Downfall: Conquest of the Third Reich, Red Strike dominate with three wins each at new-look Charles S Roberts Awards

Innovative hex and counter wargame Downfall: Conquest of the Third Reich, 1942-1945 has been named Game of the Year at the latest Charles S Roberts Awards, seen by many as the Oscars of wargaming.

Downfall, designed by Chad Jensen and John Butterfield, also won Best World War II Game and Best Strategic Game at the 2023 awards, which shook up its categories again this year to try to better reflect the broadening definition of wargames.

A powerful showing was also put on by alternative history hex and counter game Red Strike, which took home awards for Best Operational Game, Best Hypothetical Game and The Redmond A Simonsen Memorial Award for Outstanding Presentation, while designer Yves Rettel won the Chad Jensen Memorial Breakthrough Designer Award.

Downfall pits one player as the Western Allies against one playing the Soviet Union, as both forces break through into Germany to defeat the Reich in the latter half of World War II.

Each player also controls the part of the Axis army arrayed against their opponent. The game has drawn praise for that mechanism, and for its innovative initiative mechanic used to determine who will take the next move.

Red Strike, which simulates a hypothetical clash between NATO and Warsaw Pact forces in 1989, has been singled out by players for its high production quality and clarity of its rules and written materials.

Most of the other Game of the Year nominees ended up with one award to their name in this year’s competition, with only Europa Universalis: The Price of Power and The British Way ending up empty handed.

They were Plantagenet: Cousins’ War for England, which won best Medieval Game, Mr President, which won Best Political, Social or Economic Game, Valley of Tears Best, which won Best Modern Game and We Are Coming, Nineveh, which won Best Tactical Game.

Best Political, Social or Economic Game is a new category this year, introduced as part of an ongoing attempt by the CSR Awards to leave behind a traditionally narrow definition of ‘wargame’.

Up until last year the publicly-voted for CSR Awards, which traces its history back to 1975, were heavily focused on historical wargaming, but the accolades were rebranded in 2023 to focus on the broader sweep of “conflict simulations”.

This year’s awards removed mention of the word wargame from all but one of this year’s 20 categories, as well as splitting the awards into historical and design mechanic-focused segments and adding a specific award for the “best historical conflict simulation dealing primarily with a non-military conflict”.

CSR Awards director Gary Mengle told BoardGameWire, “The CSRs are still primarily focused on historical and military conflict simulations, and we do not plan to change that.

“But we also acknowledge the reality of our space and community, and the shape of the awards reflects that reality.”

Categories removed include Early Modern, Early 20th Century, Sci Fi or Fantasy and Expansion, replaced by Best World War I, Best Strategic, Best Operational, Best Tactical, and Best Political Social or Economic Game.

The changes have been partly driven by the success and popularity of recent games such as Tory Brown’s Votes for Women, which uses wargame-style mechanics to model the political fight for women’s suffrage in the US.

Votes for Women was nominated for the Best Early Modern Wargame in the 2022 CSR Awards, a couple of months after being named runner up in the Wargame category of BoardGameGeek’s Golden Geek Awards.

Those accolades led to a small but vocal outpouring of ire in internet forums and on the Charles S Roberts website itself, with multiple people questioning Votes for Women’s credentials as a “proper” wargame and describing the award nominations overall as a “joke”.

Responding to one of those comments at the time, Mengle said, “In reviewing past awards, we saw a pretty large number of games who were either nominated or who won which were considered controversial at the time because some deemed them to be ‘not wargames’ using whatever definition suited them at the time.

“Some of these, like East Front and For the People, seem ludicrous today… but literally last week I saw someone proclaim online that block games, games without hex maps, and [card-driven games] could never possibly be wargames.

“Such a narrow definition of what a wargame is seems incredibly out of touch with the vast majority of people who actually play these types of games.”

Jason Matthews, the co-designer of former BoardGameGeek number one rated game Twilight Struggle and a tireless figure within the wargaming community, said on Twitter, “I’d like to say thank you to [CSR Awards director Gary Mengle] and his team of volunteers who have remade the CSRs into an award the hobby can be proud of again.

“It’s a ton of work. It’s is[sic] a volunteer effort. Thank you and well done.”

This year’s full slate of winners and nominees are:

Period Awards
Awards for the best game released in calendar year 2023 within a specific historical period. A
given game can be eligible in only one of these categories.

