FOR IMEDIATE RELEASE – The Board of Governors is pleased to announce the winners for the 2021 Charles S. Roberts Awards for Excellence in Conflict Simulation Games (“CSR Awards”). We are very proud to have delivered a slate of nominees which are all award-worthy, and outstanding examples of the art of wargame design and production. Nevertheless, in each category, there can be only one winner, and these were decided in our public ballot conducted in November and December of 2022.
The CSR Awards would like to thank all those who participated in the 2021 Awards process, whether by voting in the nominating or final ballots, or contributing in other way to assist the efforts of both completing the 2021 Awards process and by helping to move the Awards forward into the future. Members of the CSR Board of Governors were also instrumental in achieving this.
Additionally, the CSR Awards Board would like to extend our special thanks to Kevin Bertram for swooping in like XXX Corps to the benefit of the new CSR website at https://charlessrobertsawards.com/, and Dan Pancaldi for both his tireless efforts to benefit the Awards, and for preparing our video presentation.
Best Ancients to Medieval Era Board Wargame
For wargames set from before Antiquity to the Middle Ages through 1453.
WINNER: Rome, Inc., Against the Odds, designer Phillip Jelley
Cradle of Civilization, Compass Games, designers Sean Chick & Daniel Chick
Dawn of Battle, Worthington Publishing, designer Mike Nagel
Mediterranean Empires, Decision Games, designer Javier Romero
The Grass Crown, Hollandspiele, designer Amabel Holland
Best Early Gunpowder Board Wargame 1453-1793 AD
For wargames set between 1453 and 1793, explicitly including the Renaissance and Sengoku Jidai.
WINNER: Bayonets & Tomahawks, GMT Games, designer Marc Rodrigue
Commands and Colors: Samurai Battles, GMT Games, designer Richard Borg
Granada: Last Stand of the Moors, Compass Games, designer Jose Antonio Rivero
Lepanto 1571: A Sea Turned Red by Blood, Acies Edizioni, designer Enrico Acerbi
Best Late Gunpowder to Pre-World War I Board Wargame, excluding American Civil War and Napoleonic Topics
For wargames set after 1793, up to World War I , excluding the American Civil War and the Napoleonic Wars involving Napoleon or one of his Marshals.
WINNER: Red Flag Over Paris, GMT Games, designer Fred Serval
First Blood in the Crimea: Battle of the Alma, Compass Games, designer Ty Bomba
Nachod and Skalitz 1866, Vae Victis, designers Arnold Giraud-Moser, Luc Olivier
War of the Triple Alliance, NAC Wargames, designer Pedro Iñaki Martínez
Best Napoleonic Board Wargame
For wargames set in the Napoleonic Wars era between 1793 and 1815 and involving Napoleon or one of his Marshals.
WINNER: Napoleon Invades Spain, Operational Studies Group, designer Kevin Zucker
Coalition: The Napoleonic Wars, Compass Games, designer Javier Garcia de Gabiola
La Bataille de Berlin, Marshal Enterprises, designers James Soto & Dennis A. Spors
La Bataille de Hanau, Legion Wargames, designer Didier Rouy
Trois Jours de Gloire 1805, Vae Victis, designer Frédéric Bey
Best American Civil War Board Wargame
For wargames set during the American Civil War 1861-1865, or dealing with the foundations or aftermath of that conflict.
WINNER: Hood Strikes North, Multi-Man Publishing, designers Joseph M. Balkoski, Ed Beach & Chris Withers
Atlanta Campaign: The Death of Dixie, Lock ‘n Load Publishing, designer Don Lowry
The Day Was Ours, Revolution Games, designer Matt Ward
Our God Was My Shield, Hollandspiele, designer John Theissen
Thunder at Dawn, Revolution Games, designer Claude Whalen
Best World War I Era Board Wargame
For wargames set between 1914 and before the Spanish Civil War.
