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Clio's Board Games

@cliosboardgames.bsky.social
1.5K followers 552 following 912 posts

Musings about history, board games and history in board games. Blog: cliosboardgames.wordpress.com

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Liz Davidson @beyondsolitaire.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
For the 250th episode of the podcast, @edbeach23.bsky.social came on to chat about historical board game design, designing for series, and his work on Civ. Also, if you want to know who the best Here I Stand player in the world is... this episode reveals all. youtu.be/9PyhJ7FGxEw?...
youtu.be
Beyond Solitaire Podcast 250: Ed Beach on Historical Series Design
YouTube video by Beyond Solitaire
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Clio's Board Games @cliosboardgames.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Pluto's saving grace in Julius Caesar: Instead of attacking, you can use the card to run away! Read more: cliosboardgames.wordpress.com/2026/09/20/p...
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Clio's Board Games @cliosboardgames.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
#OTD 100 years ago, Germany joined the League of Nations - the zenith of chancellor Wilhelm Marx's foreign policy. Read more: cliosboardgames.wordpress.com/2026/07/26/w...
cliosboardgames.wordpress.com
Wilhelm Marx (Weimar Chancellor Ratings, #2)
We’ve been assessing the merits of political leaders in (more or less) democratic countries on this blog for a few years now. Today, we’re looking at the longest-serving chancellor of the Weimar Re…
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Clio's Board Games @cliosboardgames.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
ICYMI: Here's my strategic analysis of the Pluto card in Julius Caesar! cliosboardgames.wordpress.com/2026/09/20/p...
cliosboardgames.wordpress.com
Pluto (Julius Caesar God Cards Ranked, #7)
We’ve discussed general strategy tips for Julius Caesar (Grant Dalgliesh/Justin Thompson, Columbia Games). One area that deserves closer scrutiny are the God cards. They are enticing, but best used…
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Clio's Board Games @cliosboardgames.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
The Pluto card in Julius Caesar looks great for forcing a strait...until you realize that your attack will probaböy have tp deal not only with the initial defenders, but also reinforcements. Read more: cliosboardgames.wordpress.com/2026/09/20/p...
cliosboardgames.wordpress.com
Pluto (Julius Caesar God Cards Ranked, #7)
We’ve discussed general strategy tips for Julius Caesar (Grant Dalgliesh/Justin Thompson, Columbia Games). One area that deserves closer scrutiny are the God cards. They are enticing, but best used…
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Clio's Board Games @cliosboardgames.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
That's a lot of Caesarian blocs in one place... and a telltale sign that Caesar holds the Pluto card. Read more: cliosboardgames.wordpress.com/2026/09/20/p...
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Clio's Board Games @cliosboardgames.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
Starting a new series on the God cards in Julius Caesar: cliosboardgames.wordpress.com/2026/09/20/p...
cliosboardgames.wordpress.com
Pluto (Julius Caesar God Cards Ranked, #7)
We’ve discussed general strategy tips for Julius Caesar (Grant Dalgliesh/Justin Thompson, Columbia Games). One area that deserves closer scrutiny are the God cards. They are enticing, but best used…
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Clio's Board Games @cliosboardgames.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
How to Win at Julius Caesar, tip #3: Don’t Overdo it with the Gods. Read more: cliosboardgames.wordpress.com/2026/09/06/h...
cliosboardgames.wordpress.com
How to Win at Julius Caesar (Three Basic Tips, #16)
We haven’t had a strategy post for some time here! Let’s do one on a classic – but one I only discovered two years ago: Julius Caesar (Grant Dalgliesh/Justin Thompson, Columbia Games), the bl…
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Clio's Board Games @cliosboardgames.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
How to Win at Julius Caesar, tip #2: Win Naval Superiority. Read more: cliosboardgames.wordpress.com/2026/09/06/h...
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Reposted by Clio's Board Games
The Boardgames Chronicle @thebrdgmschronicle.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
Empire of the Sun is a wonderful classic from @gmtgames.bsky.social by @markherman54.bsky.social. In 5th printing we are getting all the goodies we can dream of: new scenarios, mounted map, solo system just to name a few. Enjoy the unboxing material! LINK: theboardgameschronicle.com/2026/09/13/e...