Best Ancients Game
For a game set in the ancient period, including late antiquity, in the period roughly
from deep antiquity through 800 CE.

• Winner: Storm over Jerusalem, Multi-Man Publishing. Designed by Scott Blanton.
• Ancient Civilizations of the Middle East, GMT Games. Designed by Mark McLaughlin
  and Chris Vorder Bruegge.
• Kings of Rome, Acies Edizioni. Designed by Enrico Acerbi and Andrea Magno.
• Onus! Traianus, Draco Ideas. Designed by Luis Álvaro Hernández.

Best Medieval Game
For a game set in the medieval period, before the decisive use of gunpower, in the
period roughly 800-1500 CE.

• Winner: Plantagenet: Cousins’ War for England, GMT Games. Designed by Francisco
  Gradaille.
• Carolingian Twilight, Decision Games. Designed by Brendan Whyte.
• Inferno: Guelphs and Ghibellines, GMT Games. Designed by Enrico Acerbi and Volko
  Ruhnke.
• Le Fléau de Martina, Cérigo Editions/Vae Victis. Designed by Jason Juneau.

Best Gunpowder or Industrial Era Game
For a game set after the decisive use of gunpowder weapons through the age of
industrial warfare, including the Renaissance, Age of Reason, American
Revolution, and other topics prior to the start of World War II. Napoleonic,
American Civil War, World War I, and World War II topics are excluded.

• Winner: The Battle of White Plains, GMT Games. Designed by Mark Miklos.
• 1562: The Beginning of a Tragedy, Serious Historical Games. Designed by Philippe
  Hardy.
• 1812! War on the Great Lakes Frontier, Compass Games. Designed by Ken Repel.
• 1854: The Alma, Conflict Simulations, LLC. Designed by Ray Weiss.
• El Gran Capitán: Campaign of the Italian Wars, Europa Simulazioni. Designed by
  Nicola Contardi.
• Siege of Tenochtitlan, The Historical Game Company, LLC. Designed by Steve Kling.

Best Napoleonic Game
For a game set in the period 1789-1815, and treating topics related to the French
Revolution or Napoleonic Wars.

• Winner: Bonaparte Overruns Piedmont, Operational Studies Group. Designed by Kevin Zucker.
• Battle of Wagram, The Historical Game Company. Designed by Steve Kling.
• Napoleon’s Conquests, Fellowship of Simulations. Designed by Bruno Lamotte.
• Napoleon’s Eagles 2: The Hundred Days, Compass Games. Designed by Christopher
  Moeller.
• Vive l’Empereur, White Dog Games/Blue Panther Games. Designed by Hermann
  Luttmann.

Best American Civil War Game
For a game set during the American Civil War or dealing with its immediate causes
or aftermath.

• Winner: Grand Havoc: Perryville 1862, Revolution Games. Designed by Jeff Grossman.
• Gettysburg, Multi-Man Publishing. Designed by Scott Muldoon.
• The Seven Days Battles, Worthington Publishing. Designed by Grant Wylie and Mark
  Wylie.

Best World War I Game
For a game treating World War I or related conflicts, in the period 1914-1919.

• Winner: Western Front Ace, Compass Games. Designed by Gregory M. Smith and Ian Cooper.
• The Cruelest Month, Against the Odds. Designed by Paul Rohrbaugh.
• Eagles in the Sky, Revolution Games. Designed by Mike Lemick.
• Inferno sull’Isonzo, Bainsizza 1917, Aleph Game Studio. Designed by Andrea Brusati.
• The World Undone: Serbia, Conflict Simulations, LLC. Designed by Ray Weiss.

Best World War II Game
For a game treating World War II or related conflicts, in the period 1937-1945.

• Winner: Downfall: Conquest of the Third Reich, GMT Games. Designed by Chad Jensen and John Butterfield.
• Carrier Battle: Philippine Sea, Compass Games. Designed by Jon Southard.
• Crimea: Conquest & Liberation, Multi-Man Publishing, Designed by Guy Wilde and
  Antony Birkett.
• Heroes of the Bitter Harvest, Lock n’ Load Publishing. Designed by Devin Heinle.
• The Hunt, Salt & Pepper Games. Designed by Matthias Cramer and Engin Cramer.
• Undaunted: Battle of Britain, Osprey Games. Designed by Trevor Benjamin and David
  Thompson.

