Charles S. Roberts Award

Created at the first Origins Game Convention in 1975, the awards were the brainchild of Canadian game store owner John Mansfield. Originally the awards were titled the "Origins Awards" but were informally known as the Charles Roberts Awards and it was only in 1988 that Charles Roberts officially agreed to let his name be used. The split from the Origins Awards occurred in 1987, after Fortress America by Milton Bradley Company won an award. Fortress America was not considered a traditional historical wargame by members of the wargaming community, with mechanics and a target audience more akin to Risk; and there was concern that because of the large print run of a Milton Bradley product, many of the voters came from outside the traditional wargaming hobby flooding out smaller run titles. Prior to 2000, the awards were given at the Origins Game Fair. From 2000–2012, the awards were presented at the World Boardgaming Championships (formerly "AvalonCon"). The awards were not given from 2013–2018. In 2020, a group of gamers and industry figures restarted the award under auspices of Chairman Rodger B. MacGowan and directed and operated by Tim Tow. There are an increased number of categories including art, print and play (called "amateur wargames"), and computer wargame categories. ==Recent award winners==

2003 Source: • Best Ancients to Pre-Napoleonic War Game: Nevsky: Teutons and Rus in Collision • Best Napoleonic Era War Game: Quatre Bras 1815 • Best Post-Napoleonic Pre-WWII War Game: Death Valley: Battles of Shenandoah • Best WW2 Era War Game: U-BOOT The Board Game • Best Amateur/Print-n-Play War Game: Federation Stellar Force • Best Game Review or Analysis: The Players Aid • Best Modern Era Computer War Game: Command: Modern Operations • Best Sci-Fi/Fantasy Computer War Game: Stellaris • Best Computer War Game Expansion or Update: Through the Ages: New Leaders and Wonders • Best Computer War Game Graphics: Unity of Command II • Best Pre-20th Century Computer War Game: Julius Caesar • Best Amateur War Gaming Magazine: War Diary • Best Magazine Board War Game: Campaigns of 1777 (Strategy and Tactics magazine) • Best Postcard/Small Format Board War Game: Imua! The Unification of Hawaii, 1795 • Best Professional War Game Magazine: C3i • Science Fiction or Fantasy War Game: Dune • Best Solitaire/Co-Operative War Game: UBOOT The Board Game • Best War Game Playing Components: UBOOT The Board Game • Best War Game Rules: UBOOT The Board Game • Best War Game Map Graphics: UBOOT The Board Game • Best Computer Assist Module: UBOOT The Board Game • Best Original Box Cover Art: UBOOT The Board Game • Best Expansion or Supplement: Time of Crisis: Age of Iron and Rust • Best Post-WW2, Cold War, and Hypothetical Era: ''Storming the Gap: World at War '85'' • Best Game Review or Analysis Article: (tie) Evolution of Historical Small Unit Tactic Board Wargames by Robert Carroll and OCS 101 Vitebsk Introductory Scenario by Chip Saltsman • Clausewitz Award HALL OF FAME: Rich Banner • James F. Dunnigan Award for Design and Playability: Volke Ruhnke • War Boardgame of the Year: UBOOT The Board Game 2020 Source: • Ancients to Medieval Board Wargame Caesar: Rome vs. Gaul GMT • Early Gunpowder Board Wargame Imperial Struggle GMT • Napoleonic Era Board Wargame The Shores of Tripoli Fort Circle Games • Late GunPowder Era Board Wargames Freedom! Phalanx • American Civil War (ACW) Board Wargames Chancellorsville 1863 Worthington • WWI Board Wargames Verdun 1916: Steel Inferno Fellowship of Simulations • WW2 Board Wargames The Jaws of Victory: Battle of Korsun-Cherkassy