Columbia Games
| Type | Role-playing, block and card game publisher |
|---|---|
| Industry | Role-playing games, board games |
| Founded | 1970 |
| Headquarters | Blaine, Washington, U.S.A |
| Key people | Tom Dalgliesh, Grant Dalgliesh |
| Products | block wargames, card games, Harn, HarnMaster |
| Website | http://www.columbiagames.com/ |
Columbia Games is a maker of board and role-playing games including Hârn and a variety of games, mostly wargames (Wizard Kings and various historical and quasi-historical games) using blocks instead of the more conventional chits. The company is based in Blaine, Washington; it is run by founder Tom Dalgliesh and his son Grant.
The beginning
Columbia is one of the hobby's oldest wargame companies. Tom Dalgliesh, Lance Gutteridge, and Steve Brewster founded Gamma Two Games in Vancouver, BC in the early 1970s, and published their first game in 1972. Brewster left the company soon after its formation. Gamma Two Games became Columbia Games in 1982. In the mid 1980s, Gutteridge left the company, leaving Dalgliesh as its sole owner, although the two still associate frequently and Gutteridge still makes some contributions. Columbia Games moved from Vancouver, BC to Washington State in 1994 for a variety of personal and economic reasons.
Wargames
Columbia's most well-known games are block wargames. Many of these games are suitable to introducing new players to the hobby, but there are also some very detailed games that have been produced, such as EuroFront, a monster wargame depicting the entirety of World War II in Europe, complete with various what-if situations. Among the best-known is Hammer of the Scots, based on the English wars in Scotland (1297-1315).
Other Wargames include:
- Athens & Sparta, a game based on the Peloponnesian War
- War of 1812, a game based on the War of 1812
- Quebec 1759, based on the French and Indian War also known as the 7 Years War.
- Liberty, based on the American Revolution
- Pacific Victory, based on the Pacific Theater of World War II
- Texas Glory, based on the Texan War of Independence, including the Battle of the Alamo
- Richard III, based on the Wars of the Roses
- Julius Caesar, based on the Roman Civil War
- Shiloh: 1862, based on the Battle of Shiloh
- Shenandoah: Jackson's Valley Campaign, based on Jackson's Valley Campaign of 1862
Card games
In the late 1990s, the company began producing collectible card games based upon military themes for the American Civil War (such as Dixie) and the Napoleonic Wars (Eagles).
Hârn
Columbia also publishes Hârn, a high-realism/magic-rare fantasy world created by N. Robin Crossby, for use in role-playing games and for collaborative fiction. The Hârn product line is compatible with Hârn products produced by Kelestia Productions (Robin Crossby's own company) and is supported by a large body of additional material produced by strong and dedicated community of fans.
Future Games
Columbia Games is planning to publish the following new Games:[1]
- Ancient Kings, expansion to Wizard Kings.
- Last Spike, railroad building game.
- Borodino, based on the Battle of Borodino
For role-playing, Columbia Games publishes a supplement called HarnQuest.[2] Each issue is approximately 48 pages and includes articles about Hârnic kingdoms, cities, castles, history, creatures, and more. New Hârn Atlas maps are also sent under this subscription as they are released.
References
- ↑ The preorder list, Columbia Games Inc (Retrieved January 2012)
- ↑ The HarnQuest list of available products, Columbia Games Ltd (Retrieved 18 February 2010)