Hi everyone my latest offering has just appeared on Amazon. It is one of a number of books that should be out for print this month. This one is an update of a small booklet that I produced about ten years ago and decided to update with the proliferation of AI used in publishing and games design these days.

Back Page Blurb:

Writing good wargame rules is not simply a matter of inventing clever mechanics. It is the art of turning history, imagination, probability, uncertainty, and player decision making into a game that other people can actually understand and enjoy.

A Wargamer’s Guide to Writing Rules is a practical guide for anyone who wants to design, revise, playtest, or publish tabletop wargames. It combines practical knowledge and design theory, drawing on historical research, game design, probability, player psychology, artificial intelligence, playtesting, editing, and publishing. Rather than treating rules as isolated mechanics, the book looks at how a game works as a whole: how movement, combat, morale, command, scenarios, campaigns, and presentation all shape the experience at the table.

This is not a book that needs to be read from cover to cover. It is designed to be used. A designer struggling with morale can turn to that chapter. Someone building a campaign can go straight to campaign design. A writer wrestling with unclear rules can use the sections on editing, coherency, and presentation. A publisher preparing a finished set of rules can turn to the chapters on layout, support, errata, and long term development.

Written for miniature wargamers, board wargamers, club organisers, solo gamers, scenario writers, independent publishers, and anyone who has ever said, “I could write a better set of rules than this,” the book offers both encouragement and warning. Rules do not need to be perfect, but they do need to be clear, playable, tested, and honest about what they are trying to achieve.

Whether you are writing your first skirmish game, developing a campaign system, revising a long running club project, or preparing a ruleset for publication, this guide provides a practical companion from first idea to finished game.

Enjoy!