ABSTRACT

Wargames, as we know them today, began their development in the early nineteenth century. Though they have branched into a wide variety of mediums, scales, and mechanics over the past 200 years, their focus on physical violence as a means of conflict resolution between two or more parties has remained untouched as the genre’s core theme. While this defining characteristic of wargames has remained unchanged, how that theme is expressed and explored has shifted in the past four decades. Wargames have traditionally been made by men for men and feature characters and strategies represented in gendered ways, but relatively recent changes to gaming communities have expanded the player base and the available flavors of these types of games. These changes have pushed the definition of what is a wargame from its original purpose, and now provides opportunity to explore topics and themes within this genre that have previously seldom been broached.