Game Designers' Workshop

Last updated

Game Designers' Workshop
Company typeCorporation (1973–1996)
Industry Wargame and Role-playing game publisher
FoundedJune 22, 1973
DefunctFebruary 29, 1996
Headquarters Normal, Illinois, United States
Key people
 Frank Chadwick, Rich Banner, John Harshman, Marc Miller, Loren Wiseman
ProductsWargames, role-playing games

Game Designers' Workshop (GDW) was a wargame and role-playing game publisher from 1973 to 1996. [1] Many of their games are now carried by other publishers. [2]

Contents

History

Game Designers' Workshop was originally established June 22, 1973. The founding members consisted of Frank Chadwick, Rich Banner, Marc Miller, and Loren Wiseman. GDW acquired the Conflict Games Company from John Hill in the early 1970s.

GDW published a new product approximately every twenty-two days for over twenty years. In an effort to bridge the gap between role players, board wargamers and miniature wargamers, the company published RPGs with fantastic settings alongside games with realistic themes including rulesets for 15mm and 20mm miniatures set during the American Civil War, World War I, World War II, and the modern era; and boardgames involving these eras such as the Air Superiority series and Harpoon .

The company disbanded February 29, 1996 after suffering financial troubles.

Products

Role-playing games

Board games

GameYearDesignerCategoryNotes
19401980 Frank Chadwick wargameSeries 120
19411981John AstellwargameSeries 120
1942 1978 Marc Miller wargameSeries 120
1815: The Waterloo Campaign 1975 (2nd ed. 1982) Frank Chadwick wargame
8th Army: Operation Crusader1984 Frank Chadwick wargameDouble Blind series
Battle of Agincourt - 1415 AD1978 Marc Miller wargameSeries 120
Air Strike1987JD WebsterwargameAir Superiority series
Air Superiority1987JD WebsterwargameAir Superiority series
Battle of Alma1978 Frank Chadwick wargameSeries 120
Arctic Front1985 Frank Chadwick wargameThe Third World War series
Assault1983 Frank Chadwick wargameAssault series
Asteroid 1980 Frank Chadwick sci-fiSeries 120
Attack in the Ardennes1982 Frank Chadwick wargame
Avalanche 1976 Frank Chadwick wargame
Azhanti High Lightning 1980 Frank Chadwick & Marc Miller sci-fi Charles S. Roberts Award winner
Bar-Lev 1977 Frank Chadwick wargameAcquired from John Hill/Conflict Games
Battle for Basra1991 Frank Chadwick wargameFirst Battle series
Battle Rider1994 Frank Chadwick sci-fi
Battlefield Europe1990 Frank Chadwick wargameFirst Battle series
Beda Fomm 1979 Frank Chadwick wargameSeries 120
Belter 1979 Frank Chadwick sci-fi
Blood & Thunder1992 Frank Chadwick wargameFirst Battle series
Bloodtree Rebellion 1979Lynn Willissci-fi
Bloody Kasserine1992 Frank Chadwick wargame
Blue Max 1983Phil Hallwargame
Boots & Saddles1984 Frank Chadwick wargameAssault series
Brilliant Lances1993David Nilsensci-fi
Bundeswehr1986 Frank Chadwick wargameAssault series
Burma 1976Bob Fowlerwargame
Case White1977 Frank Chadwick wargame Europa series game VII
Chaco 1973 Marc Miller wargame
Chieftain1988 Frank Chadwick wargameAssault series
Citadel: The Battle of Dien Bien Phu 1977 Frank Chadwick wargame2 Game Designer Guild Awards
Coral Sea 1974 (2nd ed. 1976) Marc Miller wargame
Crimea 1975 Frank Chadwick wargame
Dark Nebula 1980 Marc Miller sci-fiSeries 120
Desert Falcons 1989JD WebsterwargameAir Superiority series
Double Star 1979 Marc Miller sci-fi
Drang Nach Osten! 1973 Frank Chadwick wargame Europa series game I
Eagles 1974 Loren Wiseman wargame
En Garde! 1975 (2nd ed. 1977)Darryl Hanyrpg
Eylau1980Rik Fontanawargame
The Fall of France1981John Astellwargame Europa series game VIII
The Fall of Tobruk 1978 Frank Chadwick wargame
Fifth Frontier War 1981 Marc Miller sci-fi
