''Berg's Review of Games'' ( ''BROG'') was a publication started by

game designer Game design is the process of creating and shaping the mechanics, systems, rules, and gameplay of a game. Game design processes apply to board games, card games, dice games, casino games, role-playing games, sports, Wargame (video games), war ga ...

Richard Berg Richard Harvey Berg (1943 – July 26, 2019) was a prolific American wargame designer. He was inducted into the Charles Roberts Awards Hall of Fame in 1987. Early life, army, student and lawyer Richard Berg was born in New York City. A ...

. The magazine, which featured reviews of video wargames and

board wargames A board wargame is a wargame with a set playing surface or board, as opposed to being played on a computer or in a more free-form playing area as in miniatures games. The modern, commercial wargaming hobby (as distinct from military exercises, ...

, debuted in 1991.

Content

In 1980, Richard Berg, then working as a game designer for

Simulations Publications Inc. Simulations Publications, Inc. (SPI) was an American publisher of board wargames and related magazines, particularly its flagship ''Strategy & Tactics'', in the 1970s and early 1980s. It produced an enormous number of games and introduced innovati ...

(SPI), started writing and editing reviews of wargames, which SPI published as '' Richard Berg's Review of Games''. It began as a two-page mimeographed newsletter, published twice a month for 25 issues. It then appeared in the pages of SPI's ''Strategy & Tactics'' until late 1985. In the fall of 1991, Berg became editor of a self-published fanzine, the similarly titled ''Berg's Review of Games'' (or ''BROG''). Berg differentiated this magazine from his previous one by adding "Vol. 2" to the issue number. He published ''BROG'' six times a year, ending publication with Issue 28. In his original ''Richard Berg's Review of Games'', Berg had started a satirical annual feature called the "Little Mac Awards" for dubious achievements in gaming. The awards were named for the less-than-stellar

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

general

George McClellan George Brinton McClellan (December 3, 1826 – October 29, 1885) was an American military officer and politician who served as the 24th governor of New Jersey and as Commanding General of the United States Army from November 1861 to March 186 ...

. In Issue #2 of ''BROG'', Berg restarted this tradition, handing out "Little Macs" to various companies and industry personalities for perceived errors and injustices.

Reception

''Berg's Review of Games'' was awarded ''Best Amateur Adventure Gaming Magazine'' at the

Origins Awards The Origins Awards are American awards for outstanding work in the gaming industry. They are presented by the Game Manufacturers Association (GAMA) at the Origins Game Fair on an annual basis for games released in the preceding year. For example, t ...

three times: in 1992, 1993, and 1995. Following its demise, ''BROG'' was inducted into the Academy of Adventure Gaming Arts & Design's Hall of Fame in 1997.

References

External links

E-BROG
{{italic title 1991 establishments in the United States Defunct wargaming magazines Defunct game magazines published in the United States Magazines established in 1991 Magazines with year of disestablishment missing Origins Award winners