April 27, 2024

Your 2023 in Wargaming, Part 5 – Favorite Games

Brant Guillory, 2 February 2024

Back in December, we asked you about your 2023 wargaming  and this series has been looking at the results.

This week, we’re just taking a look at the games that you reported as your favorites for the year.  Note that these tables do scroll across multiple screens, and where values are identical, it’s alphabetized by game title.


First up, we asked you “What’s your favorite game released in 2023?”

Gamecount
North Africa '4112
Downfall: Conquest of the Third Reich, 1942-19458
Inferno: Guelphs and Ghibellines Vie for Tuscany, 1259-12618
Littoral Commander: Indo-Pacific8
Plantagenet: Cousins' War for England, 1459 - 14858
The British Way: Counterinsurgency at the End of Empire8
Mr. President: The American Presidency, 2001-20207
Skies Above Britain7
We Are Coming, Nineveh7
Axis Empires: Ultimate Edition5
Europa Universalis: The Price of Power5
Twilight Struggle: Red Sea – Conflict in the Horn of Africa5
Carrier Battle: Philippine Sea4
On to Richmond II: The Union Strikes South4
Prelude to Revolution: Russia's Descent into Anarchy 1905 - 19174
Stalingrad: Advance to the Volga, 19424
The Russian Campaign: Deluxe 5th Edition4
Battles in the East 1: Sandomierz Offensive and Bagration Stopped3
Red Strike3
Storm Over Jerusalem: The Roman Siege3
Strike: Counter Strike – 4th Armored Division vs Panzer Lehr along the Saar3
Traces of War3
Undaunted: Battle of Britain3
A Glorious Chance: The Naval Struggle for Lake Ontario in the War of 18122
A Most Fearful Sacrifice: The Three Days of Gettysburg2
Crimea: Conquest & Liberation2
Goose Green2
Halls of Hegra2
Kingmaker2
Korsun Pocket 2: Little Stalingrad on the Dnepr2
Land and Freedom: The Spanish Revolution and Civil War2
Lock 'n Load Tactical: Heroes of the Bitter Harvest2
Valley of Tears: The Yom Kippur War, 19732
Western Front Ace: The Great War in the Air, 1916-19182
n/a2
1914: Nach Paris1
A Brilliant Fight: The Battle of Queenston Heights, October 13, 18121
Ardennes II1
Armored Knights: Guderian Crosses the Meuse1
Arrowstorm: Battle Games in Medieval Britain1
Atlantic Chase: The Kriegsmarine Against the Home Fleet 1939-19421
Band of Brothers: Old Breed South Pacific1
Banish the Snakes: A Game of St. Patrick in Ireland (2023)1
Barbarossa: Army Group Center, 1941 – Second Edition1
Battle Card: Market Garden1
Bonaparte Overruns Piedmont1
Border Reivers: Anglo-Scottish Border Raids, 1513-16031
Brothers at War: 18621
CDG Solo System Pack #21
Clash of Sovereigns: The War of the Austrian Succession, 1740-481
Commands & Colors: Medieval1
Corvette Command1
Dawn of Battle: Designer's Edition1
Dune: War for Arrakis1
Endurance1
FOLLOW ME: The Infantry's Game - Platoon Attack1
Fall Blau: Army Group South, June to December 19421
Fallen Land: A Post Apocalyptic Board Game – 2nd Edition (2021)1
Fighters of the Pacific1
Forbidden Jungle1
Grand Havoc: Perryville 18621
Groo: The Game1
Hoplomachus: Remastered1
Iron, Blood, Snow & Mud1
Iskra1
John Company: Second Edition1
La guerra de Thatcher: Malvinas 1982 (Spanish edition)1
Lightning Strikes!: The World Wars of the 20th Century1
Napoleon's Conquests1
Nimitz: A Tabletop Game of Naval Battles in the Second World War (2023)1
Norman Conquests: Men of Iron Volume V1
ONUS! Traianus1
Oathsworn: Into the Deepwood1
Operation Albion: Germany versus Russia in the Baltic, 1917-19181
Outside the Scope of BGG | Board Game1
People Power: Insurgency in the Philippines, 1981-19861
Point Blank: V is for Victory1
Pursuit of Glory1
Root1
Schadenfreude1
Seas of Thunder: Global Naval Warfare, 1939-451
Second Fallujah1
South China Sea: Modern Naval Conflict in the South Pacific1
Spring and Autumn: Story of China1
Star Wars: Shatterpoint1
Terraforming Mars: The Dice Game1
The Doomed1
The Fall of Tobruk: Rommel's Greatest Victory1
The Last Hundred Yards: Volume 4 – The Russian Front1
The Seven Days Battles1
The Third World War: Designer Signature Edition1
The U.S. Civil War1
This Accursed Civil War1
Total Domination1
Triomphe à Marengo1
Undaunted: Stalingrad1
Up Front1
Vijayanagara: The Deccan Empires of Medieval India, 1290-13981
Voidfall1
Warfare: Modern Tactical Combat1
Warhammer 40,000 (Tenth Edition)1
Zurmat: Small Scale Counterinsurgency1