Pocket – January/February 1944 New England Simulations • Modern, Hypothetical Board Wargame Brotherhood & Unity: War in Bosnia and Herzegovina 1992-1995 Compass • SciFi Fantasy Board Stellar Horizons Compass • SF Fantasy Computer Wargame Shadow Empire Matrix Games and Root Dire Wolf • Pre-20th Century Computer Wargame Crusader Kings III Paradox Interactive and Field of Glory II: Medieval Slitherine • Modern Era Computer Wargame Panzer Corps 2 • Computer Wargame Expansion Field of Glory Empires – Persia 550 – 330 BCE Slitherine Ltd and Order of Battle: Red Storm Slitherine • Computer Wargame Graphics Panzer Corps 2 • Board Game Assist Module Dune (Treachery Online) • Solitaire/Coop Board Wargame The Shores of Tripoli Fort Circle Games • Magazine Board Wargame Battle for Kursk: The Tigers Are Burning, 1943 C3i #34 • Amateur/Print & Play Wargame Kettle Hill • Postcard/Small Format Board Wargame Lucky Little Luxembourg • Best Board Wargame Expansion Labyrinth: The Forever War, 2015-? • Board Wargame Playing Components The Jaws of Victory: Battle of Korsun-Cherkassy Pocket – January/February 1944 New England Simulations • Board Wargame Map Graphics Imperial Struggle GMT • Wargame Rules The Jaws of Victory: Battle of Korsun-Cherkassy Pocket – January/February 1944 New England Simulations and The Shores of Tripoli Fort Circle Games • Original Box Cover Art The Shores of Tripoli Fort Circle Games • Amateur Wargame Magazine Punched • Professional Wargame Magazine C3I • Wargame Analysis / Game Review / Analysis website, webcast, podcast ''The Player's Aid'' • Individual Historical Article or Scenario Analysis Wargaming in the Department of Defense — U.S. Army Command and General Staff College Common Core: Wargaming in the Joint Planning Process* – Eric Walters • Military History Book Twilight of the Gods: War in the Western Pacific 1944-1945 by Ian Toll • Wargame of the Year Verdun 1916: Steel Inferno Fellowship of Simulations • Dunnigan Award for Design Excellence Verdun 1916: Steel Inferno Walter Vejdovsky • Clausewitz Hall of Fame recipient Walter Vejdovsky 2021 Source: • Best Ancients to Medieval Era Board Wargame: Rome, Inc., Against the Odds, designer Philip Jelley • Best Early Gunpowder Board Wargame 1453-1793 AD: Bayonets & Tomahawks, GMT Games, designer Marc Rodrigue • Best Late Gunpowder to Pre-World War I Board Wargame, excluding American Civil War and Napoleonic Topics: Red Flag Over Paris, GMT Games, designer Fred Serval • Best Napoleonic Board Wargame: Napoleon Invades Spain, Operational Studies Group, designer Kevin Zucker • Best American Civil War Board Wargame: Hood Strikes North, Multi-Man Publishing, designers Joseph M. Balkoski, Ed Beach & Chris Withers • Best World War I Era Board Wargame: Decisive Victory 1918: Soissons, Legion Wargames, designers Serge Bettencourt, Tim Gale • Best World War II Era Board Wargame: Atlantic Chase, GMT Games, designer Jeremy White • Best Modern Era Board Wargame: NATO: The Cold War Goes Hot, Compass Games, designer Bruce Maxwell • Best Science-Fiction or Fantasy Board Wargame: Oath: Chronicles of Empire and Exile, Leder Games, designer Cole Wehrle • Best Solitaire or Cooperative Board Wargame: Atlantic Chase, GMT Games, designer Jeremy White • Best Magazine Board Wargame: Hannut: France 1940, Decision Games, designer Joe Youst • Best Expansion or Supplement for an Existing Board Wargame: Undaunted: Reinforcements, Osprey Games, designers David Thompson & Trevor Benjamin • Best Board Wargame Playing Components: Atlantic Chase, GMT Games • Best Board Wargame Map Graphics: Bayonets & Tomahawks, GMT Games, map artist Marc