Neva Wargames dropped a free Print and Play wargame on December 24th called Iwo Jima that covers the seminal battle by the same name during World War II. It’s a simplified demo of their upcoming larger Iwo Jima: Hell on Earth game which is an entry in their Skirmish Series. There will be an announcement about the game soon.

From the rulebook, which I downloaded, you can read the following introduction about the battle:

Iwo Jima is a simplified version of an upcoming Neva Skirmish wargame based on this iconic battle. This version is a challenging solitaire wargame that puts you in command of U.S. Marine Divisions as they battle entrenched Japanese Battalions during the iconic 36-day Operation Detachment. Each game turn represents approximately six days, condensing the intense conflict into six turns of strategic decision-making.

Once you subscribe on the Neva Wargames website, you’ll receive an email that you will have to confirm and then will get another email containing a download link. After downloading and opening the .zip file, you’ll find:

  •  1 map
  •  20 counters
  •  1 rulebook
  • A Vassal Module for digital gameplay

All pdf printing files are available in both A4 and Letter size formats and you will only need a six-sided die to play.

Here is a link to the how to assemble the game video on Neva Wargames YouTube Channel:

Neva Wargames is a new publisher who appeared on the scene last year. When I started seeing their posts on Twitter and Facebook, I was immediately impressed with their interesting topic choices for their upcoming games as well as the fact that they are trying to make small footprint wargames that pack a punch. And the art is also very appealing and brings an aesthetically pleasing and attractive look to their games!

From their website, we read the following:

History unfolds in your hands! Embark on epic battles with Neva Wargames’ captivating titles. These bite-sized gems deliver immersive historical experiences, spanning across strategic, operational, and tactical levels within compact boxes. Travel back in time and conquer historical campaigns, from ancient clashes to modern skirmishes, wherever you roam.

Currently, they have 7 different titles in design and development and are preparing their first game called Sea & Steel: Columbus’ Voyages for a crowdfunding/pre-order campaign in early 2025. Sea & Steel: Columbus’ Voyages is a historical board game that immerses players in the tumultuous years following Columbus’s arrival in the Caribbean. Players take on the roles of either the Spanish conquistadors or the indigenous peoples, each with their own unique objectives and challenges. The game spans the period from 1492 to 1505, encompassing the four voyages of discovery led by Columbus and the subsequent Spanish colonization efforts. Players will use Event Cards to gain control in the 15 distinct Caribbean land areas. The game incorporates historical events and challenges, such as the construction of palisades, the search for gold, and the maintenance of Spanish ships. Players must carefully manage their resources, deploy their units effectively, and adapt their strategies to the ever-changing game state.

Several of their other titles look really intriguing as well including Spartacus: Rome Under Threat, Kursk: Rotmistrov’s Offensive, Jarama: The Battle for Madrid, Peking: 55 Days of Fury, Cid Campeador: Warlord and Rebellion & Punishment: War of the Alpujarras. I think that the 2 titles that are closest to production/crowdfunding include Sea & Steel: Columbus’ Voyages and Spartacus: Rome Under Threat.

They appear to be trying to do things the correct way with great looking games, quality components and they are putting the necessary time into playtesting and development of their games. I am very interested in keeping an eye on their games and hope to get at least a few of them to the table in 2025.

They also have a neat little program called Neva Frontline where you can submit votes for those in-development games that you are most interested in and they will focus on those titles. It is not a pre-order system but more of a voting system kind of like what is done for Against the Odds Magazine. Here is a link to Neva Frontline: https://nevawargames.com/product-category/neva-frontline/

You can also sign up for their monthly update emails on their website and here is a link to their September Update which gives a lot of good information about their game designs: https://nevawargames.com/2024/09/24/september-2024-update/

-Grant