Welcome to Phalanx Games

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Phalanx Games produced exciting and clever board and card games. Their games were easy to learn but difficult to master. Most important, they were meant to be fun! This was their website from 2006 -2009<

 

MORE HISTORY: In 2009 – 2012 we cooperated with Phalanx Games b.v. from the Netherlands.
In 2013 they decided to change their logo and start to work completly on their own, as Phalanx Games b.v. ended its business.
In 2011 they won the Polish Game of the Year 2011 title with the Boże Igrzysko game, a redesign of Martin Wallace God’s Playground game.
In 2014 their game 1944: Race to the Rhine was nominated to the Golden Geek Awards and was a runner up in a Wargames category.
Currently they collaborate with the biggest partners in the boardgames industry, like KOSMOS Verlag and Mayfair Games, Inc.

The current site for Phalanx Games is at: www.phalanxgames.pl/en/

Enjoy a nostalgic look back to a partial line up of their 2006-2009 games.

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For my family, the Phalanx Games were a cornerstone of my children's upbringing, offering countless hours of engaging and imaginative play through their board and card games. My now young adult children were thrilled when I shared the news that I had secured the domain for phalanxgames.net, a nostalgic piece of our family history. I wanted to ensure that this domain would continue to reflect the spirit of the original Phalanx Games website, preserving its legacy.

On the day I began to work on the website, amidst the chaos caused by my wife's two Bombay cats playing tag around my workspace, I had a moment of inspiration. As I cleaned up after their mischief, I realized that just as Phalanx Games had brought us together for years, there was another game that had recently captured my interest and enthusiasm: pickleball. Having become a competitive pickleball player, I found the fast-paced, strategic nature of the game to be a perfect counterpart to the thoughtful challenge of Phalanx Games. It struck me that players who enjoyed the tactical depth of Phalanx Games would likely find pickleball equally compelling, representing the best of indoor and outdoor games respectively.

Inspired, I decided to incorporate this new passion into a business, creating content dedicated to pickleball, including tips for players, equipment recommendations, and personalized pickleball gifts that I knew fellow enthusiasts would appreciate as inspirational. This new venture not only connected my family's past with my present interests but also offered a unique way to engage with the Phalanx Games community.

As we sat down the other night to play Italia II, it was clear that the spirit of Phalanx Games was still alive and well in our family. And with pickleball now part of our repertoire, we've found another way to challenge ourselves and bond over a shared love of games, both old and new.

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CIRCA 2006 -2009

 

 

About Phalanx Games

Phalanx Games: “A truly satisfying and fun gaming experience”

In 2001, Phalanx Games b.v. was founded to publish strategic yet accessible games aimed at an international audience.

Phalanx develops unique games; their quality is among the very best in the world. The games are physically outstanding and appealing. The artwork is well executed and the designs are top notch.

Phalanx intends to release classic designs and brand new ones. The games are fairly easy to learn and play, yet always hard to master.

Since the start of the company a large assortment of award-winning board- and cardgames have been released. Our bestsellers are Hey! That´s My Fish!, Maharaja (Dutch Game of the Year 2004), Mesopotamia, and Chicago Poker.

The international character is already showing. Next to the “standard” Dutch, German and English version of our games, we have published games in French, Italian, Czech, Greek, Finnish, Spanish, Portuguese, Swedish, Norwegian, Polish, and Russian language.

 

 

The Golden Age

Theme

Around 1600, a "Golden Age" started in the Northern provinces of the Low Countries. In 1602, the United East-Indian Company (VOC) was founded, the first ever company with shares. A maritime trade and transport network to the Far East was established, with fortified trade posts along the way. 
The Low Countries developed steadily in many areas. The Seven Provinces were led to glory by Johan de Witt, an astute statesman who built an effective, modern navy led by superior admirals. Rich entrepreneurs were influential from many European ports to the Far East and the West Indies. William of Orange, murdered in 1584, lived on in the hearts of his people as the Father of the Fatherland. 
Meanwhile, success also loomed in other fields. In science, the philologist Lipsius, the naturalist Leeuwenhoek, the philosopher Spinoza and, last but not least, the father of the "law of nations", Hugo Grotius all advanced their expertise considerably. In arts, the "Flemish School" with Rubens and Van Dyck and the "Dutch School" with Frans Hals, Jan Steen, Vermeer, and Rembrandt became famous. 
 

Game

In The Dutch Golden Age the players try to amass victory points in a variety of fields (culture, trade, arts etc.). 
The first player who accumulates 33 points is the overall winner. 

The Dutch Golden Age is played in player turns. The starting player conducts his player turn, then the player to his left, and so on until a winner is determined. During his player turn a player does the following:

1. 1. He rolls the dice and moves the king.
   1. 1.2 He performs as many free actions as he intends. Free actions are:
      1. Moving one movement token,
      
      
      2. Gaining the control of a guild on the Guilds Chart,
      
      
      3. Placing a new influence marker.
         
         Note: A player may always perform free actions (as long as he intends to conduct it and can do so) as many times as he likes and in any order.
   
