Steve Negus
@stevenegus.bsky.social
Game developer at TaleWorlds.com. Interested in historically inspired strategy games, especially those dealing with insurgency or political transition. Former journalist covering Egypt and Iraq with FT, AP and others. Opinions my own.
The game draws from academic work done on the military competence of authoritarian regimes, and shows how the temptation of turning to strongman rule does not in fact make your nation any stronger, even in the old school sense of raw military might - it has the opposite effect, in fact.
April 1, 2025 at 6:56 PM
The game draws from academic work done on the military competence of authoritarian regimes, and shows how the temptation of turning to strongman rule does not in fact make your nation any stronger, even in the old school sense of raw military might - it has the opposite effect, in fact.
Can't wait to try it again, especially when Akar is able to include some art from the two warring powers - whose propaganda poster game was probably superior to their military skills, at least at the start of the war.
April 1, 2025 at 6:51 PM
Can't wait to try it again, especially when Akar is able to include some art from the two warring powers - whose propaganda poster game was probably superior to their military skills, at least at the start of the war.
I played on a team representing Saddam and his inner circle, and we chose cautious investment in reforms that would pay off later - only to see the Iranians surge forward in the south and cut off part of our vital oil experts. Their problems with Khuzistani guerrillas were small consolation.
April 1, 2025 at 6:48 PM
I played on a team representing Saddam and his inner circle, and we chose cautious investment in reforms that would pay off later - only to see the Iranians surge forward in the south and cut off part of our vital oil experts. Their problems with Khuzistani guerrillas were small consolation.
Each player starts off with loyal but incompetent commanders and a very limited supply of "Authority" cubes which are expended to (slowly) build up military capacity while also staving off a coup, as dissidents plot bombings and your enemy presses on multiple fronts.
April 1, 2025 at 6:42 PM
Each player starts off with loyal but incompetent commanders and a very limited supply of "Authority" cubes which are expended to (slowly) build up military capacity while also staving off a coup, as dissidents plot bombings and your enemy presses on multiple fronts.
The game is unique, as far as I'm aware, in that the military operations are relatively simple and players are steered towards tough decisions on the internal political front: such as when to purge generals and when to empower them, and how far and how fast to press five different sets of reforms.
April 1, 2025 at 6:40 PM
The game is unique, as far as I'm aware, in that the military operations are relatively simple and players are steered towards tough decisions on the internal political front: such as when to purge generals and when to empower them, and how far and how fast to press five different sets of reforms.
I was really glad for the chance to play Chalice of Poison by Akar Bharadvaj, covering the Iran-Iraq war with a political focus: two fragile regimes locked in struggle, knowing that reforms that lead to victory on the battlefield (like letting generals communicate easily) could also lead to a coup.
April 1, 2025 at 6:32 PM
I was really glad for the chance to play Chalice of Poison by Akar Bharadvaj, covering the Iran-Iraq war with a political focus: two fragile regimes locked in struggle, knowing that reforms that lead to victory on the battlefield (like letting generals communicate easily) could also lead to a coup.
For Digvijaya, I need to make a lot more use of the map, reminding players which kinds of population carry which modifiers. Tokens also need a whole slew of improvements.
boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/44...
boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/44...
Digvijaya
Rival religious movements compete to spread their beliefs in medieval India.
boardgamegeek.com
April 1, 2025 at 6:13 PM
For Digvijaya, I need to make a lot more use of the map, reminding players which kinds of population carry which modifiers. Tokens also need a whole slew of improvements.
boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/44...
boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/44...
One particularly valuable suggestion for Angria was to add a new player aid card that provides a flowchart for the sequence of play. Also, I plan to tweak the trading system to put more importance on card placement and bluffing and less on die rolls.
boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/43...
boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/43...
Angria
Fleets and corsairs battle to control trade on the coasts of 18th century India.
boardgamegeek.com
April 1, 2025 at 6:06 PM
One particularly valuable suggestion for Angria was to add a new player aid card that provides a flowchart for the sequence of play. Also, I plan to tweak the trading system to put more importance on card placement and bluffing and less on die rolls.
boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/43...
boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/43...
Thanks to everyone who played Angria and Digvijaya and gave feedback. First and foremost, I need to use every opportunity to use the components both to communicate the game design and remind the players of easy-to-forget modifiers!