North Africa ’41 was the only one with double-digit replies, but there’s a clear batch at the top of the list before the votes start to fall off quickly

 


We also asked “What game did you play the most in 2023? (even if it wasn’t released this past year)”

What game did you play the most in 2023?
(even if it wasn't released this past year)
count
Advanced Squad Leader10
Combat Commander: Europe7
Nevsky: Teutons and Rus in Collision 1240-12427
The British Way: Counterinsurgency at the End of Empire6
Paths of Glory5
Andean Abyss4
Mr. President: The American Presidency, 2001-20204
Root4
A Most Fearful Sacrifice: The Three Days of Gettysburg3
Atlantic Chase: The Kriegsmarine Against the Home Fleet 1939-19423
Commands & Colors: Ancients3
Commands & Colors: Napoleonics3
Memoir '443
PanzerBlitz3
Plantagenet: Cousins' War for England, 1459 - 14853
Stalingrad '42: Southern Russia, June-December, 19423
The Russian Campaign: Deluxe 5th Edition3
World At War 85: Storming the Gap3
1914: Nach Paris2
Advanced Squad Leader: Starter Kit #12
Austerlitz 1805: Rising Eagles2
Brazen Chariots: Battles for Tobruk, 19412
Death Valley: Battles for the Shenandoah2
Dien Bien Phu: The Final Gamble2
Dune: Imperium2
Empire of the Sun2
Falling Sky: The Gallic Revolt Against Caesar2
Fire in the Lake2
Great War Commander2
Littoral Commander: Indo-Pacific2
Musket & Pike Dual Pack2
The Dark Valley2
The Third World War: Designer Signature Edition2
Undaunted: Battle of Britain2
Undaunted: Stalingrad2
Versailles 19192
World in Flames2
1960: The Making of the President1
2nd Fleet: Modern Naval Combat in the North Atlantic1
5th Fleet: Modern Naval Combat in the Indian Ocean1
A Glorious Chance: The Naval Struggle for Lake Ontario in the War of 18121
A Pragmatic War: The War of the Austrian Succession 1741 – 17481
A World at War1
Across the Bug River: Volodymyr-Volynskyi 19411
Advanced Tobruk System (Critical Hit) series1
Ambush!1
Angola1
Archie's War: The Battle for Guadalcanal1
Arkham Horror: The Card Game (Revised Edition)1
Armored Knights North Africa: Operation Crusader1
Armored Knights: Guderian Crosses the Meuse1
Arracourt1
Arrowstorm: Battle Games in Medieval Britain1
Axis & Allies: 19411
Band of Brothers: Old Breed South Pacific1
Band of Brothers: Screaming Eagles1
Barbarossa: Army Group Center, 1941 – Second Edition1
Battalion Combat Series (MMP) series1
Battle Over Britain1
Battle Series of World Battles (Historical Game Company) series1
Battle for Germany: Deluxe Edition1
Battle for Moscow: Operation Typhoon, 19411
BattleTech: A Game of Armored Combat1
Battles For the Shenandoah: A Death Valley Expansion1
Battles of Medieval Britain: A Solitaire Wargame1
Blitzkrieg!: World War Two in 20 Minutes1
Blood Bowl (2016 Edition)1
Bonaparte Overruns Piedmont1
Brigadier General Commands1
Brotherhood & Unity1
Brothers at War: 18621
By Iron and Blood1
COIN (GMT) series1
Carrier Battle: Philippine Sea1
Case Blue1
Chain of Command1
Chainmail1
Churchill1
Combat Commander: Pacific1
Combat Mission (digital)1
Combat!1
Commands & Colors: Medieval1
Corvette Command1
De Bellis Magistrorum Militum: Wargame Rules for Ancient and Medieval Battle from 3000 BC to 1525 AD1
Death in the Trenches: The Great War 1914-1918 (Second Edition)1
Desert Victory: North Africa, 1940-19421
Dragons Down1
Duel for Kharkov1
Dune1
Europa Universalis: The Price of Power1
FOLLOW ME: The Infantry's Game - Platoon Attack1
