Australian Design Group
Encyclopedia
The Australian Design Group is a game company that specializes in wargames
and strategic
board games.
. The game was designed by Harry Rowland, who was thirteen years old at the time. Empires in Arms was published in 1983 and proved to be an almost instant success, receiving a nomination for Game of the Year at Origins
in 1984. The game was licensed to the Avalon Hill Game Company
in 1985, and still sells strongly.
The Australian Design Group went on to produce the international smash hit World in Flames
, a popular game based on the Second World War
, which won the Game of the Year, State of the Art, Best 20th Century Game and Game of the Decade awards.
Since then, the Australian Design Group has produced Days of Decision, Rub Out, World Cup Football, America in Flames, Patton in Flames, 7 Ages and numerous World in Flames kits.
Wargaming
A wargame is a strategy game that deals with military operations of various types, real or fictional. Wargaming is the hobby dedicated to the play of such games, which can also be called conflict simulations, or consims for short. When used professionally to study warfare, it is generally known as...
and strategic
Strategy game
A strategy game or strategic game is a game in which the players' uncoerced, and often autonomous decision-making skills have a high significance in determining the outcome...
board games.
History
The Australian Design Group was formed in 1982 by a group of Canberra gaming enthusiasts in order to publish the game Empires in ArmsEmpires in Arms
Empires in Arms is an out-of-print board game by Harry Rowland, published by the Australian Design Group in 1983. It was licenced to the Avalon Hill Game Company in 1985. It was nominated for the Charles S...
. The game was designed by Harry Rowland, who was thirteen years old at the time. Empires in Arms was published in 1983 and proved to be an almost instant success, receiving a nomination for Game of the Year at Origins
Origins Award
The Origins Awards are American awards for outstanding work in the game industry. They are presented by the Academy of Adventure Gaming Arts and Design at the Origins Game Fair on an annual basis for the previous year, so the 1979 awards were given at the 1980 Origins.The Origins Award is commonly...
in 1984. The game was licensed to the Avalon Hill Game Company
Avalon Hill
Avalon Hill was a game company that specialized in wargames and strategic board games. Its logo contained its initials "AH", and it was often referred to by this abbreviation. It also published the occasional miniature wargaming rules, role-playing game, and had a popular line of sports simulations...
in 1985, and still sells strongly.
The Australian Design Group went on to produce the international smash hit World in Flames
World in Flames
World in Flames is a board wargame designed by Harry Rowland and released in 1985 by the Australian Design Group. It is currently in its 6th edition, World in Flames - Final Edition, each new edition featuring changes to the rules, maps and counters provided with the game. World in Flames won the...
, a popular game based on the Second World War
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, which won the Game of the Year, State of the Art, Best 20th Century Game and Game of the Decade awards.
Since then, the Australian Design Group has produced Days of Decision, Rub Out, World Cup Football, America in Flames, Patton in Flames, 7 Ages and numerous World in Flames kits.
External links
- Australian Design Group official web site
- Australian Design Group at ConsimWorld.com