WINNER: Decisive Victory 1918: Soissons, Legion Wargames, designers Serge Bettencourt, Tim Gale
1914: Fureur à l’Est, Vae Victis, designer Laurent Martin
MacGowan & Lombardy’s The Great War, RBM Studios, designer Dana Lombardy
Empire at Sunrise, Hollandspiele, designer John Gorkowski
Trench Club, PKB Games, designer Philipp K. Berger
Best World War II Era Board Wargame
For wargames set in the period of World War II.
WINNER: Atlantic Chase, GMT Games, designer Jeremy White
Absolute War!, GMT Games, designer Carl Paradis
Conquest & Consequence, GMT Games, designer Craig Besinque
Panzers Last Stand, Multi-Man Publishing, designer Carl Fung
The Third Winter, Multi-Man Publishing, designer Antony Birkett
Zero Leader, Dan Verssen Games, designer Chuck Seegert
Best Modern Era Board Wargame
For wargames set after World War II, during the Cold War, or hypothetical conflicts after World War 2.
WINNER: NATO: The Cold War Goes Hot, Compass Games, designer Bruce Maxwell
1985: Sacred Oil, Thin Red Line Games, designer Fabrizio Vianello
The Dogs of War, Thin Red Line Games, designer Fabrizio Vianello
Indian Ocean Region, Compass Games, designer John Gorkowski
Best Science-Fiction or Fantasy Board Wargame
For wargames set in a science fiction or fantasy setting.
WINNER: Oath: Chronicles of Empire and Exile, Leder Games, designer Cole Wehrle
A Billion Suns: Interstellar Fleet Battles, Osprey Games, designer Mike Hutchinson
Five Parsecs from Home, Modiphius Entertainment, designer Ivan Sorensen
World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King, Z-Man Games, designers Justin Kemppainen, Todd Michlitsch, Alexandar Ortloff & Michael Sanfilippo
Best Solitaire or Cooperative Board Wargame
For wargames designed to be played by one or more players in a cooperative mode, or with a dedicated solitaire experience.
WINNER: Atlantic Chase, GMT Games, designer Jeremy White
Rome, Inc., Against the Odds, designer Phillip Jelley
Soldiers in Postmen’s Uniforms, Dan Verssen Games, designer David Thompson
Tarawa 1943, Worthington Publishing, designers Grant Wylie, Mike Wylie
Zero Leader, Dan Verssen Games, designer Chuck Seegert
Best Magazine Board Wargame
For wargames published or distributed with a wargaming magazine.
WINNER: Hannut: France 1940, Decision Games, designer Joe Youst
Mediterranean Empires, Decision Games, designer Javier Romero
Monty’s D-Day, Against the Odds, designer John Prados
Rome, Inc., Against the Odds, designer Phillip Jelley
World War Africa, Decision Games, designer Javier Romero
Best Expansion or Supplement for an Existing Board Wargame
For a supplement to an existing wargame and not a stand-alone game on its own, and which requires the base game.
WINNER: Undaunted: Reinforcements, Osprey Games, designers David Thompson & Trevor Benjamin
Panzer Grenadier: Black Panthers, Avalanche Press, designer Michael Bennighof
SpaceCorp: Ventures, GMT Games, designer John H. Butterfield
Tank Duel: Expansion #1 – North Africa, GMT Games, designer Mike Bertucelli
Wing Leader: Legends 1937-1945, GMT Games, designer Lee Brimmicombe-Wood
Best Board Wargame Playing Components
For the graphical, physical presentation and visual interface of a wargame’s playing components and player aids, excepting the map or playing surface, and the rules.
WINNER: Atlantic Chase, GMT Games
Bayonets & Tomahawks, GMT Games
Commands and Colors: Samurai Battles, GMT Games
NATO: The Cold War Goes Hot, Compass Games
Panzers Last Stand, Multi-Man Publishing
Best Board Wargame Map Graphics
For the graphical and physical presentation of a wargame’s playing surface or board.
