Wargaming has been done recreationally for centuries. The modern incarnation of wargaming dates back to the founding of The Avalon Hill Game Company in 1958; commercial board wargaming at the tactical level (see the FAQ link above for a full definition of "tactical" as it applies to the scope of this website) began in 1969 with the publication of Tac Game 3, the forerunner of PanzerBlitz. The early tactical level board games struggled to give expression to what miniatures players had been doing for decades in their own depictions of "modern" ground combat. Squad Leader came along in 1977 and bridged a gap between the two, with blatant appeals in print ads to miniatures fans while also beckoning to the beer & pretzels board gaming crowd.

In the 1980s, personal computers and video game consoles both arrived on the scene, competing for hobby dollars, and there was even the occasional role playing game title devoted to modern military combat. Several PC titles vied for the status of being "Squad Leader for the computer", beginning with Avalon Hill's own Under Fire! No title succeeded; some died off quietly, others carried on in their own way and forged successful series, including Close Combat and Combat Mission.

And in the 21st Century, we see not only strange hybrids of board and computer gaming - with purpose built PC games emulating hexes and dice, but also java applications allowing online play of cardboard favourites - but an actual resurgence of board games and even miniatures.

As developers, third party publishers, and fans sink their teeth into creating and devouring new offerings, it may be wise at some points to stop and reflect on the rich historical tapestry that has become the commercial tactical wargaming community. Many titles are now permanently out of print and in danger of being forgotten altogether.

The purpose of this website will be to share some pertinent information regarding the history of commercial wargaming, with a focus on tactical level gaming, with 20th Century or "modern" subjects. The emphasis is further on true tactical gaming - first person shooters, for example, or pong-like games can probably be discounted. The webmaster's main interest is in boardgames and PC titles but is willing to collect and share data on miniatures, RPGs and console games if others are willing to do the same. Links to the other excellent sources already out there - sites such as grognard.com, boardgamegeek.com and videogamegeek - are provided where relevant. There is no desire to duplicate the work of these two reference sites; rather, readers will perceive a different and fresh perspective.

Update October 2025 - the decision has been made to cut off the site's data regarding new game titles as of 2019. That was when the last major updates were made, and in retrospect, 2019 is a nice round number - 50 years between the introduction of Tac Game 3 in 1969 and The Last Hundred Yards in 2019. The webmaster has simply had no time to keep the site updated or indeed enjoy many of the games listed on its pages.