Fire in the East 1984John Astellwargame Europa series game I
Great Patriotic War 1988 Frank Chadwick wargame
Guilford Courthouse 1978Greg NovakwargameSeries 120
Harpoon1987 Larry Bond wargameincludes supplement Troubled Waters
Harpoon: Captain's Edition1990 Larry Bond wargame
A House Divided 1981 (2nd ed. 1989) Frank Chadwick wargame2 time Charles S. Roberts Award winner
Illad1978Rik Fontanasci-fi
Imperium 1977 Marc Miller sci-fi
Indian Ocean Adventure 1978 Marc Miller wargame
Invasion Earth 1981 Marc Miller sci-fi
Kasserine Pass 1977 Frank Chadwick wargame
La Bataille de la Moscowa 1977 & 1988 John Harshman wargame
Last Battle 1989Tim Ryanrpg
The Battle of Lobositz1978 Frank Chadwick wargameSeries 120
Manassas 1975 (2nd ed. 1976)Tom Ellerwargame
Marita-Merkur1978 Rich Banner wargame Europa series game III
Mayday 1978 Marc Miller sci-fi Charles S. Roberts Award winner
Battle for Midway 1976 Marc Miller wargame
Battle for Moscow 1986 Frank Chadwick wargameFree giveaway, Charles S. Roberts Award finalist
Narvik 1974 (2nd ed. 1980) Frank Chadwick wargame Europa series game IV
The Near East1983John Astellwargame Europa series game IX
The Normandy Campaign1983Ben KnightwargameDouble Blind series
Operation Crusader1978 Frank Chadwick wargame
Operation Market Garden1985 Frank Chadwick wargameDouble Blind series
Over the Top1990Greg NovakwargameCommand Decision series rules
Overlord1978 Frank Chadwick wargame
Pearl Harbor1977 (2nd ed. 1979)John Pradoswargame
Persian Gulf1986 Frank Chadwick wargameThe Third World War series
Pharsalus 1977 Loren Wiseman wargame
Phase Line Smash1992 Frank Chadwick wargamesolitaire game
Port Arthur 1976 Marc Miller wargame
The Battle of Prague1980 Frank Chadwick wargameSeries 120
The Race for Tunis1992 Frank Chadwick wargame
The Battle of Raphia, 217 B.C. 1977 Marc Miller wargameSeries 120
Red Army1982John Astellwargame
Red Empire 1990 Frank Chadwick wargame
Red Star / White Eagle1979Dave Williamswargame
Reinforcements1985 Frank Chadwick wargameAssault series
Road to the Rhine1979 Frank Chadwick wargame
The Sands of War Expansion Kit1992 Frank Chadwick wargameFirst Battle series
The Sands of War1991 Frank Chadwick wargameFirst Battle series
Scorched Earth1987John Astellwargame Europa series game II
Snapshot 1979 Marc Miller sci-fi
Soldier King1982 Frank Chadwick wargame
Southern Front1984 Frank Chadwick wargameThe Third World War series
Spain & Portugal1984 Frank Chadwick wargame Europa series game X
Suez '731981 Frank Chadwick wargame
SSN 1975Stephen Newbergwargame
Stand & Die1991 Frank Chadwick wargameFirst Battle series
Tacforce1980 Frank Chadwick wargameminiatures rules
Team Yankee 1987 Frank Chadwick wargameFirst Battle series
Test of Arms 1988Larry SmithwargameFirst Battle series
Tet Offensive: 19681991 Frank Chadwick wargame
Their Finest Hour1976 Marc Miller wargame Europa series game V
Their Finest Hour1982 & 1984John Astellwargame Europa series game V
The Third World War1984 Frank Chadwick wargameThe Third World War series
Torch1985John Astellwargame Europa series game XI
Torgau 1974 Frank Chadwick wargame
Trenchfoot1981 Frank Chadwick wargame
Triplanetary 1973 (2nd ed. 1981) John Harshman, Marc Miller sci-fi
Tsushima 1976 Marc Miller wargame
Unentschieden 1973 Frank Chadwick wargame Europa series game II
Verdun1978 Marc Miller wargame
Western Desert1983John Astellwargame Europa series game VI
White Death 1979 Frank Chadwick wargame
Yalu1978 John Hill wargame

Miniatures rules

Grenadier Magazine

The Grenadier was the house magazine from 1978 to 1990, with 35 issues. It started off as a quarterly magazine, but towards the end was published sporadically. Although it covered games from all companies, it gave most of the magazine space to GDW games.