   
   2. 2.2 He performs special actions with his own influence markers. Each influence marker entitles a player to purchase a specific card or a movement token per player turn, depending on the position of the influence marker. After each such action, the corresponding influence marker is flipped over onto its inactive side.
   
   
   3. 2.3 He may conduct auctions.


2. 3. At the end of a player turn, a player adds up his victory points and declares his score.


3. 4. When a player is done, he flips his influence markers back to their active sides.
   
   Note: Free actions can be combined with special actions and auctions. Therefore, a player could first conduct a free action, then do an auction, then perform a special action and finally conduct another two free actions.
   
   The Dutch Golden Age is a fascinating gaming topic that is rarely gamed. Its simple rules and beautiful graphics result in a very variable yet exciting gaming experience. 
    

Contents

1 large game board, 110 playing cards (27 culture, 22 arts, 21 investment, 21 spices, 19 colony cards) 20 movement tokens in four colors, 24 influence markers, 1 pawn "Steward", 60 guilders coins in three denominations, 2 dice and 1 rules booklet.

Players: 3 - 4
Playtime: 60 minutes
From age: 

Author: Leo Colovini & Giuseppe Baù
Illustrator: Michael Menzel

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Italia

Eleven Centuries of Conquest

Topic

Italia brings to life almost 1100 years of Italian history, from 330 BC to 1100 AD. During this time numerous tribes, nations and empires invaded the Italian peninsula. Most of these tribes were trying to settle down and to displace, conquer or submit the ruling nations or classes. However, the new rulers could not hold their power for long: they were, in turn, defeated by other invaders. 

Game

Italia consists of two different games: 
Italia I is a three player game simulating the history of ancient Italy until 80 BC, i.e., the rise of the Roman Empire. 
Italia II is a four player game which sets off at the fall of the (West) Roman Empire in 390 AD and simulates the medieval history of Italy until 820 AD. 

Each player in either version of Italia does not control just one nation but usually many different ones. These nations appear, try to play their part as best as possible and vanish again in the dust of history. 

Contents

Italia contains 1 large game board, 624 game pieces, 30 nation cards, 2 player aid cards, 6 dice, 2 note pads, and 1 rules booklet. 

Players: 3 - 4
Playtime: 180 minutes
From age: 12

Author: Andreas Steding
Illustrator: Craig Grando

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Bison

Thunder on the Prairie!

Topic

Bison is a boardgame set in what is now Idaho in the Northwestern part of theUnited States of America, in times before arrival of the white man. The only inhabitants are the Nez Perce, a native American nation of fierce warriors. They lead a peaceful, partly nomadic existence. During the hunting, fishing and gathering season, they set out from their winter quarters and wander in bands from one hunting ground to another to catch deer, bison and fowl. In Bison, each player leads a band of hunters and sets out to find hunting grounds and rivers for fishing. The players try to amass as many provisions as possible. For when the first snow falls, all hunting bands must return to their common winter quarters. The player who supplies their nation with the most provisions for the harsh winter to come, will be the most respected warrior and win the game. 

Game

In Bison, you lead your proud hunting band on a quest to find the most fertile pastures and richest rivers before the first snowfall. By amassing the greatest larder of provisions for your people before you must return to your winter quarters, you will be known as a great warrior and powerful spirit... winning much renown (and the game)! 

Contents

Bison contains 21 land tiles, including 3 starting tiles, 32 hunters (wooden cubes in blue, red, yellow and green), 12 wooden scoring cubes, 24 teepees, 24 canoes, 4 player boards, 16 white action markers, 1 totem pole, and 1 rules booklet. 

Players: 2 - 5
Playtime: 90 minutes
From age: 10

Author: Wolfgang Kramer, Michael Kiesling
Illustrator: Franz Vohwinkel

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Revolution

The Dutch Revolt 1568-1648
Revolution: The Dutch Revolt simulates the Eighty Years’ War between Spain and the Netherlands. This epic struggle lasted from 1568 until 1648 and eventually brought independence to Holland and the northern provinces. In the south, the revolt was less successful and Belgium did not emerge as an independent state until after the Napoleonic era. During the initial stages of the struggle, William of Orange became the symbol of freedom. His main adversary was the Spanish King Philip II, who sent in the Duke of Alba with his formidable conquistadores to stop the rebellion. 

Revolution: The Dutch Revolt 1568-1648 is a game of skill for 2 to 5 players. It depicts a power struggle in which each player represents one of the principal factions involved, the Catholics, Habsburgs, Nobility, Burghers and Reformers. Some factions tend to have similar outlooks but they are not allies - each has its own motives and objectives. 