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Reposted by Clio's Board Games
Sarah Ovenall @ovenall.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
Tonight’s movie: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly. My pick! The fancy pants Arrow set comes with 3 commentaries: one by Leone’s biographer, one by Eastwood’s biographer and the one we’re watching, a critical analysis of the film by I don’t know who
Eli Wallach and Clint Eastwood in The Good, The Bad and The Ugly. Eastwood is lying on the ground. Wallach is crouching next to him, holding two guns one of which is pointed at Eastwood. Wallach is smiling, Eastwood is not.
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Reposted by Clio's Board Games
Uočavam pesimizam @problemcic.eurosky.social · 11/09/2026
*don’t get stabbed
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Clio's Board Games @cliosboardgames.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
ICYMI: Here’s my strategy primer on how to win at Julius Caesar: cliosboardgames.wordpress.com/2026/09/06/h...
cliosboardgames.wordpress.com
How to Win at Julius Caesar (Three Basic Tips, #16)
We haven’t had a strategy post for some time here! Let’s do one on a classic – but one I only discovered two years ago: Julius Caesar (Grant Dalgliesh/Justin Thompson, Columbia Games), the bl…
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Clio's Board Games @cliosboardgames.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
How to Win at Julius Caesar, tip #1: Race for the East. Read more: cliosboardgames.wordpress.com/2026/09/06/h...
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Clio's Board Games @cliosboardgames.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
#OTD 75 years ago, former enemies USA and Japan became allies. US guarantees soothed Japan's nervous neighbors, and the US gained their prime foothold in East Asia. Image from #TwilightStruggle (@jasondcmatthews.bsky.social @gmtgames.bsky.social).
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Reposted by Clio's Board Games
The Boardgames Chronicle @thebrdgmschronicle.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
Great article from Clio - his tips & tricks for Julius Caesar, great title from Columbia Games.
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Clio's Board Games @cliosboardgames.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
How to Win at Julius Caesar cliosboardgames.wordpress.com/2026/09/06/h...
cliosboardgames.wordpress.com
How to Win at Julius Caesar (Three Basic Tips, #16)
We haven’t had a strategy post for some time here! Let’s do one on a classic – but one I only discovered two years ago: Julius Caesar (Grant Dalgliesh/Justin Thompson, Columbia Games), the bl…
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Clio's Board Games @cliosboardgames.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
New York continues to inspire artists with its urban vision... including board game designers, and maybe even mutated T-Rexes. (Image from #KingOfNewYork). Read more: cliosboardgames.wordpress.com/2026/08/23/n...
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Clio's Board Games @cliosboardgames.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
On September 11, 2001, a new era of global history began in New York City (image from #Labyrinth @volko.bsky.social @gmtgames.bsky.social). Read more: cliosboardgames.wordpress.com/2026/08/23/n...
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Clio's Board Games @cliosboardgames.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
New York in the late 20th century was an infamous hotbed of crime… and not of the family-friendly N.Y. Chase type. Read more: cliosboardgames.wordpress.com/2026/08/23/n...
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Clio's Board Games @cliosboardgames.bsky.social · 30/08/2026
New York undermined itself in the mid-20th century with infrastructure projects which encouraged suburb development and lowered the quality of life in the center. Image from #CrossBronxExpressway @nbsp1618.bsky.social @gmtgames.bsky.social Read more: cliosboardgames.wordpress.com/2026/08/23/n...
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Reposted by Clio's Board Games
Cole Wehrle @colewehrle.bsky.social · 23/08/2026
This weekend I had the privilege of grappling with some very big and difficult games with a spotlight on Michael Lorino's Imperial Elegy. As usual, the whole experience got me thinking about big games, what they demand of their players and the rewards to be found in their exploration. 🧵
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Paul Hansen @paulhans.bsky.social · 29/08/2026
Superb article that feels special at this point because my son has two grad classes this fall which are related -- game design and Türkiye, Iran & Russia.
