Berg's Review of Games (a.k.a.BROG) was a publication started by game designer Richard Berg. The magazine, which featured reviews of video wargames and board wargames, debuted in 1991.
Berg's Review of Games (a.k.a.BROG) was a publication started by game designer Richard Berg. The magazine, which featured reviews of video wargames and board wargames, debuted in 1991.
In 1980, Richard Berg, then working as a game designer for Simulations Publications Inc. (SPI), started writing and editing reviews of wargames, which SPI published as Richard Berg's Review of Games . It began as a two-page mimeographed newsletter, published twice a month for 25 issues. [1] It then appeared in the pages of SPI's Strategy & Tactics until late 1985. [2]
In the fall of 1991, Berg became editor of a self-published fanzine, the similarly titled Berg's Review of Games (or BROG). Berg differentiated this magazine from his previous one by adding "Vol. 2" to the issue number. He published BROG six times a year, ending publication with Issue 28.
In his original Richard Berg's Review of Games, Berg had started a satirical annual feature called the "Little Mac Awards" for dubious achievements in gaming. The awards were named for the less-than-stellar American Civil War general George McClellan. In Issue #2 of BROG, Berg restarted this tradition, handing out "Little Macs" to various companies and industry personalities for perceived errors and injustices. [3]
Berg's Review of Games was awarded Best Amateur Adventure Gaming Magazine at the Origins Awards three times: in 1992, [4] 1993, [5] and 1995. [6]
Following its demise, BROG was inducted into the Academy of Adventure Gaming Arts & Design's Hall of Fame in 1997. [7]
Strategy & Tactics (S&T) is a wargaming magazine now published by Decision Games, notable for publishing a complete new wargame in each issue.
James F. Dunnigan is an author, military-political analyst, Defense and State Department consultant, and wargame designer currently living in New York City.
Simulations Publications, Inc. (SPI) was an American publisher of board wargames and related magazines, particularly its flagship Strategy & Tactics, in the 1970s and early 1980s. It produced an enormous number of games and introduced innovative practices, changing the course of the wargaming hobby in its bid to take control of the hobby away from then-dominant Avalon Hill. SPI ran out of cash in early 1982 when TSR called in a loan secured by SPI's assets. TSR began selling SPI's inventory in 1982, but later acquired the company's trademarks and copyrights in 1983 and continued a form of the operation until 1987.
The Origins Awards are American awards for outstanding work in the gaming industry. They are presented by the Academy of Adventure Gaming Arts and Design at the Origins Game Fair on an annual basis for the previous year, so the 1979 awards were given at the 1980 Origins.
Moves was a wargaming magazine originally published by SPI, which also published manual wargames. Their flagship magazine Strategy & Tactics (S&T), was a military history magazine featuring a new wargame in each issue. While S&T was devoted to historical articles, Moves focused on the play of the games. Each issue carried articles dealing with strategies for different wargames, tactical tips, and many variants and scenarios for existing games. As time passed, reviews of new games also became an important feature. While the majority of the articles dealt with SPI games, the magazine was open to and published many articles on games by other companies.
Ares was an American science fiction wargame magazine published by Simulations Publications, Inc. (SPI), and then TSR, Inc., between 1980 and 1984. In addition to the articles, each issue contained a small science-fiction-themed board wargame.
Fire & Movement: The Forum of Conflict Simulation was a magazine devoted to wargames, both traditional board wargames and computer wargames. It was founded by Rodger MacGowan in 1975, and began publication the following year.
The Wargamer was a magazine devoted to the hobby of board wargaming. Originally published as a British bimonthly magazine by UK Wargamers in 1977, it was subsequently published by World Wide Wargames, which then moved to the United States. The magazine ceased publication in 1990.
Richard Harvey Berg was a prolific American wargame designer. He was inducted into the Charles Roberts Awards Hall of Fame in 1987.
Terrible Swift Sword: Battle of Gettysburg Game is a grand tactical regimental level board wargame published by Simulations Publications, Inc. (SPI) in 1976 that simulates the Battle of Gettysburg during the American Civil War. A second edition was published by TSR in 1986.
Conquistador, originally subtitled "The Age of Exploration: 1495–1600", is a board game published by Simulations Publications, Inc. (SPI) in 1976 that simulates the exploration of the New World in the 16th century. Players take on the role of European countries sending expeditions to find gold and establish colonies. Although the design uses the trappings of board wargames such as a hex map, combat is not a major part of the game.
A board wargame is a wargame with a set playing surface or board, as opposed to being played on a computer or in a more free-form playing area as in miniatures games. The modern, commercial wargaming hobby developed in 1954 following the publication and commercial success of Tactics. The board wargaming hobby continues to enjoy a sizeable following, with a number of game publishers and gaming conventions dedicated to the hobby both in the English-speaking world and further afield.
War of the Ring, subtitled "S.R. 1418 to 1419", is a licensed wargame published by Simulations Publications, Inc. (SPI) in 1977 that simulates the events described in The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien.
Richard Berg's Review of Games was a wargaming review magazine edited by Richard Berg and first published in 1980 by Simulations Publications, Inc. (SPI).
Manassas is a board wargame originally published by Historical Concepts in 1974, and republished by Game Designers Workshop (GDW) in 1977 that simulates the First Battle of Bull Run during the American Civil War.
Blue & Gray: Four American Civil War Battles is a board wargame originally published by Simulations Publications, Inc. (SPI) in 1975 that simulates four battles from the American Civil War.
A Gleam of Bayonets: The Battle of Antietam is a board wargame published by the Simulations Publications, Inc. (SPI) subsidiary of TSR in 1983 that is based on the American Civil War Battle of Antietam.
Rodger B. MacGowan is an artist, game developer, art director and magazine publisher who has been active in the board wargame industry since the 1970s. MacGowan is a prolific artist of cover art for wargames, and the wargaming magazine he founded, Fire & Movement, won the Charles S. Roberts Award several times while under his editorial control.
Blue & Gray II, subtitled "Four American Civil War Battles", is a collection of four board wargames originally published by Simulations Publications, Inc. (SPI) in 1975 that each simulate a battle from the American Civil War. It is the sequel to Blue & Gray published earlier in the year. Each of the four games was also published as individual "folio games."
World War 3: 1976-1984 is a Cold War-era board wargame published by Simulations Publications Inc. (SPI) in 1975 that simulates a hypothetical non-nuclear war for control of the world set in the 1970s. The game sold very well, and was one of SPI's top-selling games for almost a year.