Homo Ludens Podcast

Don't call it a comeback 'cause they've always been here, the boys are finally starting 1863! This episode the lads dive into the Civil War's longest battle, playing 2022's Give Us Victories, an Italian design courtesy of Sergio Schiavi. What will they think of this bespoke take on Chancellorsville, how will it compare to their previous outing in Rebel Fury, and will Stuart manage to keep the historical context to under 10 minutes?

After a hiatus where Stuart took up his new position as Homo Lodens Eastern Correspondent, we're back with another installment of We Intend to Move on Your Works! This episode the gang are reaching back in time to the distant past of the mid-1990s to play the John Prados' design Army of the Heartland. We're also jumping back in the narrative of the podcast to pick up where we left off after Shiloh in the western theater to spend some time with everyone's favorite incompetent Confederate: Braxton Bragg. Army of the Heartland is a big ol' operational game by one of wargaming's most unique designers and published by Clash of Arms. Featuring gorgeous Rick Barber maps, several fistfuls of systems, and more battle flags than a 1930s Cake Walk, what will the boys make of it all?

The gang has finally reached the end of 1862 (in Virginia at least) with Ambrose Burnside's ill fated turn at the head of the Army of the Potomac, as depicted in the new hotness that is Mark Herman's Rebel Fury. It promises dynamic movement and a new take on ACW combat, all in a simple quick playing ruleset. As fans of the C3i game Gettysburg that Rebel Fury builds on, will Pierre and Stuart enjoy this new entry from a much beloved designer or will it go the way of Burnside and be demoted and shipped off to fight on another table?

In this episode of the Homo Ludens podcast, we bring you a collective review of Plantagenet, the latest game in Volko Ruhnke's Levy & Campaign Series, designed by Francisco Gradaille and published by GMT Games. Our Discord server members—supporters of the show—learned and played this intricate medieval wargame and now share their thoughts on the strategies, historical depth, and gameplay experience. Set during the Wars of the Roses, Plantagenet adds layers of political intrigue and shifting loyalties to the familiar Levy & Campaign system. To join future game reviews and support the show, head over to our Ko-Fi page: https://ko-fi.com/homoludens1871. A special thanks to GMT Games for providing a review copy of the game!

We’re Back to Berg baby! After a mixed experience crossing the mountains, the boys are trying one of Berg’s takes on Antietam, arguably the most influential battle of the American Civil War. Originally published in 1995, the same year as the first GMT edition of Three Days of Gettysburg which would spawn the modern era of GBACW, and substantially revised in 2002, Glory is a light hex and counter from one of our favorite designers. Will we like it more than GBACW? You can probably already guess!