Hollandspiele

John Theissen’s streamlined approach to operational warfare in the nineteenth century in games such as Hood’s Last Gamble and Campaign of Nations has won him a number of admirers. Now he turns his attention to the last war of the Roman Republic, to the marching of Legions and the sailing of fleets, to the rise of Augustus and the fall of Mark Antony and the savvy Queen of Egypt, Cleopatra.

Each player must raise troops and build ships, using these military forces to enact their will and conduct campaigns against the enemy. Along the way, they will face the challenges inherent in ancient warfare: the difficulty of keeping troops supplied, perilous storms at sea, the spreading of plagues, and the opportunistic assaults of Rome’s external enemies. As the war wears on, both sides will attempt to chip away at the other’s prestige and standing. If your prestige falls low enough, your troops and provinces might defect, tipping the balance. And should it fall to zero, you lose this high stakes battle. The winner shall rule over an empire. The loser? Well, as Octavian said before Cleopatra’s son was strangled, two Caesars are one too many.

The spoils of victory and the consequences of defeat might not be quite as serious as all that when the troops are made of cardboard, but Antony and Cleopatra allows you to refight this epic contest for ultimate power in the relative safety of your home or gaming club.

Though somewhat more granular and detailed than Mr. Theissen’s other games for Hollandspiele, this remains a quick, compelling, and accessible exploration of this fascinating subject. 

• (1) 22" x 34" map
• (88) 5/8" counters
• 12-page rulebook
• 4-page Player Aid
• 2 Player Display Sheets
• 20 Province Cards
• 1 six-sided die

In the wake of the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, a complex web of interlocking treaties led to powers both great and small taking sides in the Great War. Belgium, however, declared its neutrality. German war plans against France called for an invasion through Belgium, and they demanded free passage. When the Belgians refused, the Germans invaded...

Brave Little Belgium recreates this dramatic early campaign of the First World War in a lightning-quick introductory wargame with plenty of challenges for both sides. As the German Player, you must smash through the enemy’s defenses as quickly as possible, relentlessly advancing. But push your men too hard, and they might commit atrocities that will rally world opinion against you. As the Entente Player, you must stage a desperate defense against overwhelming odds. When and where to fall back, and where to take a stand, are decisions of vital importance.

Combat is fast and streamlined, while a clever take on chit-pull activations creates moments of tension and uncertainty. The result is an engaging wargame for new recruits and grognards alike from first-time designers and longtime friends Ryan Heilman and Dave Shaw.

• (1) 22" x 17" map
• (88) 5/8" counters
• 8-page rulebook
• 8 six-sided dice

The death of Carloman in 771 left his twenty-nine year old brother Charles in control of the Frankish Empire. What Charles did with that power over the course of the next forty-plus years is the stuff of legend. His unparalleled achievements in warfare, diplomacy, administration, and culture led to the sobriquet Carolus Magnus: Charles the Great: Charlemagne, King of the Franks and of the Lombards, and Emperor of the Romans.

In this solitaire strategy game, you assume the Frankish throne, and seek to duplicate - or exceed - Charlemagne's singular genius, while hopefully avoiding some of his mistakes, such as the famous defeat at Roncevaux (immortalized in the Song of Roland). As you conquer new territory and incorporate it into your empire, you'll need to contend with rebels and palace intriguers. Building public works and patronizing the Carolingian Renaissance will increase your prestige and wealth. Along the way you'll need to win the support of the papacy, buy off Viking marauders, convert the pagans in Saxony, contend with incursions from Moorish Spain (Al-Andalus), and maintain detente with the Byzantine Empire.

Like its spiritual predecessor Agricola, Master of Britain, this game models the consent of the governed (or lack thereof) with a series of three opaque containers, the contents of which secretly change in reaction to the actions you take. Do something that people like, and the populace leans friendly. Do something they don’t, and they lean in the other direction, inviting rebellions from within and invasions from without. Over the course of your long reign, these subtle adjustments will pile up, resulting in a game state that reacts to you and reflects the character and effectiveness of your rule. This makes it a solitaire gaming experience in which your decisions matter. You’re not fighting against the vagaries of an event deck, trying to outsmart a braindead AI, or finding loopholes in a flowchart. Your job is to govern a vast and fractious empire with a savvy combination of wisdom and ruthlessness.

One of our first big hits, Agricola was a clever and challenging little game about bringing order to a small island. Charlemagne, Master of Europe delivers on the promise of Agricola with a grand, sweeping epic, saturated with period detail, spanning decades and a continent.

• 1 full-sheet of counters
• 1 17" x 22" mapsheet
• 1 20-page rulebook
• 1 four-page PAC
• 1 eight-sided die

170CE. Plague ravages the Empire. With the Legions depleted by disease and spread thin across the endless frontier, opportunistic Germanic tribes and fierce Sarmatian raiders strike across the Danube deep into Imperial territory. To face this threat, the Emperor Marcus Aurelius, an untested commander who has never set foot outside of Italy, must transform himself from an introspective philosopher into a cunning warrior and fearless leader.

This debut game from filmmaker and designer Robert DeLeskie was created for BoardGameGeek's annual Wargame PNP Contest, where it was crowned the Overall Winner. Additionally it won all but one of the other categories in which it competed, including Best Rules, Most Original Concept, Best Solitaire Game, Best Strategic Scale Game, and Best Short/Quick/Small Game.

Working with Hollandspiele's development team and playtesters, Mr. DeLeskie has expanded upon his original design, resulting in a richer and more varied decision space that rewards repeated plays and multiple strategies.

• (1) 22" x 17" mapsheet
• (54) 3/4" counters
• 100 cards in two decks
• 12 page Rulebook
• (2) six-sided dice