Wednesday Wargaming

Back on the 7th of January, 1953 President Truman announced the US had developed the H-bomb. While this (thankfully) didn’t produce a nuclear war, a number of games have resulted which model either the exchange, or have used the potential thread to develop a plotline upon which to base a game. I realize this is a slight departure from the normal historically-based games that I usually present in this column, but if I merely cover the historical we’ll miss a number of great games worth taking a look at. So, on that note, let’s take a look at some of the gems that have emerged from this development.

Games To Set The Mood

Boardgames

One of my all-time favorite boardgames is Supremacy. Set in the near-future in a world of multi-polar superpowers, it’s essentially Risk with nukes and some economics tossed in. What makes the game even better is that it has myriad expansions, from boomers to pirates to tanks, the upgrades to this game make it a classic. Out of print these days, if you can find a copy buy it.

Another classic game of apocalypse is also considered a classic. I have Nuclear War on my shelf though frankly I’ve not played it. However, it comes highly recommended by enough friends that I’m including it as highly worthwhile.

Folks who think that Risk with nukes might sound like a good idea. About two decades after Supremacy was developed (and many numerous home-grown variants), the makers of Risk finally decided it might be a good idea, too. The result? Risk 2210 AD. It’s still Risk, but updated enough that it’s a good entry-level game with enough fluff to keep the interest of harder-core wargamers trying to recruit fresh meat.

Another favorite of mine is Ogre . It has a companion game, GEV. This is one of Steve Jackson’s creations, and has seen several incarnations, starting as a pocket game and evolving into a miniatures game. The minis are cool if you’re into that scene, the game mechanics classic, simple, and fun. Again, a must buy – if you can find it.

PC Games

As rich as the boardgaming world is, PC games are inversely sparse. Many games are set in post-apocalyptic times, but only one comes to mind that actually models the fight. Some RTS games may offer nuke upgrades to weapons, but thematically those are usually just flourishes. The most recent, however, was an instant hit. As they say on the website, “Nobody wins. But maybe you can lose the least.” Check out DEFCON

The other game that seems to bring a chill to the game when nukes are brought to the table is World in Conflict. When the bomb is dropped a simulated EMP release fuzzes out your screen and units experience all kinds of problems in proximity to the blast – for a short period of time. Still, this is one great game and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a good game simulating a hot war set during the Cold War.




By: GladiusMagnus