Best Modern Game
For a conflict simulation dealing with a post-World War II, post-1945, Cold War
(including the Korean and Vietnam conflicts), or Post-Cold War topic, up to the
modern day.

• Winner: Valley of Tears, Multi-Man Publishing. Designed by Carl Fung.
• The British Way, GMT Games. Designed by Stephen Rangazas.
• The MOG: Mogadishu 1993, White Dog Games. Designed by David Kershaw.
• That Others May Live, Hollandspiele. Designed by Brad Smith.
• Warfare: Modern Tactical Combat, WBS Games. Designed by Carlo Amaddeo and
  Paolo Ciarlo.
• We Are Coming, Nineveh, Nuts! Publishing. Designed by Juliette Le Ménahèze,
  Harrison Brewer, Rex Brynen, and Brian Train.

Mode Awards
Awards for the best game released in calendar year 2023 using a specific mechanical or design
mode.

Best Strategic Game
For the best strategic-level treatment of a conflict. In general, a strategic game will model the
whole of a conflict, possibly (but not necessarily) also including related concurrent or near-
concurrent conflicts. Such a game may model military, political, social, and/or economic factors
within the confines of the conflict that is its topic.

• Winner: Downfall: Conquest of the Third Reich, GMT Games. Designed by Chad Jensen and John Butterfield.
• The British Way, GMT Games. Designed by Stephen Rangazas.
• Europa Universalis: The Price of Power, Aegir Games. Designed by Eivind Vetlesen.
• Global War – World War II Worldwide, White Dog Games. Designed by Wes Erni and
  Ben Madison.
• Land and Freedom, Blue Panther. Designed by Alex Knight.

Best Operational Game
For the best treatment of a military campaign from an operational perspective. Operational, in
this sense, is concerned with the planning and execution of campaigns. Such games often
feature an emphasis on logistics, supply or other tempo-affecting constraints on the conduct of a
campaign.

• Red Strike, VUCA Simulations. Designed by Yves Rettel.
• Crimea: Conquest & Liberation, Multi-Man Publishing, Designed by Guy Wilde and
  Antony Birkett.
• Inferno: Guelphs and Ghibellines Vie for Tuscany, GMT Games. Designed by Enrico
  Acerbi and Volko Ruhnke.
• Littoral Commander: Indo-Pacific, Dietz Foundation. Designed by Sebastian Bae.
• Plantagenet: Cousins’ War for England, GMT Games. Designed by Francisco
  Gradaille.

Best Tactical Game
For the best treatment of a battle or battles from a tactical perspective. Tactical
games focus on specific battles or engagements and usually model small-unit
firepower, equipment, and maneuver, but “small-unit” varies by period and topic.

• Winner: We Are Coming, Nineveh, Nuts! Publishing. Designed by Juliette Le Ménahèze, Harrison Brewer, Rex Brynen, and Brian Train.
• The Battle of White Plains, GMT Games. Designed by Mark Miklos.
• Bonaparte Overruns Piedmont, Operational Studies Group. Designed by Kevin
  Zucker.
• Heroes of the Bitter Harvest, Lock n’ Load Publishing. Designed by Devin Heinle.
• The MOG: Mogadishu 1993, White Dog Games. Designed by David Kershaw.

Best New Edition of a Previously Published Game
For the best revised or updated edition of an otherwise CSR-eligible game
published in a previous Awards Year. To be eligible, the new edition must be a
substantial revision or upgrade of the original, including but not limited to
additional content, updated graphics, or rules revisions. Reprints are not eligible
for this category for mere errata correction.

• Winner: On to Richmond II: The Union Strikes South, Multi-Man Publishing. Designed by Joseph Balkoski, Ed Beach and Chris Withers.
• Axis Empires: Ultimate Edition, Decision Games. Designed by Thomas Prowell.
• Cruel Necessity: The English Civil Wars, Worthington Publishing. Designed by John
  Welch.
• Radetzky’s March: The Road to Novara, Dissimula Edizioni. Designed by Sergio
  Schiavi.
• The Russian Campaign: Deluxe 5th Edition, GMT Games. Designed by John
  Edwards.
• Task Force: Carrier Battles in the Pacific, VUCA Simulations. Designed by Ginichiro
  Suzuki.
• Traces of War, VUCA Simulations. Designed by Tetsuya Nakamura.