Rodrigue • Best Board Wargame Rules: Atlantic Chase, GMT Games, designer Jeremy White • Best Cover Art: Storm Above the Reich, GMT Games, box artists Mark Simonitch & Antonis Karidis • Best Computer Wargame: War in the East 2, Slitherine, Ltd. • Best Wargame Magazine: C3i, RBM Studios • Best Individual Historical, Scenario Analysis, or Book: Wayne Hansen, ''"Let's Play! Devil Boats: PT Boats in the Solomons Overview & Review"'' • Best Game Review or Analysis Website, Webcast, or Podcast: ''The Player's Aid'' (Blog & YouTube) • Wargame of the Year: Atlantic Chase, GMT Games, designer Jeremy White • James F. Dunnigan Design Elegance Award: David Thompson • Clausewitz Award Hall of Fame: Chad Jensen • Charles S. Roberts Best New Designer Award: Marc Rodrigue 2022 Source: • Best Ancients Wargame: Great Battles of Julius Caesar Deluxe Edition, GMT Games, designers Richard H. Berg and Mark Herman • Best Medieval Wargame: Almoravid, GMT Games, designer Volko Ruhnke • Best Gunpowder Wargame: No Peace Without Honor, Compass Games, designer David Meyler • Best Early Modern Wargame: Plains Indian Wars, GMT Games, designer John Poniske • Best Napoleonic Wargame: Bonaparte in the Quadrilateral, OSG, designer Kevin Zucker • Best American Civil War Wargame: A Most Fearful Sacrifice, Flying Pig Games, designer Hermann Luttmann • Best Early 20th Century Wargame: 1914: Nach Paris, VUCA Simulations, designer Bertrand Munier • Best World War II Wargame: Pacific War Second Edition, GMT Games, designer Mark Herman • Best Modern Wargame: Flashpoint: South China Sea, GMT Games, designer Harold Buchanan • Best Hypothetical Wargame: The Third World War Designer Signature Edition, Compass Games, designer Frank Chadwick • Best Science Fiction or Fantasy Wargame: The Long Road, Flying Pig Games, designer Mark H. Walker • Best Solitaire or Cooperative Wargame: Skies Above Britain, GMT Games, designers Jerry White and Gina Willis • Best Expansion for an Existing Wargame: Fall of Saigon, for Fire in the Lake, GMT Games, designers Mark Herman and Volko Ruhnke • Best Wargaming Magazine: Strategy & Tactics • The Redmond A. Simonsen Memorial Award for Outstanding Wargame Presentation: A Most Fearful Sacrifice: The Three Days of Gettysburg, Flying Pig Games • The James F. Dunnigan Award for Playability and Design: Volko Ruhnke • The Charles S. Roberts Memorial Award for Best New Designer: Richard Whitaker (Into the Woods) • CSR Awards (Clausewitz) Hall of Fame Inductees: Dana Lombardy, John Prados, Volko Ruhnke • Wargame of the Year: A Most Fearful Sacrifice: The Three Days of Gettysburg, Flying Pig Games, designer Hermann Luttmann 2023 Source: Awarded June 24, 2024 • Best Ancients Game: Storm over Jerusalem, Multi-Man Publishing. Designed by Scott Blanton • Best Medieval Game: Plantagenet: Cousins' War for England, GMT Games. Designed by Francisco Gradaille • Best Gunpowder or Industrial Era Game: The Battle of White Plains, GMT Games. Designed by Mark Miklos • Best Napoleonic Game: Bonaparte Overruns Piedmont, Operational Studies Group. Designed by Kevin Zucker • Best American Civil War Game: Grand Havoc: Perryville 1862, Revolution Games. Designed by Jeff Grossman • Best World War I Game: Western Front Ace, Compass Games. Designed by Gregory M. Smith and Ian Cooper • Best World War II Game: Downfall: Conquest of the Third Reich, GMT Games. Designed by Chad Jensen and John Butterfield • Best Modern Game: Valley of Tears, Multi-Man Publishing. Designed by Carl Fung • Best Strategic Game: Downfall: Conquest of the Third Reich, GMT Games. Designed by Chad Jensen and John Butterfield • Best Operational