Fall Blau: Army Group South, June to December 19421
Fields of Fire 21
Fighters of the Pacific1
Fighting Formations: Grossdeutschland Motorized Infantry Division1
Final Girl1
Firefly: The Game1
Flashpoint: South China Sea1
Flying Colors1
Forbidden Island1
Global War: World War II Worldwide 1939-19451
Gunslinger1
Here I Stand: 500th Anniversary Edition1
History of the World1
Holland '44: Operation Market-Garden1
Hornet Leader: Carrier Air Operations1
Illusions of Glory: The Great War on the Eastern Front1
Imperial Struggle1
Israeli Independence: The First Arab-Israeli War1
Kingmaker1
Krieg! World War II in Europe1
Kriegsspiel1
Königsberg: The Soviet Attack on East Prussia, 19451
Land and Freedom: The Spanish Revolution and Civil War1
Last Blitzkrieg: Wacht am Rhein, The Battle of the Bulge1
Liberty Roads1
Lightning Strikes!: The World Wars of the 20th Century1
Lock 'n Load Tactical: Heroes of the Nam1
Lost Victory: Manstein At Kharkov, Winter 19431
Manila: The Savage Streets, 19451
Moscow '411
Napoleon's Resurgence1
Navajo Wars1
Nemesis: Burma 19441
Next War (GMT) series1
Next War: Poland1
O'Group: Wargames Rules for Battalion Size Actions in WWII1
ONUS! Traianus1
Old School Tactical: Volume 1 – 2nd Edition1
Old School Tactical: Volume 1 – Fighting on the Eastern Front 1941/421
On to Richmond II: The Union Strikes South1
Pacific War: The Struggle Against Japan, 1941-1945 (Second Edition)1
Pandemic Legacy: Season 01
Panzergruppe Guderian1
Point Blank: V is for Victory1
Prelude to Revolution: Russia's Descent into Anarchy 1905 - 19171
Quartermaster General WW2: 2nd Edition1
RAF: The Battle of Britain 19401
Race For Bastogne1
Red Flag Over Paris1
Red Strike1
Roads to Gettysburg II: Lee Strikes North1
Rommel1
Salerno '431
Silent War + IJN (Second Edition)1
Skies Above Britain1
Sky Team1
South Pacific: Breaking the Bismarck Barrier 1942-19431
Squad Leader1
Star Realms1
Stonewall Jackson's Way II: Battles of Bull Run1
Sword of Rome: Conquest of Italy, 362-272 BC1
Tactical GameX1
Target for Today1
Task Force: Carrier Battles in the Pacific1
Terraforming Mars1
The Doomed1
The Hunt1
The Lamps Are Going Out: World War I1
The Last Hundred Yards1
The Lord of the Rings1
The Russian Campaign1
The Third Winter: The Battle for the Ukraine September 1943-April 19441
The U.S. Civil War1
The War: Europe 1939-19451
Thirty Years War Battles: Lutter & Wittstock1
This War Without an Enemy1
Three Days of Gettysburg (Third Edition)1
Thunder in the East1
Time of Crisis: The Roman Empire in Turmoil, 235-284 AD1
Time of Crisis: The Roman Empire in Turmoil, 235-284 AD1
Tobruk: Tank Battles in North Africa 19421
Twilight Struggle1
Ukraine '431
Undaunted (Osprey Games) series1
Undaunted: Normandy1
Undaunted: North Africa1
Undaunted: Reinforcements1
Up Front1
Vast: The Mysterious Manor1
Vietnam: 1965-1975 (2nd edition)1
War of 18121
Warhammer 40,000 (Tenth Edition)1
Washington's War1
Western Front Ace: The Great War in the Air, 1916-19181
Wilderness War1
World in Flames Collector's Edition Deluxe1
Year of the Rat: Vietnam, 19721
Zurmat: Small Scale Counterinsurgency1

First up, y’all played a lot of older stuff.  Some of you were also playing things that weren’t released yet, so you were likely testing or developing them (or lying to us!)  As you’d expect, this one had much more variance than the previous list because there was a wider range of games available to choose from.