Best Political, Social, or Economic Game
For the best historical conflict simulation dealing primarily with a non-military
conflict or a conflict primarily waged, within the bounds of the game, by non-
military means.

• Winner: Mr. President, GMT Games. Designed by Gene Billingsley.
• Border Reivers, GMT Games. Designed by Ed Beach.
• Europa Universalis: The Price of Power, Aegir Games. Designed by Eivind Vetlesen.
• Sleepwalkers: Imperial Rivalries and the Great War, Dr. Richter Konfliktsimulationen.
  Designed by Benjamin Richter.
• Weimar: The Fight for Democracy, Capstone/Spielworxxx. Designed by Matthias
  Cramer.

Best Solitaire or Cooperative Game
For a conflict simulation designed to be played primarily in a solitaire or
cooperative mode.

• Winner: Halls of Hegra, Tompet Games. Designed by Petter Schanke Olsen.
• A Glorious Chance, Legion Wargames. Designed by Gina Willis.
• Global War – World War II Worldwide, White Dog Games. Designed by Wes Erni and
  Ben Madison.
• Vive l’Empereur, White Dog Games/Blue Panther Games. Designed by Hermann
  Luttmann.

Best Hypothetical Game
For a conflict simulation with a topic that is contrafactual, contra-historical,
alternate history or hypothetical, set in any period.

• Winner: Red Strike, VUCA Simulations. Designed by Yves Rettel.
• Littoral Commander: Indo-Pacific, Dietz Foundation. Designed by Sebastian Bae.
• The Doomsday Project: Episode 2 – The Battle for the Balkans, Compass Games.
  Designed by Adam Starkweather.

Best Wargaming Magazine
For the best wargaming magazine containing coverage of wargaming, or otherwise specifically
relevant to a wargame or wargames. This award is to recognize the quality of the magazine,
and any included wargames should be judged separately in their appropriate categories.

• Winner: C3i
• Against the Odds
• Banzai
• Game Journal
• Strategy & Tactics
• War Diary

Capstone Awards

Singular Awards for individual or achievement granted annually by the Charles S. Roberts
Awards.

The Redmond A. Simonsen Memorial Award for Outstanding
Presentation
For the game exhibiting excellence in all aspects of presentation, including the quality of the
rules, packaging, art, components, physical systems design, playing surface, and visual
interface.

• Winner: Red Strike, VUCA Simulations. Artist Pablo Bazerque.
• Fighters of the Pacific, Capsicum Games/Don’t Panic Games. Artists Alexandre
  Bonvalot and Antoine Schindler.
• Freezing Inferno, Princeps Games/Giga Mech Games. Artists Jelena Pjevic and
  Wojciech Zalewski.
• Undaunted: Battle of Britain, Osprey Games. Artist Roland MacDonald.

The James F. Dunnigan Award for Playability and Design
For the designer who has, through excellence of design, had the most positive
impact on playability and elegance in the field of conflict simulations.

• Winner: Mark Simonitch
• Mike Denson
• Hermann Luttmann
• Jeremy White

The Chad Jensen Memorial Breakthrough Designer Award
For a new designer or design team whose first or second game was released in the
Awards Year, who best exemplifies emerging excellence in design, and who has not
previously received this Award.

• Winner: Yves Rettel, designer of Red Strike.
• Antony Birkett, designer of Battles in the East Vols. 1-2, co-designer of Crimea:
  Conquest & Liberation.
• Harrison Brewer & Juliette Le Ménahèze, co-designers of We Are Coming, Nineveh.
• Alex Knight, designer of Land & Freedom.
• Gina Willis, Designer of A Glorious Chance.

The Charles S. Roberts Game of the Year
For the game that best exhibits the highest standards of excellence in design and
execution.

• Winner: Downfall: Conquest of the Third Reich, GMT Games. Designed by Chad Jensen and John Butterfield.
• The British Way, GMT Games. Designed by Stephen Rangazas.
• Europa Universalis: The Price of Power, Aegir Games. Designed by Eivind Vetlesen.
• Plantagenet: Cousins’ War for England, GMT Games. Designed by Francisco
  Gradaille.
• Mr. President, GMT Games. Designed by Gene Billingsley.
• Valley of Tears, Multi-Man Publishing. Designed by Carl Fung.
• We Are Coming, Nineveh, Nuts! Publishing. Designed by Juliette Le Ménahèze, Harrison Brewer, Rex Brynen, and Brian Train.