Journal of the Travellers Aid Society

Journal of the Travellers Aid Society was a magazine dedicated to Traveller published by GDW between 1979 and 1985.

Challenge

Challenge was a role-playing game magazine that replaced Journal of the Travellers Aid Society . [4] It covered all of GDW's role playing games, not just Traveller. It was published between 1986 and 1996.

Video games

Awards

Related Research Articles

Traveller is a science fiction role-playing game first published in 1977 by Game Designers' Workshop. Marc Miller designed Traveller with help from Frank Chadwick, John Harshman, and Loren Wiseman. Editions were published for GURPS, d20, and other role-playing game systems. From its origin and in the currently published systems, the game relied upon six-sided dice for random elements. Traveller has been featured in a few novels and at least two video games.

<i>Twilight: 2000</i> Post apocalyptic tabletop role-playing game

Twilight: 2000 is a 1984 post-apocalyptic military tabletop role-playing game published by Game Designers' Workshop (GDW). Set in the aftermath of World War III, the game operates on the premise that the United States/NATO and the Soviet Union/Warsaw Pact have fought a lengthy conventional war followed by a limited nuclear war with all its consequences. The player characters are survivors of said war.

<i>2300 AD</i> Tabletop science fiction role-playing game

2300 AD, originally titled Traveller: 2300, is a tabletop science fiction role-playing game created by Game Designers' Workshop (GDW) and first published in 1986.

<i>Space: 1889</i> Steampunk tabletop role-playing game

Space: 1889 is a tabletop role-playing game of Victorian-era space-faring, created by Frank Chadwick and originally published by Game Designers' Workshop (GDW) from 1989 to 1990. It was the first roleplaying game to feature space colonization using steam technology in the style of Jules Verne, H.G. Wells, and Arthur Conan Doyle in what would later be called steampunk. The setting of Space: 1889 has not only produced roleplaying games, but boardgames, books, miniatures and a computer game.

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greg Costikyan</span> American game designer

Greg Costikyan, sometimes known under the pseudonym "Designer X", is an American game designer and science fiction writer. Costikyan's career spans nearly all extant genres of gaming, including: hex-based wargames, role-playing games, boardgames, card games, computer games, online games, and mobile games. Several of his games have won Origins Awards. He co-founded Manifesto Games, now out of business, with Johnny Wilson in 2005.

The Origins Awards are American awards for outstanding work in the gaming industry. They are presented by the Game Manufacturers Association (GAMA) at the Origins Game Fair on an annual basis for games released in the preceding year. For example, the 1979 awards were given at the 1980 game fair. Award categories include board games, card games, tabletop role-playing games, strategy games, and game accessories.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flying Buffalo</span> Role-playing game publisher

Flying Buffalo Inc. (FBI) is a game company with a line of role playing games, card games, and other gaming materials. The company's founder, Rick Loomis, began game publishing with Nuclear Destruction, a play-by-mail game which started the professional PBM industry in the United States. Loomis added games and players while introducing computer moderation and soon incorporated into the company Flying Buffalo Inc. The company published games in other genres, including card games such as Nuclear War and a role playing game called Tunnels & Trolls, a game similar to Dungeons & Dragons. Flying Buffalo acquired its 10,000th customer account number in 1980 and reached its largest size of 21 employees in 1983.

Clash of Arms Games is a wargaming company best known for a high level of graphics quality and moderately to highly complex games, often focusing on the Napoleonic era, but with offerings in most eras of military history. Besides boardgames, such as the La Bataille series, it has published miniature wargaming rulesets, such as Flint & Steel and The Dawn of the Rising Sun.

Classic BattleTech is a table-top wargame set in the fictional BattleTech universe that simulates combat between futuristic mechanized forces. Originally published by FASA Corporation, the game is now produced by Catalyst Game Labs under license from WizKids. The term "Classic" is used to differentiate the original game from variants and related games that have derived from it, such as MechWarrior: Dark Age. The game has an extensive range of 1/285 scale miniatures.

<i>A House Divided</i> (board game) American Civil War tabletop wargame

A House Divided is a strategic level board wargame set in the American Civil War for two players, featuring point-to-point movement, low-complexity rules, and relatively few counters to maneuver. It was designed by Frank Chadwick and published in 1981 by Game Designers Workshop (GDW).