April 1, 2025 at 6:04 PM
Thanks to everyone who played Angria and Digvijaya and gave feedback. First and foremost, I need to use every opportunity to use the components both to communicate the game design and remind the players of easy-to-forget modifiers!
BGG now has a Digvijaya page too:
boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/44...
boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/44...
Digvijaya
Rival religious movements compete to spread their beliefs in medieval India.
boardgamegeek.com
March 26, 2025 at 5:37 PM
BGG now has a Digvijaya page too:
boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/44...
boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/44...
Will also be running a pair of Teach and Plays for Angria, a two-player game on corsairs on western India's Konkan coast. boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/43...
Angria
Fleets and corsairs battle to control trade on the coasts of 18th century India.
boardgamegeek.com
March 26, 2025 at 3:02 AM
Will also be running a pair of Teach and Plays for Angria, a two-player game on corsairs on western India's Konkan coast. boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/43...
In this three-player game, Hindu and Muslim reformers, missionaries, rebels and holy warriors establish movements and dynasties and win converts, while a third Syncretic player tries to reshape their theologies in line with the Indian tradition of blending and harmonizing faiths.
March 26, 2025 at 3:00 AM
In this three-player game, Hindu and Muslim reformers, missionaries, rebels and holy warriors establish movements and dynasties and win converts, while a third Syncretic player tries to reshape their theologies in line with the Indian tradition of blending and harmonizing faiths.
Thanks for putting this together! I'd like to be added, if my account (mostly reviews of historical boardgames plus some of my own projects) fits your list.
November 19, 2024 at 1:10 AM
Thanks for putting this together! I'd like to be added, if my account (mostly reviews of historical boardgames plus some of my own projects) fits your list.
Also looking for wargamers in eastern Los Angeles county or nearby (Riverside, San Bernardino, Orange County, etc) who might be interested in getting together one or two days a month.
November 18, 2024 at 9:17 PM
Also looking for wargamers in eastern Los Angeles county or nearby (Riverside, San Bernardino, Orange County, etc) who might be interested in getting together one or two days a month.
Thanks for doing this! I'm working on a boardgame on corsairing and coastal warfare in 18th century India ("Angria"), and am also posting reviews/first impressions of historical boardgames on this account.
November 18, 2024 at 9:15 PM
Thanks for doing this! I'm working on a boardgame on corsairing and coastal warfare in 18th century India ("Angria"), and am also posting reviews/first impressions of historical boardgames on this account.
Anyway, Artur said he is working on single-player and cooperative variants where the Portuguese are played by the AI, but I would still think that two-player is the more rewarding gaming experience.
November 17, 2024 at 9:35 PM
Anyway, Artur said he is working on single-player and cooperative variants where the Portuguese are played by the AI, but I would still think that two-player is the more rewarding gaming experience.
Palmares goes into considerable detail to model the bandeirantes' incentives. As a bandeirante, your superiors might expect you to recapture fugitives, clear out routes into the interior, or simply inflict punishment - and guessing that incentive helps the quilombos resist.
November 17, 2024 at 9:35 PM
Palmares goes into considerable detail to model the bandeirantes' incentives. As a bandeirante, your superiors might expect you to recapture fugitives, clear out routes into the interior, or simply inflict punishment - and guessing that incentive helps the quilombos resist.
We have a tendency to look at evil as something akin to a diabolical force that tests our morals and resolve. But, evil is usually a human institution, with its own incentives and limitations on its power, and one usually has to understand those to resist effectively.
November 17, 2024 at 9:35 PM
We have a tendency to look at evil as something akin to a diabolical force that tests our morals and resolve. But, evil is usually a human institution, with its own incentives and limitations on its power, and one usually has to understand those to resist effectively.
We have a tendency to look at evil as something akin to a diabolical force that tests our morals and resolve. But, evil is usually a human institution, with its own incentives and limitations on its power, and one usually has to understand those to resist effectively.
November 17, 2024 at 9:35 PM
We have a tendency to look at evil as something akin to a diabolical force that tests our morals and resolve. But, evil is usually a human institution, with its own incentives and limitations on its power, and one usually has to understand those to resist effectively.