The February issue of Games For Windows has the usual very brief column from wargame guru Bruce Geryk. Along with complaining that all the old hex wargamers would rather play a real time strategy game than Korsun Pocket, Bruce wonders if there are intro computer wargames like Panzer General anymore. As I look through my old gaming magazines I see stuff like Fields of Glory and Sid Meier’s Gettysburg, but I don’t where you would look for that sort of thing these days.

The best wargame of 2006, Birth of America takes a theater level approach. Theater level games are, I think, more welcoming since they are less likely to get too absorbed in the minutiae of Orders of Battle or vehicle types. Ironically, logistics is usually simplified, too. I’ve touched on this subject before, and was skeptical that Birth of America could be a starter wargame, but for dearth of other options, there it stands. That was eight months ago. Any other ideas?

Oh, and if anyone steps up to buy Games For Windows, can we give Bruce some more space? It always seems like he’s working up a good head of steam and then has to stop because Robert Coffey has a new Bejeweled clone to talk about on the other half of the page. I love my casual games, too, though. Give ’em both a page!