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Clio's Board Games @cliosboardgames.bsky.social · 29/08/2026
#OTD 500 years ago, Süleyman the Magnificent annihilated the Hungarian army at Mohács - his last decisive victory in the field. Read more: cliosboardgames.wordpress.com/2020/09/20/s...
cliosboardgames.wordpress.com
Süleyman the Magnificent and the Golden Age of the Ottoman Empire
500 years ago, a certain Süleyman succeeded his father Selim to become sultan of the Ottomans. He transformed his inherited state from a regional power into an empire with a universal claim, whose …
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Clio's Board Games @cliosboardgames.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
ICMYI: Here's the final part of my series on New York in history and board games (with games by @nbsp1618.bsky.social @volko.bsky.social @gmtgames.bsky.social and others)! cliosboardgames.wordpress.com/2026/08/23/n...
cliosboardgames.wordpress.com
New York in History and Board Games, #4
Welcome back New York in history and board games! We’ve seen the city’s humble beginnings, its rise to America’s first city, and its glory days as the epitome of the modern metropolis. Today, we wr…
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Clio's Board Games @cliosboardgames.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
#OTD 250 years ago, Britain won the largest battle of the American War of Independence on Long Island. George Washington, however, eluded them... and he, his army, and the dream of independence lived to fight another day. Read more:
cliosboardgames.wordpress.com
The War of Independence: 1776-1777 (American Revolution, #4)
Back to the American Revolution! In the last post of this series, we’ve seen the American Patriots successfully establish a military footing, taking Boston, and even invading Quebec. This time, we’…
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Clio's Board Games @cliosboardgames.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
#OTD 350 years ago, Robert Walpole was born. He gained so much power as Lord High Treasurer that he is considered Britain's first Prime Minister. Read more:
cliosboardgames.wordpress.com
Robert Walpole, Earl of Orford (Prime Minister Ratings, #1)
300 years ago, Robert Walpole was made First Lord of the Treasury for the second time. Not a particularly impressive event – if Walpole had not retained that office for 21 years and turned himself …
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Clio's Board Games @cliosboardgames.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
In the 20th century, New York turned from an almost exclusively White to a majority-minority city. One of its most famous ethnic neighborhoods: Manhattan Chinatown. Read more: cliosboardgames.wordpress.com/2026/08/23/n...
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Clio's Board Games @cliosboardgames.bsky.social · 23/08/2026
New York in History and Board Games, #4 - From the crisis of modernity to contemporary NY, feat. games by @nbsp1618.bsky.social @volko.bsky.social @gmtgames.bsky.social and others! cliosboardgames.wordpress.com/2026/08/23/n...
cliosboardgames.wordpress.com
New York in History and Board Games, #4
Welcome back New York in history and board games! We’ve seen the city’s humble beginnings, its rise to America’s first city, and its glory days as the epitome of the modern metropolis. Today, we wr…
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Clio's Board Games @cliosboardgames.bsky.social · 23/08/2026
Widow Pensions are the subject of heated debate in #Versailles1919 (@markherman54.bsky.social @gengelstein.bsky.social @gmtgames.bsky.social).
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Clio's Board Games @cliosboardgames.bsky.social · 22/08/2026
A Very Civil Whist (@fredserval.bsky.social): The Parliamentarians turn early calamity into late victory!
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Clio's Board Games @cliosboardgames.bsky.social · 22/08/2026
#JuliusCaesar: The Pompeian fleet challenges Caesar's.
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Clio's Board Games @cliosboardgames.bsky.social · 22/08/2026
1848: The young Otto von Bismarck elopes with the notorious Irish dancer Lola Montez. History must be re-written.
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Clio's Board Games @cliosboardgames.bsky.social · 22/08/2026
New York is the epitome of the modern city, and thus Batman and Superman fight crime in fictionalized versions of it... or is that because New York is the comic book capital (@giacomocimini.bsky.social)? Read more: cliosboardgames.wordpress.com/2026/08/09/n...
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Clio's Board Games @cliosboardgames.bsky.social · 21/08/2026
New York? That's the city of prohibition and the mob... at least according to board games (@ericlang.bsky.social). Read more: cliosboardgames.wordpress.com/2026/08/09/n...
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Clio's Board Games @cliosboardgames.bsky.social · 19/08/2026
#OTD 35 years ago, Communist hardliners couped against Mikhail Gorbachev. The coup failed, but Gorbachev's authority was gone after it. Read more:
cliosboardgames.wordpress.com
Gorbachev and the Soviet Transformation (Reform in the Soviet Union, #2)
Two weeks ago, we’ve looked at the first period of Soviet liberalization under Nikita Khrushchev from the 1950s on. While these reforms ended the era of Stalinist totalitarianism, they petered out …
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Clio's Board Games @cliosboardgames.bsky.social · 18/08/2026
The subway allowed New Yorkers to work in Manhattan, but live in one of the other boroughs, leading to a massive suburbanization. (Image from Ticket to Ride: New York). Read more: cliosboardgames.wordpress.com/2026/08/09/n...
