I've Been Diced! episode 61: Worthington Games

I drop by the HQ for Worthington Games to talk about their wargames, past, present, and future. Forged In Fire, Band Of Brothers, Cowboys, Hold The Line, and others -- what kind of games does Worthington choose to publish? And how does a small publisher find its niche in today's market? Plus, this episode's "Game Off The Beaten Path" is a world-famous fantasy writer's design. (c) 2014 Tom Grant

Watch the alternate history of Rome evolve

Here are some pictures from our session of Microscope, as described in episode 60 of the I've Been Diced! podcast. You can see, step by step, how the timeline evolved. Listen to the podcast to hear us build this timeline.

I've Been Diced! episode 60: Making history with Microscope, and games that tell stories

Our regular panel plays a session of Microscope, the game of collaboratively building a grand historical narrative. We put our creative powers to the test by writing the history of a world in which the Roman Empire never fell. This innovative game should appeal to anyone interested in epic sagas in science fiction, fantasy, alternate history, you name it.

Plus, we want our games to tell interesting stories, from fighting the Battle of the Bulge to stopping the Great Old Ones. But what's the secret to designing a game that can generate an interesting narrative? (c) 2014 Tom Grant

I've Been Diced! episode 59: Jon Compton, modern wargames, and gaming taboos

Jon Compton of One Small Step and the MCS Group tells a gripping story of the trials and tribulations of being a small wargame publisher. We also muse about the popularity of modern wargames. Plus, our regular panel discusses gaming taboos: What behavior elicits gasps of horror from fellow hobbyists? (c) 2014 Tom Grant

I've Been Diced! episode 58: Mike Nagel on Flying Colors and more

Mike Nagel talks about his Flying Colors series of Age of Sail wargames, his new "captaincy" game covering the same era, Sun of York, and what drew him to design a game about the battle of Attu. Plus, Tom lunges headfirst into the subject of what is a wargame. Actually, he talks about when the question is worth asking, and when it isn't. (c) 2014 Tom Grant

I've Been Diced! episode 57: Greg Smith on The Hunters and computer wargames

Greg Smith, the designer of The Hunters and the upcoming Silent Victory, talks about his games, solitaire wargames in general, his work on computer wargames at HPS Simulations, and why boardgame design can be more challenging than computer wargame design. Plus, Tom gives advice to wargamers visiting Paris, and he proves beyond a doubt that he cannot do impressions. (c) 2014 Tom Grant

I've Been Diced! episode 56: John Poniske

John Poniske, designer of Hearts & Minds, King Philip's War, and Lincoln's War, discusses the reasons why he developed a different game system for each of these games. Plus, John tells us about some upcoming designs, including games about the Plains Indians Wars and the Haitian rebellion. (Note: Apologies for the poor sound quality during the interview. Skype was not our friend that night.) Plus, a quick shout-out to some other wargame/boardgame podcasts. Copyright (c) 2014 Tom Grant

I've Been Diced! episode 55: Jim Day

Jim Day, designer of Iron & Oak and Panzer, talks about these two recently-released games, cross-pollination between miniature and board wargaming, and possible new versions of MBT and IDF. Plus, we look at a key requirement for the success of any tactical wargame. What is it? I'll lay out the scenario for you. (c) 2014 Tom Grant

I've Been Diced! episode 54: Kim Kanger

Kim Kanger, designer of Ici, C'Est La France! and Tonkin, discusses France's counterinsurgency wars, and how differences between these wars led to different game designs. We also discuss Kim's upcoming game on the siege of Dien Bien Phu. Strap in for another deep discussion of insurgencies and insurgency-related games. (c) 2014 Tom Grant

I've Been Diced! episode 53: John Gorkowski on WWI wargames and a future WWI-like scenario

John Gorkowski, designer of WWI-based games like Guns Of August, Guns Of Galicia, Red Poppies, and In The Trenches, as well as the upcoming The Great Game. We talk about what fascinates us about WWI, the need to take a fresh look at a conflict before dropping game mechanics on them, and why a future conflict in the South China Sea might look a lot more like WWI than WWII. (That future scenario is the subject of John’s Game, Breaking The Chains). Plus, your host’s recent eBay purchase makes him wonder aloud, “Is there a better way to keep wargames in print?”  

The storm of wargame designer interviews continues to rage! Kim Kanger (Tonkin, Ici c'est la France!), Jim Day (Panzer, Iron & Oak) and John Poniske (Lincoln's War, Hearts And Minds) are our guests in future episodes, coming soon. (c) 2014 Tom Grant

I’ve Been Diced! episode 52: Steve Kendall of Ragnar Brothers

Steve Kendall gives us a brief history of the Ragnar Brothers and the games they’ve produced. Ponder why Angola may have had more successful innovations than any other single game. Hear about the playtest of a new epoch for A Brief History Of The World. Learn why Viking Fury / Fire & Axe is a more accurate depiction of the Vikings than that History Channel series with Gabriel Byrne. Find out about the careful word choices and interesting design decisions behind Promised Land. Get the news about their new game, Steam Donkey. Plus, we look back on two classic microgames, Melee and Wizard, and wonder, where the heck is anything like them today?

The storm of wargame designer interviews begins! In rapid succession, we will be publishing interviews with Steve Kendall, John Gorgowski, Kim Kanger, Jim Day, and John Poniske. You’ll be getting them as fast as we can edit them! Copyright © 2014 Tom Grant

I've Been Diced! episode 51: The PrezCon 2014 edition

We're at Prezcon 2014, where we talk about the games we played, such as A Distant Plain, Theseus: The Dark Orbit, Coup, Cosmic Encounter, Napoleonic Wars, and the recent favorite A Study In Emerald. Plus, wargames that give a little extra historical something. (c) 2014 Tom Grant

I've Been Diced! episode 50: Joel Toppen

Joel Toppen is our guest this episode, here to tell us how he designed Navajo Wars, and give us a sneak peek into his next game, covering the Comanches. Joel also provides useful advice on building Vassal modules (he's built dozens himself). Finally, Tom gives some recommendations for solitaire wargames. (c) 2014 Tom Grant

I've Been Diced! Episode 49: 2013 in review

We look back on our 2013 in gaming. Best and worst experiences, biggest surprises (good and bad), best fun per dollar, best digital boardgame translation...Vicariously share our action-packed year of gaming. Plus, the Up Front! Kickstarter project's woes point to some serious risks for boardgames that start as Kickstarter projects.  The first podcast of 2014, completed in spite of my sound board's apparent demise, and problems uploading the podcast. I will not be defeated!  (c) 2014 Tom Grant