Copyright 2003 T. Sheil & A. Sheil All Rights Reserved
Somewhere between Horse & Musket games and the Modern Era, there is the specialized genre of Colonial Games. These are based on the small wars and overseas expeditions of the late 1800s and early 20th Century. Most involve Western forces contending with a variety of native fighters. Colonial Gaming replays battles from the mountains of Afghanistan to the Sahara Desert, from the South African veldt to the South4east Asian jungle. Armies and enemies are varied and colorful. The names of units evoke thoughts of far-away places. The Foreign Legion, Bengal Lancers and Chasseurs D' Afrique are almost legendary. Equally legendary are the enemies: Bedawi Arabs, Sudanese Hadendowahs, Fuzzy Wuzzies, Zulu, Afridis.
The flavor of the times is a key ingredient to enjoyment of Colonial Era gaming. This was the height of the Victorian Age. The true adherent of Colonial Gaming is also interested in that wondrous age of exploration and formality. Indeed, many Colonial fans happen to be fans of Victorian era technology, to the point that some try to "invent" new devices to include in their games. A variant Colonial game called 'Steampunk" is a veritable repository of "what if," going so far as to enable the invention of steam-powered "land warships."
The true fan of this genre has to be able to balance his love of the era with a sense of adventure and wonder. He or she is likely a fan of the old adventure genre of movies from the 1930s. Colonial war is a hint of the modern, a touch of the Napoleonic, and a large portion of the exotic. It requires knowledge both of the Western forces and the customers, fighting methods and history of the natives.
Major General Tremorden Rederring's Colonial-era Wargames Page resources galore for all phases of Colonial Games, from the purely historical to the fantasy "Steampunk". Big, well-done site will thrill the Colonial and Victorian-Era gamer.
Colonial Wargames - resources, rules and more for Colonial-Era Wargaming.
Steampunk Resources - links to rules and other resources for Victorian Science Fiction gaming