Maurice Suckling
@writegameread.bsky.social
Writes stories, makes games, reads history.
Assistant Professor, Games and Experiential Media, RPI, NY. Researching narrative in games & historical simulations. Writer of stories for games. Designer of board games.
https://mauricesuckling.com
Assistant Professor, Games and Experiential Media, RPI, NY. Researching narrative in games & historical simulations. Writer of stories for games. Designer of board games.
https://mauricesuckling.com
Today’s reading is a play: The Rhineland War: 1936.
February 1, 2026 at 4:29 PM
Today’s reading is a play: The Rhineland War: 1936.
Today’s (simplified) history, at Albany airport, NY. Because of these contraptions strung across the Hudson the Royal Navy couldn’t get down from Canada, so we get the Saratoga Campaign, so we get the French entry into the war, so we get American independence. (Add a couple of those to the flag?):
January 29, 2026 at 3:16 PM
Today’s (simplified) history, at Albany airport, NY. Because of these contraptions strung across the Hudson the Royal Navy couldn’t get down from Canada, so we get the Saratoga Campaign, so we get the French entry into the war, so we get American independence. (Add a couple of those to the flag?):
Today’s game: Tales of the Arthurian Knights. A storytelling engine game. (I think of this as a blend of a tailored storytelling game, and a systemic storytelling game.) Derived from Tales of the Arabian Nights, but with some successful amendments, in my opinion.
January 28, 2026 at 5:08 PM
Today’s game: Tales of the Arthurian Knights. A storytelling engine game. (I think of this as a blend of a tailored storytelling game, and a systemic storytelling game.) Derived from Tales of the Arabian Nights, but with some successful amendments, in my opinion.
Reposted by Maurice Suckling
Among my most anticipated historical board game releases of 2026: Peace 1905, a delicate balancing act of peace, national interest, and face-saving (@writegameread.bsky.social @fortcircle.bsky.social). Read more:
cliosboardgames.wordpress.com/2026/01/11/m...
cliosboardgames.wordpress.com/2026/01/11/m...
January 19, 2026 at 5:50 PM
Among my most anticipated historical board game releases of 2026: Peace 1905, a delicate balancing act of peace, national interest, and face-saving (@writegameread.bsky.social @fortcircle.bsky.social). Read more:
cliosboardgames.wordpress.com/2026/01/11/m...
cliosboardgames.wordpress.com/2026/01/11/m...
Today’s game: Cabinet Noir (prototype for Les 3 Zouaves publisher). Fouche (who would have thought?) backs the Empire which clings on and survives into 1815, despite Napoleon’s unpopularity, and so he wins. Berthier backed the Jacobins, Talleyrand the Russians, Chaptal the British.
January 14, 2026 at 5:34 PM
Today’s game: Cabinet Noir (prototype for Les 3 Zouaves publisher). Fouche (who would have thought?) backs the Empire which clings on and survives into 1815, despite Napoleon’s unpopularity, and so he wins. Berthier backed the Jacobins, Talleyrand the Russians, Chaptal the British.
Reposted by Maurice Suckling
Here are my most anticipated historical board games to be released in 2026!
cliosboardgames.wordpress.com/2026/01/11/m...
cliosboardgames.wordpress.com/2026/01/11/m...
Most Anticipated Historical Board Games, 2026
Happy new year, everybody! I hope it will bring you much joy. I also hope it will bring you board games (which is basically the same thing). The question is, however: Which games? – Here are a few …
cliosboardgames.wordpress.com
January 12, 2026 at 5:50 PM
Here are my most anticipated historical board games to be released in 2026!
cliosboardgames.wordpress.com/2026/01/11/m...
cliosboardgames.wordpress.com/2026/01/11/m...
Recent acquisitions of possible interest:
December 26, 2025 at 4:45 PM
Recent acquisitions of possible interest:
Today’s arrival: Prelude to Leipzig by John Theissen.
December 23, 2025 at 8:13 PM
Today’s arrival: Prelude to Leipzig by John Theissen.
Today’s movie:
December 23, 2025 at 8:08 PM
Today’s movie:
Lovely review of Operation Barclay here. youtu.be/jGu8ikjmEL4?...