 


Which games were you most excited to get your hooks into?  We asked “What’s a game you bought in 2023 and immediately got to the table?”

What's a game you bought in 2023 and immediately got to the table?
Please put in a link to the game from BGG
Count
North Africa '4111
Plantagenet: Cousins' War for England, 1459 - 14858
Mr. President: The American Presidency, 2001-20207
Downfall: Conquest of the Third Reich, 1942-19456
Atlantic Chase: The Kriegsmarine Against the Home Fleet 1939-19425
The Russian Campaign: Deluxe 5th Edition5
Strike: Counter Strike – 4th Armored Division vs Panzer Lehr along the Saar4
Axis Empires: Ultimate Edition3
Stalingrad: Advance to the Volga, 19423
Storm Over Jerusalem: The Roman Siege3
The British Way: Counterinsurgency at the End of Empire3
1989: Dawn of Freedom2
Ardennes II2
Band of Brothers: Old Breed South Pacific2
Battles in the East 1: Sandomierz Offensive and Bagration Stopped2
Clash of Sovereigns: The War of the Austrian Succession, 1740-482
Empire of the Sun2
Europa Universalis: The Price of Power2
Final Girl2
General Orders: World War II2
Great War Commander2
John Company: Second Edition2
Littoral Commander: Indo-Pacific2
Lock 'n Load Tactical: Heroes of the Bitter Harvest2
Pacific War: The Struggle Against Japan, 1941-1945 (Second Edition)2
People Power: Insurgency in the Philippines, 1981-19862
Saigon 752
Task Force: Carrier Battles in the Pacific2
The Hunt2
The Last Hundred Yards2
The Seven Days Battles2
Triomphe à Marengo2
Undaunted: Battle of Britain2
Votes for Women2
We Are Coming, Nineveh2
1565: Siege of Malta1
1812!: War on the Great Lakes Frontier1
1914: Nach Paris1
A Crowning Glory: Austerlitz 18051
A Glorious Chance: The Naval Struggle for Lake Ontario in the War of 18121
A Most Fearful Sacrifice: The Three Days of Gettysburg1
Absolute War! The Russian Front 1941-451
Aliens: Another Glorious Day in the Corps1
Ancient Civilizations of the Inner Sea1
Arracourt1
Arrowstorm: Battle Games in Medieval Britain1
Austerlitz 1805: Rising Eagles1
Band of Brothers: Screaming Eagles1
Banish the Snakes: A Game of St. Patrick in Ireland (2023)1
Battle Card: Series 11
Battle for Kursk: The Tigers Are Burning, 19431
BattleTech: A Game of Armored Combat1
Battles in the East 2: Uman Pocket and Guderian's Final Blitzkrieg1
Blind Faith1
Blitzkrieg!: World War Two in 20 Minutes1
Blitzkrieg: Deluxe1
Brothers at War: 18621
By Iron and Blood1
CDG Solo System Pack #21
Carrier Battle: Philippine Sea1
Cascadia: Landmarks1
Celtae1
Combat!1
Commands & Colors: Samurai Battles1
Cruel Necessity (Deluxe Edition): The English Civil Wars 1640-16531
Death Valley: Battles for the Shenandoah1
Death of an Army: Ypres 19141
Die Festung Hamburg1
Dune: Imperium – Uprising1
Endurance1
FOLLOW ME: The Infantry's Game - Platoon Attack1
Fall Blau: Army Group South, June to December 19421
Fighters of the Pacific1
Fractal: Beyond the Void1
Freezing Inferno1
Global War: World War II Worldwide 1939-19451
Goose Green1
Grand Havoc: Perryville, October 8, 18621
Halls of Hegra1
Heart of Darkness: An Adventure Game of African Exploration1
Heights of Courage: The Battle for the Golan Heights1
Ici, c'est la France! The Algerian War of Independence 1954 - 19621
Iskra1
Kingmaker1
Kriegsspiel1
La Primogenita1
La guerra de Thatcher: Malvinas 1982 (Spanish edition)1
Land and Freedom: The Spanish Revolution and Civil War1
Lanzerath Ridge1
Legendary: A James Bond Deck Building Game – The Spy Who Loved Me (2022)1
Less Than 60 Miles1
Lion Rampant: Medieval Wargaming Rules Second Edition1
Malta Besieged: 1940-19421
Mrs Thatcher's War: The Falklands, 19821
Muskets & Tomahawks: Shakos & Bayonets1
NATO: The Cold War Goes Hot – Designer Signature Edition1
Napoleon's Conquests1
Napoleon's Imperium1
Napoleon's Wheel1
Nevsky: Teutons and Rus in Collision 1240-12421
Next War: Poland1
Nimitz: A Tabletop Game of Naval Battles in the Second World War (2023)1
Normandy '441
On to Richmond II: The Union Strikes South1
Paths of Glory1
Pax Pamir: Second Edition1
Prelude to Revolution: Russia's Descent into Anarchy 1905 - 19171
Pursuit of Glory1
Quatre Bras 1815: Last Eagles1
Red Flag Over Paris1
River Plate & Denmark Strait1
Roads to Gettysburg II: Lee Strikes North1
Root1
Santander '371
Santiago Campaign 18981
Seas of Thunder: Global Naval Warfare, 1939-451
Silent War + IJN (Second Edition)1
Skies Above Britain1
Sky Team1
Smolensk: Barbarossa Derailed1
Stargard Solstice1
Tarawa 19431
Target for Today1
The Doomed1
The Great Battles of Alexander: Macedonian Art of War1
The Russian Campaign1
The Third World War: Designer Signature Edition1
Tinderblox1
Twilight Struggle: Red Sea – Conflict in the Horn of Africa1
Undaunted: Reinforcements1
Undaunted: Stalingrad1
Valley of Tears: The Yom Kippur War, 19731
Velikiye Luki: Stalingrad of the North1
Victory Roads1
Vive L'Empereur!1
Voidfall1
Warhammer 40,000 (Tenth Edition)1
Warhammer: The Horus Heresy – Legions Imperialis1
Wavell's War1
Western Front Ace: The Great War in the Air, 1916-19181
World At War 85: Storming the Gap1
World in Flames Collector's Edition Deluxe1
Wurzburg: Soviet-American Combat in the '70's1
Xenos Rampant1
Zurmat: Small Scale Counterinsurgency1

