@sdhistcon.bsky.social Nov2025 games diary - thanks DavidF! boardgamegeek.com/blog/868/blo...

NEW POST: It's my fourth year attending @sdhistcon.bsky.social, a historic gaming convention I look forward to all year. Here are all the games I played: www.boardgamemeeplelady.com/2025/11/18/s...

@sdhistcon.bsky.social 2025 travelog via @leder.games -- ledergamesromp.podbean.com/e/031-sd-his...

Guess what? Besides the cool seminars/talks and seeing the local sights I also played some GAMES at @sdhistcon.bsky.social . As befits this unique event, the titles reflect new directions in “wargaming,” as well as older precursors of the same. History Games!

This past weekend, I was delighted to attend @sdhistcon.bsky.social, where on Saturday I played not one, not two, but three games about selling opium. It was quite the day. Read about it here: spacebiff.com/2025/11/13/s...

At San Diego airport on the way home from SDHistcon, squeezing in one more game… @gmtgames.bsky.social

More than anything, I am grateful for the welcoming nature of the community @sdhistcon.bsky.social has built. I am relatively new to the historical gaming space, but I have been greeted with open arms and encouraged to pursue design and included in all kinds of interesting discussions.

And now that I've had a decent night's sleep, a more in-depth recap of my time in San Diego this past weekend at #SDHistCon. It was only my second time there, and I got even more out of it than I did the first one. This convention is consistently excellent in what it delivers.

What a great experience at @sdhistcon.bsky.social! Finally had a chance to play Cross Bronx Expressway, the John Co. Mega-Game, Bowie, Tierra y Libertad, and even run a double demo of Chicago '68... Huge thanks to all the convention staff, players, and designers for making this happen!!

Fun was had playing Foxes & Lions today!

Farewell #SDHistCon!! So great to see y'all!! Including @andrewbucholtz.bsky.social @bggandrew.bsky.social @mirikuski.bsky.social @beyondsolitaire.bsky.social @colewehrle.bsky.social @zillablitz.bsky.social @koboldcurrychef.bsky.social @meeplelady.bsky.social @volko.bsky.social @volko.bsky.social

"Race to Rabaul 1943" is a forthcoming addition to the "Race to the Rhine" series by PHALANX. Volko Ruhnke made an excellent game where players have to wrestle with the push and pull of logistics in the Pacific theater. The adversarial gameplay is great. #wargaming @volko.bsky.social

@volko.bsky.social teaching his Race to Rabaul coming soon from @phalanxgames.bsky.social @sebastianbae.bsky.social playing today too!

Thanks to everyone for a wonderful @sdhistcon.bsky.social! Always a highlight of my year. So great to see amazing people and teach and play games. A few further highlights: Team Undaunted, 1846, Waterways, and Chalice of Poison.

Thanks @sdhistcon.bsky.social for an amazing con! There's never enough time to play all the games I want to play, but I cherish the time spent hanging out with all these cool people. Until next year!

Again, another wonderful time at @sdhistcon.bsky.social . Finished up with Race To Rabaul 1943 with @volko.bsky.social

#SDHistCon was as great as ever this year. Flying home today after an incredibly enriching experience. I’m always grateful for the opportunity to meet new people, to see old friends, and especially to check out all the cool games people have in the works! Thanks to @sdhistcon.bsky.social as always!

War Story: Occupied France is the winner of this year's @sdhistcon.bsky.social Summit Award! Huge congratulations to @djackthompson.bsky.social, Dave Neale, @kwanchai.bsky.social and the whole team here at Osprey Games 👏👏👏 Read more and find the other amazing finalists https://bit.ly/4qWpgbk

As much as I liked the games I played (to be described on my next podcast), I also liked the other opportunities at @sdhistcon.bsky.social . I went to the nearby Sunset Cliffs, saw the impressive Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery, and listened to more seminar panels.

Got to check out Queen of Spies by @beyondsolitaire.bsky.social and @djackthompson.bsky.social at @sdhistcon.bsky.social! Who doesn't love a female spy network? 🐦‍⬛🕵🏽‍♀️

Another day of teaching #Chevauchée #levyandcampaign @sdhistcon.bsky.social #SdHistCon2025 I have Florent from @nutspublishing.bsky.social today.

We had our annual in-person meeting with the @sdhistcon.bsky.social board of directors and advisors!

