One thing I’ve been thinking about recently is how valuable feedback is when designing tabletop wargames—and how frustrating it can be when that feedback never actually arrives.
I design my rules to be simple, fast, and enjoyable to play. They are written for people who want a game that gets miniatures onto the table quickly without spending hours buried in charts, bookkeeping, or complicated mechanics. Not every gamer wants that style of rules, and that is perfectly fine. Wargaming is a broad hobby, and different players enjoy very different experiences.
What matters most to me is understanding why somebody enjoyed a game—or why they didn’t.
Recently I received another very low rating on one of my rulesets on Wargames Vault, but with no explanation attached to it. Unfortunately, this is not the first time it has happened. A low score on its own tells me almost nothing. Was the layout unclear? Did the combat system feel unbalanced? Did the scenarios not work well? Was the game too simple? Too abstract? Poorly explained? I honestly have no way of knowing.
For independent designers, feedback is incredibly important. These games are not produced by giant studios with large testing teams and marketing departments. Most of us are writing, editing, testing, formatting, and refining everything ourselves. Every comment can help improve a game.
In fact, many of the changes and additions in my rules over the years have come directly from player suggestions. Sometimes someone points out a confusing sentence that I completely overlooked because I know the rules too well myself. Sometimes a player suggests a small tweak that improves the flow of the game enormously. Occasionally, somebody dislikes a mechanic entirely—and after testing their suggestion, I end up agreeing with them.
Of course, not every game will appeal to every player. Some gamers prefer highly detailed simulation-style rules. Others want quick cinematic battles. Some love randomness and chaos, while others prefer tight tactical control. A ruleset can be well made and still simply not match somebody’s personal taste.
That is why feedback and comments matter.
A written comment helps other players decide whether a game suits the kind of experience they are looking for. It also gives designers a chance to improve, clarify, and update their work. Even a short sentence explaining why you rated something positively or negatively is far more useful than silence.
So if you ever rate one of my games—or anybody else’s—please consider leaving a few words alongside the score. Good or bad, constructive feedback genuinely helps.
I read every comment I receive, and I regularly test suggested ideas and tweaks during my games. The rules are always evolving, and community feedback is a big part of that process.
At the end of the day, we all want the same thing: better games and more enjoyable battles on the tabletop.
