SDHistCon

Just a quick public service announcement for folks attending @sdhistcon.bsky.social. @nbsp1618.bsky.social and I have just added a demo of our forthcoming game, Fifth Platoon, to the events schedule for Saturday at 3PM. Only three slots available if you're interested in checking out the game.

Mentioned In Dispatches S17 E2 — Convention Planning Cons don't just 'happen'! There's a lot that goes into them—picking the time on the calendar, dealing with venues, planning your events, & dealing with attendees, so we brought together a great panel to talk about them armchairdragoons.com...

A little early morning fun. Working on the counter sheet for Throw Down That Flag. Co-designed with @beyondsolitaire.bsky.social for the @sdhistcon.bsky.social Night Market on 7 November. It will be printed by Blue Panther.

Finally, Onoda is a dark look at a troubled soul who would rather wage war against the whole world than accept surrender. Is this honor or cowardice? Maybe sickness? Multiple films and books have documented this tale, but it's the board game that tells it most honestly. spacebiff.com/2024/10/21/o...

Molly House has been feted by many awards already, but for good reason: with community and loyalty mastering more than ever, this rumination on love, identity, and empire can't help but feel like one of the most relevant games ever designed. spacebiff.com/2025/02/12/m...

Chicago '68 applies the card-driven formula to street action and protest rather than sweeping strategic conflict, presenting a more intimate and timely look at how the most important power is local power. spacebiff.com/2024/08/19/c...

First is Battlefields of the Napoleonic Wars, an incredibly approachable introduction to hex-and-counter table battles. Its designers run this business out of their basements; it's a labor of love, and surprisingly innovative. spacebiff.com/2025/09/25/b...

The Summit Award nominees for @sdhistcon.bsky.social have been announced! I wanted to take a minute to mention each one in turn and why it's so exciting.

From 1968 Chicago protests to queer life in Georgian London: Summit Award continues to celebrate designs that broaden historical gaming: boardgamewire.com/index.php/20... @sdhistcon.bsky.social @colewehrle.bsky.social @fgradaille.bsky.social @miasmacorp.bsky.social @yoyoni.bsky.social

We are thrilled to announce the finalists for the 2026 Summit Award, the fifth such award. They are Battlefields of the Napoleonic Wars, Chicago '68, Molly House, and Onoda, with The Bell of Treason and Winter Rabbit as honorable mentions. More details: sdhist.com/2026-summit-...

NEW POST: Last month, @sdhistcon.bsky.social held its first ever North convention in St. Paul, Minneapolis, inside the Union Depot, a gorgeous location that had lots of hotels and restaurants within walking distance. Here's what I played. www.boardgamemeeplelady.com/2026/08/05/s...

Hopping on The Chit Show with Harold Buchanan, @ardwulf.bsky.social, and Dan Pancaldi to talk about past and upcoming @sdhistcon.bsky.social events! Tune in:

Thanks to everyone who made #SDHistConNorth2026 so magical! Here's a recap looking back at it, with photos and collections of written, audio, and video recaps from attendees: sdhist.com/highlights-a...

Our next convention is just around the corner! Saturday, Aug. 8 at noon PDT/3 p.m. EDT, tickets will go on sale for #SDHistConSummit2026, to be held from Nov. 6-9 at the SES Portuguese Hall in Point Loma San Diego (with a pre-convention brewery meetup Nov. 5). More info: sdhist.com/tickets-sdhi...

New @decisionspace.bsky.social is a report from @sdhistcon.bsky.social North! We talk about a bunch of games we played at this unique convention. I had an awesome time there and I hope my enthusiasm for the experience comes through! open.spotify.com/episode/0vDa...

Please consider nominating Chicago ‘68 for this year’s @sdhistcon.bsky.social Summit Award ✊

I just ordered 500 Steel 9mm Luger Once Fired Casings for use as pawns in the 50 copies of COINTELPRO: The Assaination of Fred Hampton, I'll have for sale at the @sdhistcon.bsky.social Summit 2026 Night Market. They've been wet washed and dry tumbled. Don't worry about explosive residue. Trust me!

Nominations are now open for the 2026 Summit Award (for historical games published in 2025) and the 2026 Bobby Nunes Memorial Award (for historical gaming content published in 2025)! More info, and the nominations form, available here: sdhist.com/nominations-...

On my most recent Live Cardboard, I did a recap of everything I did and saw at SD Histcon North. It ends with a conversation about weather, because that's what midwesterners do. @sdhistcon.bsky.social #SDHistConNorth2026 youtube.com/live/6YMM6-Z...

Thanks to @beyondsolitaire.bsky.social for a great recap of her time at #SDHistConNorth2026! youtu.be/yNywN2718Oo

SDHistConNorth was a great time! The only thing better than the games were the kind and welcoming people at the table. My wife and I had a great time. Thanks to all the folks teaching games and the @sdhistcon.bsky.social staff making sure things were running smoothly!

