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| Pictured: Hammer of the Scots by Columbia Games |
The English Oxford Dictionary defines a game as “an activity that one engages in for amusement or fun; a form of competitive activity or sport played according to rules.”
While often depicting epic battles and legendary military campaigns, block wargames do so without foregoing this basic tenet of gaming: it should be fun. But since block games are also great representations of historic conflicts, there is still a necessary level of complexity inherent in any simulation of war.
From the challenge of maintaining supply lines, to the unpredictability of combat and unit cohesion, to the difficulty of terrain factors upon troop movement, realism is a key component of any solid war game design. However, a good block war game effectively incorporates these various challenges without foregoing ease of play. After all, it is still a game first and foremost. As Columbia Games notes at their website:
Columbia block games are fast-playing, easy to learn, and designed to be played and played and played, with mounting interest every time...elegant designs provides fog of war and step-reduction with no muss or fuss.
Simply put, block wargames get the balance right.
There are some who have historically sought to differentiate between combat simulations and war games. Providing a solid rebuttal to this argument within a BoardGameGeek forum ten years ago, veteran game designer Richard Berg explained:
ALL games that purport to show history are simulations. Simulations - which are a common and key tool in many industries - allow the players to recreate what happened by providing as many of the factors that were present as possible (or as the designers desire) and, even more important, what COULD have happened, given different uses of those factors.
In designing games that are simulations, the key is the FOCUS . . .what the Designer wants the players to concentrate on and use. If that designer wants the players to focus on how to "win" without giving him a great deal of detail, then you tend to have what...folks call "games"...
From playing cards used for move and supply points, to dice rolls for combat resolution, block games (both by their components and design) give players the basic feel of a classic boardgame. Add to this the wood blocks themselves, particularly the larger 24mm wooden blocks found in games such as Julius Caesar and Hammer of the Scots by Columbia Games, and you have a solid game with popular appeal, often even crossover appeal.
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| Pictured: Julius Caesar by Columbia Games |
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| Pictured: Cards from Hammer of the Scots by Columbia Games |
While some games may be asymmetrical in how they play, a good balanced game should still provide both opponents an opportunity to win, even when the odds are stacked against one because of the actual historical limitations. However, this nod to realism by no means sacrifices enjoyment. Rather, the disadvantaged player must simply rely upon strategy and tactics, and some good dice rolls hopefully, in order to achieve victory!
Wooden blocks. Dice and cards. Low complexity rules explained in less than ten pages. Games which clock in at only 2-3 hours total. It is this emphasis on fast-play and fun components which best illustrates how block games get the balance right. After all, these combat simulations are ultimately games meant to be played and enjoyed.
Wooden blocks. Dice and cards. Low complexity rules explained in less than ten pages. Games which clock in at only 2-3 hours total. It is this emphasis on fast-play and fun components which best illustrates how block games get the balance right. After all, these combat simulations are ultimately games meant to be played and enjoyed.
Photo credit: Brian Williams