Game: Red Strike, VUCA Simulations. Designed by Yves Rettel • Best Tactical Game: We Are Coming, Nineveh, Nuts! Publishing. Designed by Juliette Le Ménahèze, Harrison Brewer, Rex Brynen, and Brian Train • Best New Edition of a Previously Published Game: On to Richmond II: The Union Strikes South, Multi-Man Publishing. Designed by Joseph Balkoski, Ed Beach and Chris Withers • Best Political, Social, or Economic Game: Mr. President, GMT Games. Designed by Gene Billingsley • Best Hypothetical Game: Red Strike, VUCA Simulations. Designed by Yves Rettel • Best Solitaire or Cooperative Game: Halls of Hegra, Tompet Games. Designed by Petter Schanke Olsen • Best Wargaming Magazine: C3i • The Redmond A. Simonsen Memorial Award for Outstanding Wargame Presentation: Red Strike, VUCA Simulations. Artist Pablo Bazerque • The James F. Dunnigan Award for Playability and Design: Mark Simonitch • The Chad Jensen Memorial Breakthrough Designer Award: Yves Rettel, designer of Red Strike • CSR Awards (Clausewitz) Hall of Fame Inductees: Tom Dalgliesh, Charles Kibler, Mark McLaughlin • The Charles S. Roberts Game of the Year: Downfall: Conquest of the Third Reich, GMT Games. Designed by Chad Jensen and John Butterfield 2024 Source: Awarded June 20, 2025 • Best Ancients Game: The Fate of All. Designed by Fabrizio Vianello, published by Thin Red Line Games • Best Medieval Game: Tanto Monta: The Rise of Ferdinand & Isabella. Designed by Carlos Diaz Navarez, published by GMT Games • Best Gunpowder or Industrial Era Game: Cowpens 1781. Designed by Pascal Toupy, published in Vae Victis issue #176 • Best Napoleonic Game: I, Napoleon. Designed by Ted Raicer, published by GMT Games • Best American Civil War Game: Rebel Fury. Designed by Mark Herman, published by GMT Games • Best World War I Game: Schutztruppe: Heia Safari. Designed by Dennis Bishop, published by Compass Games • Best World War II Game: Panzer North Africa. Designed by James M. Day and Fernando Sola Ramos, published by GMT Games • Best Modern Game: Purple Haze. Designed by Bernard Grzybowski, published by PHALANX • Best Strategic Game: Burning Banners. Designed by Christopher Moeller, published by Compass Games • Best Operational Game: Thunder on the Mississippi. Designed by Joseph M. Balkoski and Chris Withers, published by Multi-Man Publishing • Best Tactical Game: Panzer North Africa. Designed by James M. Day and Fernando Sola Ramos, published by GMT Games • Best New Edition of a Previously Published Game: France '40: Second Edition. Designed by Mark Simonitch, published by GMT Games • Best Political, Social, or Economic Game: Red Dust Rebellion. Designed by Jarrod Carmichael, published by GMT Games • Best Hypothetical Game: Next War: Iran. Designed by Mitchell Land, published by GMT Games • Best Solitaire or Cooperative Game: I, Napoleon. Designed by Ted Raicer, published by GMT Games • Best Wargaming Magazine: C3i • The Redmond A. Simonsen Memorial Award for Outstanding Wargame Presentation: Burning Banners, published by Compass Games. Graphics by Christopher Moeller • The James F. Dunnigan Award for Playability and Design: Mark Herman • The Chad Jensen Memorial Breakthrough Designer Award: Carlos Diaz Narvaez, for Tanto Monta • CSR Awards (Clausewitz) Hall of Fame Inductees: Frédéric Bey, Samuel Craig Taylor, Danny Parker • The Charles S. Roberts Game of the Year: Panzer North Africa. Designed by James M. Day and Fernando Sola Ramos, published by GMT Games Additionally, by unanimous agreement of the CSR Board of Governors, Rodger B. MacGowan is hereby inducted into the Charles S. Roberts Wargaming Hall of Fame. ==Previous award winners==

