69 (2014)	2016 (One Small Step)	2 players, area map, 140 counters	Simpler COIN game on campaign in Binh Dinh province, Vietnam 1969. Originally developed for use in 20C history course at Nipissing University.
Colonial Twilight (2014)	2017 (GMT Games)	2 players, area map, 71 cards, 107 pieces, 90 counters.	GMT COIN system game for 2 players on the Algerian War.
Winter Thunder (2015)	2015 (Tiny Battle)	2 players, hex map, 176 counters.	Revised version of Autumn Mist.
China’s War (2015-22)	2023? (GMT Games)	4 players, area map, 52 cards, ~147 pieces, 88 counters.	GMT COIN system game for 4 players on 1937-41 Sino-Japanese War.
The Little War (2015)	2017 (Hollandspiele)	2 players, 30 counters, area map of eastern Slovakia	On the one-week border skirmish between Hungary and Slovakia in March, 1939. Action driven by deck of ordinary playing cards. Published in two-fer box with Ukrainian Crisis.
Chile ’73 (2016)	2018 (Tiny Battle)	2 players, 88 counters, area map of downtown Santiago	Small game on execution of 1973 coup that overthrew Allende. Variant of Palace Coup system.
Red Horde 1920 (2016)	2017 (Tiny Battle)	2 players, 176 counters, hex map of Poland/Ukraine	Drastic update and revision of Konarmiya, using heavily modified Freikorps system.
Nights of Fire: Battle for Budapest (2017)	2019 (Mighty Boards, via Kickstarter)	2-3 players, cards and bits and counters, area map of downtown Budapest.	Street fighting in Budapest, November 1956. Co-design with David Turczi, who designed  Days of Ire: Budapest 1956, to which this is a thematic sequel.
Strike For Berlin (2017)	2018 (Flying Pig Games, Yaah! #11)	2 players, 176 counters, hex map of Poland/ Germany.	Drastic update and revision of Freikorps, using heavily modified system.
District Commander: System module (2012-18)	2019 (Hollandspiele)	2 players, 176 counters	Basic rules for District Commander system. 176 counters used in all four games in quad.
District Commander: ZNO (Zone Nord Oranais) (2018)	2019 (BTR Games) 2021 (Hollandspiele)	2 players, area map, 176+88 counters	Section of Algeria, 1959. Part of District Commander quad.
District Commander: Maracas (2018)	2018 (BTR Games) 2019 (Hollandspiele)	2 players, area map, 176+88 counters	Imaginary megacity, 2019. Part of District Commander quad.
Brief Border Wars quad Volume I (2017-18)	2020 (Compass Games)	2 players, 4 area maps, total of 176 counters.	Set of four mini-games on brief border wars: El Salvador-Honduras 1969, Turkey-Cyprus 1974, China-Vietnam 1979, Israel – Hezbollah 2006.
Kashmir Crisis (2019)	2019 (BTR Games)	2 players, play mat	Simple pol-mil game on 2019 Indo-Pak crisis in Kashmir. Developed with Nathaniel Brunt, researcher and photographer. Uses deck of ordinary playing cards. Released for free PnP August 2019.
Brief Border Wars quad, Volume II (2019-21)	2023 (Compass Games)	2 players, 4 area maps, total of 176 counters.	Set of four mini-games on brief border wars: Second Balkan War 1913, Teschen 1919, Nomonhan 1939, Italo-Greek War 1940.
O Canada (2021-22)	WIP, may self-publish	4 players, area map, 56 cards, ~175 pieces, 88 counters.	Non-kinetic adaptation of the GMT COIN system for Canadian politics, 1950s – 2020s.
Quick Urban Integrated Combat Kriegsspiel (2022)	2022 (BTR Games)	2 players, hex map, 80 + 120 counters, 80 cubes	Designed early 2022 to be used by students of the Urban Operations Planner Course held by the US 40th Infantry Division at JFTB Los Alamitos, 10-16 July 2022.  Partly inspired by War Chest (Thompson, 2018).
Scaleable Urban Simulation   (2022)	WIP, will self-publish	2+ players, area-piece map, 240 counters, 72 cubes	Designed 2021-22 as basic rules + division/ brigade/ battalion module rules and counters. Focuses on common principles and role of support formations and HQs to enable unit operations at different scales.
Imposed Cost   (2022)	WIP, will self-publish	2 players, 18 cards, player aid sheets, dice used as markers	Mini-game on causing trouble for belts and roads.
Subterranean Sabotage   (2022)	WIP, will self-publish	3-10 players, 60 counters, play mat	Players are staff officers (or agents of Chaos) trying to work out plan for a subterranean operation. Quick game. Partly inspired by Saboteur (Moyersoen, 2004).
DSSB Staff Game (2022)	WIP, will self-publish	3 players, 60 counters, play mats.	Players are staff sections in a Divisional Sustainment Support Battalion, trying to keep 3 BCTs supplied.

Another way to see my work is by design “family”: Ludography, by family

Also see:

Free Games! page

Scenarios and variants page