This book presents a much-needed framework for the critical examination of miniatures games and their design. It provides the reader with a conceptual model for understanding how these games work and a toolbox of approaches to achieving a range of design outcomes and assessing the fit of any given approach within a specific design.

Glenn Ford is the designer of miniatures games including Pukeapocolypse and Boarders and Black Flags as well as the regular developer on the games of his friend and Rule of Carnage podcast collaborator Mike Hutchinson. He runs an independent games publishing company, Man O' Kent Games and has successfully funded six Kickstarter campaigns, so far. Glenn lives in Deal, a small town with far too many castles in Kent in the UK with his wife, son and a disturbingly high number of games and toy soldiers.

Mike Hutchinson is an award-winning designer of miniatures games including Gaslands, A Billion Suns and Hobgoblin, and runs an independent game design studio called Planet Smasher Games. He is the co-host of the Rule of Carnage podcast, a weekly series examining tabletop miniatures game design. Mike lives in the inexplicably named village of Old Wives Lees in Kent, UK with his wife, Vanessa, and two daughters.

Introduction. Section 1 Miniatures as Medium. 01 What Are Tabletop Miniatures Games? 02 A Brief History of Miniatures Games. 03 The Spatial Relationship. 04 When Should Something Be a Miniatures Game? 05 The Hobby Games Loop. 06 Players of Tabletop Miniatures Games. 07 Sources of Fun. 08 The Victory Imperative. 09 Fantasy and Narrative. 10 Dramatic Focus. Section 2 The Raw Materials. 11 Miniatures and Measures. 12 Scale and Scope. 13 Uncertainty. 14 Dice Mechanics. 15 Card Mechanics. 16 Genre, Theme and Setting. 17 Resources. Section 3 Miniatures Rules Systems. 18 Setup and Deployment. 19 Activation and Initiative. 20 Movement. 21 Close Resolution. 22 Line of Sight and Ranged Actions. 23 Terrain. 24 Control Removal. 25 Damage. 26 Victory Conditions. 27 Special Abilities. 28 Scenarios. 29 Campaigns. 30 Forces and List Building. 31 Conclusion. Appendix 1.