Source: 1974 to 1975 – Best Professional Game 1974 to 1975, 1978 – Best Amateur Game 1976 to 1977 – Best Tactical Game 1976 to 1977 – Best Strategic Game 1978 to 1986 – Best Pre-20th century Game 1978 to 1986 – Best 20th century Game 1987 to 2008 – Best Pre–World War Two Game 2009 to 2012 – Best Ancient to Napoleonic Era Board Wargame 2009 to 2012 – Best Post-Napoleonic to Pre–World War II Era Board Wargame 1987 to 2012 – Best World War Two Game 1987 to 2012 – Best Post–World War Two or Modern Game 1999 to 2012 – Best DTP Game (or Print and Play, from 2009) 1999 to 2012 – Best Magazine Game 2009 to 2012 – Best Expansion or Supplement for an Existing Game 1974 to 2012 – Best Professional Wargaming Magazine 1974 to 2012 – Best Amateur Wargaming Magazine • – formerly Swabbers 1987 to 2012 – Best Historical or Scenario Magazine Article • – only Honorable Mentions 1987 to 2012 – Best Game Review or Game Analysis 1976 to 2012 – Best Wargame Graphics 1979 to 1981 – Best Initial Release Wargame 1977 to 1986 and 2010 to 2012 – Best Fantasy or Science Fiction Wargame ===1989 to 2012 – James F. Dunnigan Award for Playability and Design=== To a Game Designer, Developer, Graphic Artist or Game for outstanding achievement in that year • – In 1989 and 1991 the game won the award. ==Leading CSR award winners for wargames (1974 to 2011)==

These totals include awards for games, magazine games, game graphics and (for designers) the James F. Dunnigan award. Not included are awards for magazines, computer media and articles. by game company 47 – GMT Games LLC 16 – Multi-Man Publishing 13 – The Gamers Incorporated 12 – The Avalon Hill Game Company 12 – Victory Games 10 – Decision Games 9 – XTR Corporation 6 – Simulation Publications Incorporated 6 – Against the Odds Magazine 5 – Game Designers' Workshop 4 – World Wide Wargames 4 – West End Games 3 – Clash of Arms 3 – Khyber Pass Games by game designer or graphic artist 16 – Dean Essig 13 – Rodger MacGowan 9 – Richard Berg 8 – Ted Raicer 6 – Joe Miranda 6 – Mark Herman 5 – Volko Ruhnke 5 – Mark Simonitch 4 – John Prados 4 – Ted Koller 4 – Nicolas Eskubi 3 – Frank Chadwick 3 – Joseph Balkoski 3 – Greg Costikyan 3 – Dan Verssen 3 – Charles Kibler ==Charles Roberts Awards Hall of Fame==

The Charles S. Roberts Awards Hall of Fame, formally known as the Clausewitz Award Hall of Fame, is named after military writer Carl von Clausewitz. The recipients of this award have made an important contribution and left their mark on the contemporary hobby of military strategy games and simulations. Inductees • 1974 - Charles S. Roberts • 1974 - Don Turnbull • 1975 - Jim Dunnigan • 1976 - Tom Shaw • 1977 - Redmond A. Simonsen • 1978 - John Hill • 1979 - David Isby • 1980 - E Gary Gygax • 1981 - Marc W. Miller • 1982 - Steve Jackson • 1983 - Dave Arneson • 1984 - Frank Chadwick • 1986 - Lou Zocchi • 1987 - Richard Berg • 1988 - Ty Bomba • 1989 - Joseph Balkoski • 1990 - Jack Greene • 1991 - Mark Herman • 1992 - Larry Hoffman • 1993 - Dean Essig • 1994 - Don Greenwood • 1995 - Chris Perello • 1996 - Ted Raicer • 1997 - Dave Powell • 1998 - Vance von Borries • 2000 - Winston Hamilton • 2001 - Joseph Miranda • 2002 - Mark Simonitch • 2003 - Kevin Zucker • 2004 - JD Webster • 2009 - John Butterfield • 2010 - Richard Borg • 2011 - Ed Wimble • 2012 - Brian Youse • 2013-2018 - No award • 2019 - Paul Banner • 2020 - Walter Vejdovsky • 2021 - Chad Jensen • 2022 - Dana Lombardy, John Prados, Volko Ruhnke • 2023 - Tom Dalgliesh, Charles Kibler, Mark McLaughlin • 2024 - Frédéric Bey, Samuel Craig Taylor, Danny Parker, Rodger B. MacGowan ==See also==