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Clio's Board Games @cliosboardgames.bsky.social · 16/08/2026
The most common theme for board games set in New York: Skyscrapers! ...as in these by @spiele-feld.bsky.social @queengamesus.bsky.social and others! Read more: cliosboardgames.wordpress.com/2026/08/09/n...
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James Wallis @jameswallis.bsky.social · 16/08/2026
In 1975 the GW founders paid rent from Steve Jackson (UK) writing reviews for Games & Puzzles magazine, at £25 per game. In 1989 I started reviewing for Games International, also at £25 a review. And when I quit reviewing for Tabletop Gaming magazine in 2020, I was also being paid £25 per review.
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étagèresetlivres @etagereslivres.bsky.social · 15/08/2026
#CeJourLa 🗓️ 15 août 1944 - Débarquement de Provence et #wargame : cas concret avec Liberty Roads.
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Clio's Board Games @cliosboardgames.bsky.social · 14/08/2026
ICYMI: Part 3 of New York in history & board games - late 19th to mid-20th century! @spiele-feld.bsky.social @queengamesus.bsky.social @vitallacerda.bsky.social @eaglegryphon.bsky.social @ericlang.bsky.social @giacomocimini.bsky.social cliosboardgames.wordpress.com/2026/08/09/n...
cliosboardgames.wordpress.com
New York in History and Board Games, #3
Back to the history of New York City! We have begun with the city’s origin before the founding of the United States and left off in the 1880s in the last post – when New York was undeniably t…
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Clio's Board Games @cliosboardgames.bsky.social · 13/08/2026
#OTD 100 years ago, Fidel Castro was born. After the 1958 revolution (image from #CubaLibre @volko.bsky.social @gmtgames.bsky.social), he ruled Cuba for almost 50 years.
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Clio's Board Games @cliosboardgames.bsky.social · 11/08/2026
New York's economic transformation from the early 20th century: Finance, shopping, and advertisement began to replace manufacturing. Read more: cliosboardgames.wordpress.com/2026/08/09/n...
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Clio's Board Games @cliosboardgames.bsky.social · 09/08/2026
New York in History and Board Games, #3: The Modern Metropolis - with games by @spiele-feld.bsky.social @queengamesus.bsky.social @vitallacerda.bsky.social @eaglegryphon.bsky.social @ericlang.bsky.social @giacomocimini.bsky.social and others! cliosboardgames.wordpress.com/2026/08/09/n...
cliosboardgames.wordpress.com
New York in History and Board Games, #3
Back to the history of New York City! We have begun with the city’s origin before the founding of the United States and left off in the 1880s in the last post – when New York was undeniably t…
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Clio's Board Games @cliosboardgames.bsky.social · 08/08/2026
Wilhelm Marx's skills as a mediator allowed him unexpected political successes - like introducing unemployment insurance, a major social security improvement, with a coalition of right-leaning parties (image from #Weimar @ulible.bsky.social). Read more: cliosboardgames.wordpress.com/2026/07/26/w...
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Clio's Board Games @cliosboardgames.bsky.social · 07/08/2026
The 1925 German presidential election represented a watershed for the republic - as it often does in #Weimar (@ulible.bsky.social): cliosboardgames.wordpress.com/2026/07/26/w...
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Clio's Board Games @cliosboardgames.bsky.social · 05/08/2026
#OTD 80 years ago, Wilhelm Marx, the Weimar Republic's longest-serving chancellor, died in obscurity. Read more:
cliosboardgames.wordpress.com
Wilhelm Marx (Weimar Chancellor Ratings, #2)
We’ve been assessing the merits of political leaders in (more or less) democratic countries on this blog for a few years now. Today, we’re looking at the longest-serving chancellor of the Weimar Re…
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Clio's Board Games @cliosboardgames.bsky.social · 04/08/2026
Difficult situation in parliament: Wilhelm Marx led minority cabinets in three of his four terms. Read more: cliosboardgames.wordpress.com/2026/07/26/w...
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Clio's Board Games @cliosboardgames.bsky.social · 02/08/2026
If you have friends like this, you don't need enemies. The Zentrum's Bavarian sister party BVP at times openly opposed the unity of the nation. Almost as bad was the DVP in and out of national govt. As chancellor, Wilhelm Marx had to contend with both: cliosboardgames.wordpress.com/2026/07/26/w...
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