It’s Designers vs Content Creators @sdhistcon.bsky.social #SDHistCon2025 #Seljuk #LevyandCampaign

A marvelous outdoor lunch with friends at SDHistCon. Where is @fredserval.bsky.social? 😀🌴 #boardgames @sdhistcon.bsky.social @wargamestogo.bsky.social @beyondsolitaire.bsky.social @djackthompson.bsky.social

Day 3 of @sdhistcon.bsky.social is a wrap, and my final day at the con unfortunately. Had a lovely time as always and already excited to get back next year. Played some superb games throughout the event with some of the best people around!

A fantastic & tight game of "Pacific Chase"! Despite early success by the US in seizing Guadalcanal, I was able to seize victory by pouncing on the southern US & ANZAC fleets for a decisive fleet engagement. The "trajectory" mechanic in this system is such an innovative mechanic.

Great afternoon facilitating a 4-player game of Bretwalda at SDHistCon. Everything came down to the last turn! @phalanxgames.bsky.social #boardwargames #boardgames @sdhistcon.bsky.social

A rare treat to get back into some smaller/lighter wargames & history games at @sdhistcon.bsky.social .

Started SDHistcon today with another @fortcircle.bsky.social upcing title, First Monday In October. Brain-burnery historical action, very interesting with lots of ways to influence the Supreme Court.

It’s @zillablitz.bsky.social learning/teaching Bretwalda at @sdhistcon.bsky.social

👀 @sdhistcon.bsky.social #SDHistCon2025 #Seljuk #LevyandCampaign

Another day of teaching #Chevauchée #levyandcampaign @sdhistcon.bsky.social #SdHistCon2025

Famed game designers @danbullock.bsky.social, @volko.bsky.social, and @colewehrle.bsky.social discussing historical game design at our Summit convention in a panel hosted by @arturnottheking.bsky.social.

Congratulations to @amabel.bsky.social . A well deserved award and a good recognition of her paper as a very important contributor to the evolution of the hobby. Not just by exploring new ideas and themes with her games but also as a generator of discussion and ideas.

"Fire in the Lake" with Volko and Mark, giants of the #wargaming field. @volko.bsky.social

Teaching First Monday in October at SDHistCon

Had an amazing time demoing Cross-Bronx Expressway for two tables at @sdhistcon.bsky.social this morning. Thanks to @alexknight.bsky.social, @yoyoni.bsky.social, and Justin DeVries (and, not pictured, @mirikuski.bsky.social, Damani Pant, and Nathaniel James) for playing!

I don't usually go in for awards and such but this means an awful lot, both because it's my work being recognized by peers, and because I remember Bobby Nunes fondly. It's also one of the video essays I am proudest of.

We're thrilled to announce @amabel.bsky.social's video essay “Vonnegut’s Board Game: Preservation, Annotation, Context” as the recipient of the 2025 Bobby Nunes Memorial Award. More info on the award here: sdhist.com/amabel-holla.... Check out the essay here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=5xXy...

War Stories is a gem, I don't think we ever felt as tense during any other Choose-your-own-Adventure game. You're constantly doubting NPCs intentions and your own decisions, because one wrong move could be fatal. Congrats to Dave Neale and @djackthompson.bsky.social for winning the Summit Award!

SDHist is proud to announce War Story: Occupied France as the recipient of the fourth annual Summit Award: sdhist.com/war-story-oc.... Congrats to designers Dave Neale and @djackthompson.bsky.social and publisher @ospreygames.bsky.social!

#SDHISTCON 2025 is in full swing! So many games on the table! #wargaming

Playing Fruit by Dan Bullock in San Diego.

I had a lot of fun teaching! Great students for #Chevauchée

Day 1 of @sdhistcon.bsky.social was great. Got to play some prototypes of mine with some very smart people and got some amazing feedback. Excited for day 2!

Played Valkyrie, it's basically Black Orchestra but faster. I dug it. @sdhistcon.bsky.social

Some epic Atlantic Chase gameplay this morning with James at SDHistCon! Thanks JP for teaching. :) @sdhistcon.bsky.social @gmtgames.bsky.social #boardwargames #boardgames

Playing Traces of Victory with @vucasimulations.bsky.social and @smarkg52.bsky.social at SDHistCon. Patrick deftly held off my Allied advance! #boardwargames #boardgames @sdhistcon.bsky.social

Day 1 of @sdhistcon.bsky.social! Starting with Indonesia. Thanks @bggandrew.bsky.social for teaching!

A fairly experienced Fire In The Lake team. @sdhistcon.bsky.social @volko.bsky.social @markherman54.bsky.social @andrewbucholtz.bsky.social