Tabletop Tuesdays: War Games

Tabletop war games with titles like Tactics, Stalingrad, and Panzerblitz were arguably the historical foundation for modern gaming culture. The creators of these games formed the first community of game designers in the United States during the 1960s and 1970s. How did players deal with the challenges of playing these complex games, and how did game designers and players innovate in their design and play practices in the pre-digital, pre-Internet age? What was the appeal of historical games and who designed and played them? 

Join us on Tuesday, August 16th, from 2-4pm in Hohbach Hall to explore these questions and more! We will start with a showcase of some historic games, then move on to some examples of design and play innovation. Henry Lowood, head of the SVA, will give a short talk at 2:30pm about these innovations and the historical context and importance of wargame design. After that, we will play The Grizzled, a recent game that deals with the experiences of soldiers in the trenches of World War I, featuring illustrations by the late graphical artist Tignous, of Charlie Hebdo fame.