Poker and Battleship Had a Baby! - Operation Barclay Board Game Review
YouTube video by Rolling with the Beard
youtu.be
December 21, 2025 at 2:18 AM
Lovely review of Operation Barclay here. youtu.be/jGu8ikjmEL4?...
Today’s second game - 2-player Cabinet Noir (prototype). The British win, which means Berthier and Fouche tie in this case.
December 19, 2025 at 9:17 PM
Today’s second game - 2-player Cabinet Noir (prototype). The British win, which means Berthier and Fouche tie in this case.
Today’s first game - teaching 2-player Crisis: 1914 (with a power cut going on).
December 19, 2025 at 9:14 PM
Today’s first game - teaching 2-player Crisis: 1914 (with a power cut going on).
Today’s delivery: Beethoven’s Assassins by my PhD advisor of yesteryear, Andrew Crumey.
December 15, 2025 at 9:13 PM
Today’s delivery: Beethoven’s Assassins by my PhD advisor of yesteryear, Andrew Crumey.
Today’s game: back to Blood on the Clocktower with class. Different scenario today - Sects and Violence. Lots of fun, evil twins, a poisoned Oracle, and the demon narrowly defeated - right down to the wire. I believe this might be the optimum social deduction/systemic story game right now.
December 11, 2025 at 5:08 PM
Today’s game: back to Blood on the Clocktower with class. Different scenario today - Sects and Violence. Lots of fun, evil twins, a poisoned Oracle, and the demon narrowly defeated - right down to the wire. I believe this might be the optimum social deduction/systemic story game right now.
Today’s update: a new board for the prototype of the game I’m making with Wes Crawford on Japan’s surrender in 1945. This is for Part One - the cabinet discussions.
December 10, 2025 at 7:05 PM
Today’s update: a new board for the prototype of the game I’m making with Wes Crawford on Japan’s surrender in 1945. This is for Part One - the cabinet discussions.
Today’s game: Cabinet Noir. Prototype for French publisher Les Trois Zouaves. The game is about surviving Napoleon’s Empire and trying to back the eventual winner. In this game the Empire survives and de Monthion came out ahead.
December 10, 2025 at 6:14 PM
Today’s game: Cabinet Noir. Prototype for French publisher Les Trois Zouaves. The game is about surviving Napoleon’s Empire and trying to back the eventual winner. In this game the Empire survives and de Monthion came out ahead.
Today’s arrival: 1936: What If? (2016) Ty Bomba’s Rhineland Crisis gets kinetic.
December 9, 2025 at 9:07 PM
Today’s arrival: 1936: What If? (2016) Ty Bomba’s Rhineland Crisis gets kinetic.
Yesterday’s game with Narrative-Driven Analog Games: Lord of the Rings Reiner Knizia style. This did not end well.
December 9, 2025 at 5:29 AM
Yesterday’s game with Narrative-Driven Analog Games: Lord of the Rings Reiner Knizia style. This did not end well.
Today’s arrival: Armada, from Fortress Games.
December 6, 2025 at 3:35 PM
Today’s arrival: Armada, from Fortress Games.
Today’s game with Narrative-Driven Analog Games at RPI, Blood on the Clocktower. Werewolf got amped.
December 5, 2025 at 1:09 AM
Today’s game with Narrative-Driven Analog Games at RPI, Blood on the Clocktower. Werewolf got amped.
Today’s game: Elizabeth: England Aflame, 4-7 player prototype about spies in Elizabethan England. Today’s victors, the Protestants.
December 3, 2025 at 5:47 PM
Today’s game: Elizabeth: England Aflame, 4-7 player prototype about spies in Elizabethan England. Today’s victors, the Protestants.
I enjoyed this chat between three switched on chaps.
December 2, 2025 at 9:55 PM
I enjoyed this chat between three switched on chaps.
Today’s arrival. Research for a game about Japan’s surrender in 1945:
December 1, 2025 at 11:24 PM
Today’s arrival. Research for a game about Japan’s surrender in 1945:
This weekend’s games: Hidden Strike: American Revolution, and Crisis: 1914.
November 30, 2025 at 10:25 PM
This weekend’s games: Hidden Strike: American Revolution, and Crisis: 1914.