<i>Sky Galleons of Mars</i> Board game

Sky Galleons of Mars is a board wargame designed by Frank Chadwick, Marc W. Miller and Loren Wiseman, published in 1988 by Game Designers' Workshop. It is set in an alternate Victorian Era where the major nations of Earth are extending their colonial interests on Mars and Venus. The discovery of Liftwood, a Martian plant endowed with anti-gravity powers, allows the deployment of aerial fleets in the skies of the Red Planet.

This page lists board and card games, wargames, miniatures games, and tabletop role-playing games published in 1991. For video games, see 1991 in video gaming.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frank Chadwick</span> American game designer and author

Frank Chadwick is an American game designer and New York Times best selling author. He has designed hundreds of games, his most notable being the role-playing games En Garde!, Space: 1889 and Twilight 2000, and the wargame series Europa and The Third World War, as well as creating Traveller with Marc Miller. He has won multiple awards for his work.

Star Wars Miniatures Battles is a tabletop wargame produced by West End Games in 1989.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Striker (miniatures game)</span> Science fiction miniatures wargame

Striker is a science fiction miniatures wargame, designed by Frank Chadwick, and illustrated by William H. Keith. It was published by Game Designers' Workshop in 1981 as a boxed expansion to the Traveller role-playing game. Although Striker is a 15mm miniatures ruleset, GDW consider it their eighth Traveller boardgame. It was republished in 2004 as part of Far Future Enterprises Traveller: The Classic Games, Games 1-6+.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dark Conspiracy</span> Tabletop role-playing game

Dark Conspiracy is a near-future horror role-playing game (RPG) originally written by Lester W. Smith and published by Game Designers' Workshop (GDW) in 1991. Several newer editions have been published.

Challenge was a role-playing game magazine published by Game Designers' Workshop (GDW) between 1986 and 1996.

References

  1. ↑ Jason Weesner (January 11, 2007). "On Game Design: A History of Video Games". Game Career Guide. Retrieved September 14, 2007.
  2. ↑ "Far Future Enterprises - Home". Far Future Enterprises. Retrieved September 14, 2007.
  3. ↑ The Traveller Bibliography, page 25
  4. ↑ "The top 10 RPG magazines of all time". The Shop on the Borderlands. January 12, 2013. Retrieved June 12, 2020.
  5. ↑ "1976 List of Winners Presented at Origins 1977". Academy of Adventure Gaming Arts & Design. Archived from the original on August 30, 2007. Retrieved September 14, 2007.
  6. 1 2 "1978 List of Winners Presented at Origins 1979". Academy of Adventure Gaming Arts & Design. Archived from the original on August 30, 2007. Retrieved September 14, 2007.
  7. 1 2 3 4 "1979 List of Winners Presented at Origins 1980". Academy of Adventure Gaming Arts & Design. Archived from the original on August 30, 2007. Retrieved September 14, 2007.
  8. 1 2 3 4 "1980 List of Winners Presented at Origins 1981". Academy of Adventure Gaming Arts & Design. Archived from the original on August 30, 2007. Retrieved September 14, 2007.
  9. 1 2 3 "1981 List of Winners Presented at Origins 1982". Academy of Adventure Gaming Arts & Design. Archived from the original on August 30, 2007. Retrieved September 14, 2007.
  10. ↑ "1982 List of Winners Presented at Origins 1983". Academy of Adventure Gaming Arts & Design. Archived from the original on August 30, 2007. Retrieved September 14, 2007.
  11. ↑ "1984 List of Winners Presented at Origins 1985". Academy of Adventure Gaming Arts & Design. Archived from the original on August 30, 2007. Retrieved September 14, 2007.
  12. 1 2 "1986 List of Winners Presented at Origins 1987". Academy of Adventure Gaming Arts & Design. Archived from the original on August 30, 2007. Retrieved September 14, 2007.
  13. 1 2 3 "1987 List of Winners Presented at Origins 1988". Academy of Adventure Gaming Arts & Design. Archived from the original on August 30, 2007. Retrieved September 14, 2007.
  14. 1 2 3 "1988 List of Winners Presented at Origins 1989". Academy of Adventure Gaming Arts & Design. Archived from the original on August 30, 2007. Retrieved September 14, 2007.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.