WINNER: Bayonets & Tomahawks, GMT Games, map artist Marc Rodrigue
The Deadly Woods, Revolution Games, map artist Joe Youst
Hood Strikes North, Multi-Man Publishing, map artist Charles Kibler
NATO: The Cold War Goes Hot, Compass Games, map artist Bruce Yearian
Panzers Last Stand, Multi-Man Publishing, map artist Dean Essig
Best Board Wargame Rules
For the complete presentation of a wargame’s rules.
WINNER: Atlantic Chase, GMT Games, designer Jeremy White
Decisive Victory 1918: Soissons, Legion Wargames, designers Serge Bettencourt, Tim Gale
NATO: The Cold War Goes Hot, Compass Games, designer Bruce Maxwell
Panzers Last Stand, Multi-Man Publishing, designer Carl Fung
The Third Winter, Multi-Man Publishing, designer Antony Birkett
Best Cover Art
For artwork of a wargame’s front and back exterior packaging.
WINNER: Storm Above the Reich, GMT Games, box artists Mark Simonitch & Antonis Karidis
303 Squadron, Draco Ideas, box artist Piotr Forkasiewicz
Panzers Last Stand, Multi-Man Publishing, box artist Nicolás Eskubi
The Third Winter, Multi-Man Publishing, box artist Nicolás Eskubi
Best Computer Wargame
For wargames played primarily on a computer.
WINNER: War in the East 2, Slitherine, Ltd.
Combat Mission Cold War, Slitherine, Ltd.
Ultimate Admiral: Dreadnaughts, Game-Labs
Best Wargame Magazine
For a wargame magazine, published regularly, either in print or electronically.
WINNER: C3i, RBM Studios
Against the Odds, LPS, Inc.
Paper Wars, Compass Games
Strategy & Tactics, Decision Games
Best Individual Historical, Scenario Analysis, or Book
For a specific article or series of articles analyzing the history within a wargame, interview, or a new scenario for an existing wargame in print or web format.
WINNER: Wayne Hansen, “Let’s Play! Devil Boats: PT Boats in the Solomons Overview & Review” (https://youtu.be/7oS9ub-bQsM)
Mike Bennighof, “Race in America”, Parts 1-9 (http://www.avalanchepress.com/CriticalRace1.php)
Robert Carroll, “Kilroy’s Deep Dive: Wargame Scale” (https://youtu.be/NyZ-DwelmwU)
Best Game Review or Analysis Website, Webcast, or Podcast
For a wargame review or analysis website, webcast, or podcast. Not for a single episode, but for the outlet as a whole.
WINNER: The Player’s Aid (Blog & YouTube)
Big Board Gaming (Blog & YouTube)
KilroyWasHere (YouTube)
Moe’s Game Table (YouTube)
Wargame of the Year
For the best wargame of the year, excluding reprints and reissues.
WINNER: Atlantic Chase, GMT Games, designer Jeremy White
Bayonets & Tomahawks, GMT Games, designer Marc Rodrigue
NATO: The Cold War Goes Hot, Compass Games, designer Bruce Maxwell
Panzers Last Stand, Multi-Man Publishing, designer Carl Fung
The Third Winter, Multi-Man Publishing, designer Antony Birkett
James F. Dunnigan Design Elegance Award
For the wargame or person that has made the most impact in the past year.
WINNER: David Thompson
Carl Fung
Jeremy White
Clausewitz Award Hall of Fame
For an individual who has made significant contributions to the wargame industry, who has not been previously awarded.
INDUCTEE: Chad Jensen
William H. Keith, Jr.
Michael Rinella
Volko Ruhnke
Charles S. Roberts Best New Designer Award
For a designer or team of designers whose first or second published wargame design was released during the year.
WINNER: Marc Rodrigue
Serge Bettencourt
Antony Birkett
Chuck Seegert