Year in Review: Games Played

Gaming in 2023 continued at a pace that defies prediction.  In last year's annual review, I figured the number of games played would need to be trimmed back a bit.  From a total of 97 games played in 2021 to 89 games played in 2022, I speculated that the number of games played would be cut back to more manageable levels.

Were the number of games played reduced in 2023?  No!  I actually increased the number of games played topping out at 103.  103 games!  Unbelievable, really.  The last three years demonstrate what is possible, for me, on the gaming front.  Many of these games I hosted also required time for scenario development and design.  For those following along for any length of time, readers recognize this level of gaming activity would not be possible without the introduction of remote gaming via either Zoom or Google Meet.  Yet, none of these totals include solo gaming.  Again, beyond a few playtest sessions and scenario calibrations, solo gaming was once again near nil.  There is simply no time.

Back to the review.  In a gaming retrospective, were these 103 games spread over a wide swath of periods, figures sizes, and rulesets or concentrated in only a few, well-exercised corners? 

Rules

In 2022, 89 games were played over 24 rulesets.  Does 2023 follow a similar trend or present a contrasting perspective in the number of different ruleset played?    This year, the 103 games were played using 23 different rules.  Results show a consistent number of rules to the 2022 counts.  See Table 1, Counts of Games Played in 2023 for details.

Table 1

Like last year, two of the Top 3 rules used were my versions of Basic Impetvs (BI) and Fields of Honor (FoH).  Rounding out the Top 3 was Commands & Colors Ancients (CCA).  Unlike in 2022, CCA battles were mostly fought in 28mm with Scott's armies rather than my own 6mm armies.  These Top 3 rules made up about 62% of all games played.  Is this such a surprise?  Not based upon 2022 numbers where the Top 3 remained as in 2023.  

What did the Top 3 rules have in common?  They are all played on a hex grid and all can be played from a two-sided, 5"x7" QRS.  Even the QRS is only a crutch since the modifiers can be kept in mind once an activation or two is under the belt.  Add to these attributes my ability to play and umpire any of these three with little hesitation or doubt makes it obvious why these rules are favored when I host a game.          

Graphically, Figure 1 illustrates the distribution of games played by ruleset.  Clearly, Basic Impetvs was my favorite but CCA and FoH were not far behind in popularity.  Do I see this trend continuing into 2024?  I suspect so.  Games of FoH are already on the New Year calendar.  

Figure 1

Like the listing in 2022 demonstrated, the 2023 listing contains a preponderance of self-published or homegrown rules.  Very few rules seeing action are commercially available with widespread audiences.  Even Basic Impetvs has been migrated onto a hex grid system and heavily modified to suit my own needs and playing style.  We continue forging ahead as rules' tinkerers.  

Figure Size

What about figure size or scale? Was there breadth in that respect too? Yes, breadth was present in the 2023 slate of games but 25/28mm gaming dominated.  See Figure 2.

Figure 2

While 25/28mm may have dominated games played, the other scales saw action too.  Most of the 25/28mm gaming is attributed to BI and CCA games.   10mm saw a healthy boost from a series of ACW battles fought repeatedly across two historical battlefields.  2023 even saw a naval action in 1/1200.  Hopefully, age of sail games will see a return in the New Year.

Wargaming Period

What if these total games played are broken out by wargaming period?  Were there popular periods in 2023 or did we see a shotgun approach to gaming across all periods as in 2022?

Figure 3

Looking at Figure 3, 20 different wargaming periods saw action on the various hosts' gaming tables in 2023.  Quite a lot of variety in anyone's book.  Unlike in 2022 which saw many periods wrestling for top rung in games played, 2023 saw two clear winners in Ancients and ACW.  The total number of unique periods played remains very similar to the number of rulesets played.  That is diversity.  No one ever complains about either the period or rules played.  That is tolerance.

Which of my collections saw action on the gaming table in 2023?  The list includes:

• American Civil War
• American war of Independence
• Ancient Sumeria
• Ancients (Punic Wars)
• Biblicals
• English Civil War
• Feudal Japan
• Franco-Austrian War
• Reconquista
• Spanish-American War
• War of Austrian Succession (SYW)

Eleven of my collections reached the table in 2023.  Superb!  Still, there were a few collections that did not make it to the gaming table.  One notable absence is Napoleonics.  With my Napoleonic collections covering three periods in two scales, I can do better to make sure at least one collection sees the table in a year.  Perhaps I can focus on getting some of those collections left out of 2023 rotation into the 2024 gaming rotation?

Memorable Moments

As in any year, games stand out for any number of reasons.  A few of my favorites from the year just past include:

Sumerian Water Wars

Sumerian Wars in which I lost four straight games to Steve, Matt, Peter, and Mark in rapid succession.

First Manassas

First Manassas fought a total of five times with an assortment of players.  Every game was great fun and most were hotly contested.

Hammerin' Sickles

Hammerin' Sickles reproduced Hood's attack at Gettysburg.  This battle was fought a total of six times with honors just about even.  All of these battles were great fun but one stands out in particular.  In one game, defeat fell on the last die roll of the last activation of the last turn.  Tension was high as that last die roll was made.

Chariot Wars

For pure excitement, few games can match the freewheeling chariot battles that were a regular fixture on the gaming table in 2023.

Ilipa

Finally, few games can see a turn around like the Ilipa game in which DB sent his legion forward and proceeded to cut through and then destroy the Carthaginian Right and Center.  Epic stuff! 

Of course, there were memorable moments in every game.  2023 was a very good year at the gaming table.

What was yours?

The next time I return to the yearly review, I dig into the Painting Log and see what 2023 held.  Did I make my goal of 1,000 painted figures?

Happy New Year!