tings!

For September, we released a brand new historical, multi-player game on a topic never presented in game form before. A new custom card set for a recently released Against the Odds postcard Pocket Battle game of my design is also now available.

 

I was recently interviewed and filmed for Innovation Showcase. You can view the film online here:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/11xTKVLCYu3csIwGBVVnAM2l7YuBxPKx2/view?ts=64efd24c&pli=1 My sincere thanks to host, Jay Sugerman, for the opportunity!

 

Let the dice fly high!

New Game!

“Always give more than you promised.” –Motto of the Studebaker Corporation.

The 1950s auto industry was a fascinating and unique period in USA economic history. Transitioning from a sellers’ to a buyer’s market following the post-war economic boom, the automobile market in the USA was marked by tremendous changes inside and out of the industry. New automotive massed-produced technologies such as automatic transmissions, overhead valve V-8 engines, air conditioning, power brakes and other accessories competed for buyers’ attention along with new makes (hardtops and station wagons in particular), annual styling changes and new model lines. New marketing techniques were also developed in the face of rising consumer demands, new communication technologies (especially television), and a growing middle class with increasing cash to spend, as well as a growing need for transportation as millions moved from the cities to the expanding suburbs.

In Wheels of Change game players take on the roles of the independent auto makers Studebaker, Packard, Nash, Hudson, Kaiser-Fraser and Willys-Overland (henceforward referred to as Willys) and try to survive and hopefully even grow during this turbulent decade. The rules and card play cover the actions of the “Big Three” (GM, Ford/Lincoln/Mercury/Edsel, Chrysler/Plymouth/Dodge), as well as national events that impacted the overall economy and automobile industry. A variant adds an additional player to take on the role of the Tucker Automobile Company. Players must allocate resources to marketing, product development, new technologies, dealerships and their various car lines (luxury, family, sport and economy models) and live/adapt with the results.

1.0 Game Components

Each copy of Wheels of Change is composed of the following:

• two decks of cards; one Resource deck of 48 cards, and three Event decks with a total of 52 cards (100 cards total).
• One 22 by 17 inch game board.
• Seven 8.5 by 11 inch player mats (factories) for each of the makes/players.
• 179 playing pieces (all mounted and cut out).
• One packet of Play money.
• One 12 page full color rules booklet.
• Three players’ aid sheets.
• One six-sided die (D6).

Players may also need a calculator, pencil and some scratch paper to play the game.

Players move their car game pieces about the board to play their cards, develop various car models and lines (luxury, mass or economy models, sedans, hardtops/convertibles, station wagons, etc.) and manage their resources (factories, labor, dealerships, new technologies, among others). Event and Resource cards are drawn at various points that can help or hinder individual or all players. There are three short scenarios that cover three-year periods of the decade (1951-53, 1954-56 and 1957-59) that focus on key developments. There is also a full campaign game that covers the entire era. The game is very interactive and has a lot of US auto history packed into it. Wheels of Change comes packaged in a box and sells for $60.00 plus shipping. You can learn more about Wheels of Change, and access the order form, here: https://www.hfdgames.com/wheels.html

Please remember we also have these promotions in effect throughout the year:

• Any purchase or 4 or more High Flying Dice Games (Professional or DTP) and you get one mini-game for free (your choice of any that sell regularly for $8.95).
• Alternative Bonus! Instead of a free mini-game, any purchase of 4 or more games and you can instead get a single-deck card set (any of those that sell regularly for $9.00).
• Note: Our newest postcard “Pocket Battle” game, A Rock and a Hard Place can be used for the above bonuses!

 

New Card Set

A custom card set for Guarding the Land: The Attack on Fort Griswold that was recently released by Against the Odds is now available. The custom card set is $10.00 plus shipping, or can be had for free with any purchase of 4 games.

Upcoming Games!

• Several new games are now Under Development and are undergoing playtesting. Brand new titles that are now being play tested are Maneuvering Toward War: The 1941 US Army Maneuvers, A Hard Day’s Work: The Battle of Droop Mountain, November 6, 1863, Fighting for Time: The Battle of Averasboro, March 16, 1865, A Sanguine Fight: The Battle of Riachuelo, June 11, 1865, Heaven’s Will: The Raid on Ulithi Atoll, November 1944, Diggers’ Resolve: The Battle for Milne Bay, August-September 1942, Falling Skies: Operation Rolling Thunder, March-April 1965, A Mad Endeavor: The Attack on Stony Point, July 16, 1779, Tempting Fate: The Battle of the Granicus River, May 334 BCE, Waters Unvexed: Three Battles of the Mississippi River, 1862 (Island Number 10, Plum Point Bend, Memphis), The Yanks are Here! The St. Mihiel Campaign, September 1918, Operation Musketeer: The Attack on Port Said, November 1956, A Gallant and Efficient Fight: The Battle of Hamel, July 4, 1918, One Small Step: The US/USSR Space Race to the Moon, and Depths of Courage vol. 12: The Raid on Valletta, July 25/26, 1941, Dying is Easy: Naval Battles of the Boshin War, May 1869, Heights of Frustration: The Battles for Longstop Hill, December 1942 and April 1943, Late to the Fight: The Battle of Palmetto Ranch, May 13, 1865. Blood and Oil: The Persian Gulf Tanker War, 1985, Gimme Shelter: The Siege of Firebase Ripcord, July 1970, A Desperate Fight: The Battle of Wassaw Sound, June 17, 1863.

• Heading into final development and graphics are Muerte Desde Arriba: Air Battles of the Spanish Civil War, La Vallee de la Mort: The Siege of Dien Bien Phu (also includes game on the 1953 Siege of Na San, as well as expansion game on Operations Condor and Albatross), Operation Menace: The Attack on Dakar, September 23-25, 1940, A Lamentable and Calamitous Action: The Attack at Mers-el-Kebir, July 3, 1940, So Far From God: The US Punitive Expedition in Mexico, 1916-1917, White Christmas? The Fall of Saigon, April 1975, Whatever the Cost: The Battle for Corregidor Island, February 1945, A Resolute Action: The Battle of Fort Meigs, May 5, 1813, Shadows of Hell: Operation Karbala 6, January 15-17, 1987, Galahad’s Ordeal: The Battle of Myitkyina, Cross vs. Crescent: The Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa, July 16, 1212, Nothing Then is Done: The Battle of Najera, April 3, 1367, Souls to Waste: The Battle of An Bao, May 5, 1968, Depths of Courage, Volume 13: The Attack on the Tirpitz, September 1943,  In Harm’s Way: Battles of the Dutch East Indies Campaign (Sunda Strait, Badung, Balikpapan, Java Sea) Paint it Black: The Attack on Lang Vei, February 6-7, 1968, A Cruel and Bitter Fight: The Battle of the Thames, October 5, 1813 and A Dreadful Fight: The Battle of Horse Shoe Bend: March 27, 1814, Operation Icarus: The Invasion of Iceland, June 1940.

Look for upcoming release announcements as these games are finished up.

Online Retailers!

High Flying Dice Games are available from this fine online retailer:

• Noble Knight Games: http://www.nobleknight.com/ Note: All games carried by Noble Knight Games now have mounted counters!
• Agorajeux: https://www.agorajeux.com/en/

Be sure to visit the High Flying Dice Games website for the latest information, view the full range of games, as well as see what is being worked on. You can also place orders and ask questions about all of the games in our catalog and in development. Visit us at: http://www.hfdgames.com. We’d love to hear from you!

Thank you very much for your interest and support. Let the Dice Fly High!

Paul Rohrbaugh

Founder, High Flying Dice Games
9753 Deltona Drive
New Middletown, OH 44442