An awesome recap of SDHistCon! @sdhistcon.bsky.social #boardwargames #boardgames

More fun from SDHistCon North. :) A delightful game of Crisis 1914 with the marvelous @beyondsolitaire.bsky.social, @djackthompson.bsky.social, @pushingcardboard.bsky.social, and @lukeevison.bsky.social. @sdhistcon.bsky.social

4th game played at SDHistConNorth Rebels Against Rebellion by @djackthompson.bsky.social and Trevor Benjamin. Super interesting little-known civil war theme, 2 player deck builder of sorts. The game def won me over. Lots of tension and our game felt very balanced @sdhistcon.bsky.social

3rd game played at SDHistConNorth - Politik - a heavy but accessible game on Gamefound now, taught by @zillablitz.bsky.social. Play political, economical and military fronts in a Euro style game making a tight sandbox feel to it. Really cool, amazing art. @sdhistcon.bsky.social

2nd game played at SDHistConNorth - Shakespeare’s First Folio by @fortcircle.bsky.social. I pre-ordered this a while back as theme wise and tricktaking it is a perfect game for me. Loved it. @sdhistcon.bsky.social

First game played at SDHistConNorth - Microverse by Sam London and @gmtgames.bsky.social 4x space game with very different faction powers - I immediately P500’d it. @sdhistcon.bsky.social

An interlude for the England-Norway game at the excellent Barrel Theory was then prelude to perhaps THE event of the Con, the John Company Mega Game run by the @wehrlegig.games crew. I couldn't have wished for a finer family to plunder, scandalise, & be clueless with than my fellow Larkins. (Pt 4)

After lunch I filled in on a game of Shakespeare's First Folio (@fortcircle.bsky.social), which is light but lovely, as well as gorgeously illustrated (my own photo didn't do justice). Then a speedy impromptu playtest of Hell Raisers- testing a company coal/bidding idea from a test on Friday (pt3)

I then had a blast with @yoyoni.bsky.social's Nights of Ludd. All mills wrecked, all oaths kept, but certainly not all objectives met. Coordinating actions & dodging the authorities is very much the game- but you individual priorities (for Studham, Baines, Byron, & co) risk tearing you apart (pt2)

A personal #SDHistConNorth2026 recap- Day 1 Morn: We kicked off in the stately (and mercifully well-cooled) Union Depot, with @ryanschneider.bsky.social manning the greeting desks. I sat in on an immediately spicy Night Witches demo from @beyondsolitaire.bsky.social, who pulled no punches! (pt1...)

People were the best part of #SDHistConNorth2026! Thanks @jeffdreher.bsky.social, @danbullock.bsky.social, @ryanschneider.bsky.social, @beyondsolitaire.bsky.social, @meeplelady.bsky.social, @djackthompson.bsky.social, @volko.bsky.social, @colewehrle.bsky.social, + all other board/advisors/attendees!

And our pre-convention events were incredible, including Fort Snelling, the Minnesota History Center tour, and the brewery mixer at MetroNOME.

#SDHistConNorth2026 was one of my personal favourite convention experiences. My teaches/plays were a great mix of lovely weird games (Confederate Rails, O Canada, High Treason, Pacific Typhoon) and popular bangers (Liberty or Death, Tank Duel, Fate of the Fellowship, Fellowship trick-taking).

I'm plotting a proper recap post later today, but in short SDHistConNorth was a fantastic time. Huge thanks to all the organisers and fellow gamers, local and afar for being so welcoming!

Thank you to everyone who came to #SDHistConNorth2026 this weekend! We had a tremendous convention at the Union Depot in St. Paul. We appreciate all of you for making it such an outstanding event!

Games on Tables at SDHISTCON North.

Thanks to all the @sdhistcon.bsky.social staff and attendees for making #SDHistConNorth2026 a special weekend! It was an incredible historical gaming convention. And it was awesome to see so many old friends and make some new ones!

Sam London in his Common Sense tricorne teaching his Microverse game (I think) #sdhistconnorth2026

Mark Herman and his son Grant teach Dan P and me Pericles in a late session. Once you absorb the multiple mechanics it’s a fantastic game. Crazy fun. #sdhistconnorth2026

David Siskin helping Mike S and I play La Der des Ders. Great game! #sdhistconnorth2026

Going to finish up #sdhistconnorth2026 with World Order.

Starting the day with @gmtgames.bsky.social Baltic Empires featuring @zillablitz.bsky.social #sdhistconnorth2026

Some Day 2 highlights for me from #SDHistConNorth2026: Tank Duel, High Treason: The Trial of Louis Riel, O Canada, and Pacific Typhoon. Got to play some great games with better people!

"July 2026. @jeffdreher.bsky.social is now master of Europe. Only a giant neoprene mat stands before him. CONVENTIONS ARE NOW BATTLEFIELDS." #SDHistConNorth2026

What an amazing time! Glad I got a chance to go to the inaugural one.

Thank you #SDHistConNorth2026. Hope to see you all next year! @sdhistcon.bsky.social

Coolest thing though was meeting folks that share a common passion for history and niche heavy games. It was also a DREAM to hang out with the @buriedgiantstudios.bsky.social / @wehrlegig.games crew. These great games are made by great people. Thanks to @colewehrle.bsky.social for all that.