A lot of the same ones bubbling up to the top as the new hotness, but there are some deep cuts in this list, like the late-70’s era Wurzburg.  There’s also a bunch of non-wargames on this list, so some of y’all are making time to play some non-groggy games, and there’s nothing really wrong with that.

 

As we mentioned before, the info you’re looking at here is not trying to describe “the wargaming population” but rather “these are the people that replied to the survey”.
You can bounce around to the other articles in this series with the links below.
We’re happy to have your thoughts either below in the comments, or in the 2023 year-end research thread in our forums


2023 YEAR-END WARGAMING SURVEY
THE ORIGINAL SURVEY ~ DESCRIPTIVE STATS ~ CROSSTABS PART 1 ~ CONVENTIONEERS ~ CROSSTABS PART 2 ~ FAVE GAMES ~ OPEN RESPONSES


Thank you for visiting The Armchair Dragoons and mounting up with the Regiment of Strategy Gaming.
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Feel free to talk back to us either in our discussion forum, or in the comments below.


There once were Dragoons in their chairs,
Wargaming expertise beyond compares.
With passion they’d play,
Strategizing all day,
The Armchair champions, nobody dares.
In the hobby, they stand proud and tall,
Wargaming prowess, they enthrall.
In each tabletop fight,
They prove their might,
Armchair Dragoons, the best of them all!

Brant G

Editor-in-chief at Armchair Dragoons

View all posts by Brant G →

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