This game is not a detailed military re-enactment of the Eighty Years´ War. It tries to capture the flavor of these interesting times in a much broader sense. It contains an element of warfare in the form of battles and sieges but the main theme is built on economic, religious and political control. The constantly shifting balance of power, caused by temporary alliances, makes Revolution an immensely challenging game. 
Revolution: the Dutch Revolt was more than 15 years in the making, and marks Francis Tresham´s long-awaited return to the forefront of game design. He is most famous for his widely acclaimed board game Civilization and the 18xx series. 

Contents
1 large game board, 41 playing cards, 416 colorful game pieces, 1 player aid card, 1 rules booklet

Players: 2 - 5
Playtime: 360 minutes
From age: 12

Author: Francis Tresham
Illustrator: Franz Vohwinkel

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NoNo

Oops...too late!
NoNo is a fast and exciting game for the whole family (it is also very suitable as a party game). The aim is to find a certain term from a card most quickly. Special dice give your search a twist, because thety forbid to use certain words or letters or tell you how many syllables the word needs to have. The quickest players scores points, but make a mistake and you loose points. NoNo guarantees fun for the whole family!

 

Players: 3 - 8
Playtime: 20 minutes
From age: 10

Author: Michael Schacht
Illustrator: Michael Schacht

 

 

 

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More Background On PhalanxGames.net

 

PhalanxGames.net preserves the identity of a European board game publisher that occupied a distinctive position in the tabletop gaming industry during the 2000s. The original Phalanx Games specialized in games that combined historical themes, attractive physical production, and strategic depth with rules intended to remain approachable. Its catalog ranged from short family games about penguins catching fish to six-hour simulations of political and religious conflict.

The present PhalanxGames.net is no longer the official commercial website of the original Dutch publisher. It functions primarily as a nostalgic reconstruction of portions of the site as it appeared between approximately 2006 and 2009. It contains descriptions of the company, game pages, archived news items, and personal commentary from the current domain holder. Visitors therefore encounter two layers of history: the surviving promotional material of the former publisher and a modern preservation project created by someone with a personal attachment to its games.

Understanding the website requires separating three related entities. The first was Phalanx Games B.V., the Netherlands-based company founded in 2001. The second was Phalanx Games Polska, established in Poland in 2009 and initially connected with the Dutch business. The third is the modern PHALANX publisher that developed from the Polish operation and continues to release historical and strategy games. Although the organizations share a name and part of their history, they should not be treated as one uninterrupted company.

Origins in the Dutch Board Game Industry

Phalanx Games B.V. was founded in the Netherlands in 2001 by Michael Bruinsma, an influential figure in the Dutch tabletop game industry. Bruinsma had previously founded 999 Games, which became one of the Netherlands’ best-known publishers and distributors. He was also associated with Spellenspektakel, a major Dutch game event.

The purpose of creating Phalanx Games was to establish a separate publishing identity for more demanding games. Whereas a general publisher might need to serve children, families, casual players, and hobbyists simultaneously, Phalanx could concentrate on historical games, strategy titles, revised classics, and original designs aimed at experienced players.

The company was based in Almere, a planned city in the province of Flevoland. Almere is east of Amsterdam and forms part of the greater Amsterdam metropolitan region. Its location placed Phalanx within reach of the Netherlands’ transportation and commercial networks while remaining connected to the country’s active tabletop gaming community.

Phalanx entered the market during an important period in modern board game history. German-style games, later commonly described as Eurogames, were attracting international attention because they offered structured strategy, limited player elimination, controlled playing times, and polished production. At the same time, traditional historical simulations retained a dedicated audience. Phalanx attempted to bridge these interests by publishing games with meaningful themes and conflict while avoiding unnecessary complexity whenever possible.

Its slogan, “A truly satisfying and fun gaming experience,” summarized that position. The company repeatedly emphasized games that were easy to understand but difficult to master. That principle became one of the clearest themes running through its catalog.

The Meaning Behind the Phalanx Name

A phalanx was an ancient military formation in which soldiers stood in tightly organized ranks, protecting and supporting one another. The term evokes coordination, discipline, history, and collective strength.

That made it an appropriate name for a publisher with a strong interest in military and political history. It also suggested the way many strategy games operate: individual pieces become effective through positioning, timing, and interaction with the larger formation.

The name did not restrict the publisher to literal battle simulations. Phalanx released economic, political, family, abstract, auction, and card games. Nevertheless, the historical associations of the word helped create a recognizable identity, particularly among players interested in civilizations, wars, empires, and state-building.

The Original Website and Its Menus

During its active publishing years, PhalanxGames.net served as the international-facing website for Phalanx Games B.V. Its structure was typical of a mid-2000s publisher site. Visitors could learn about the company, browse games, read product descriptions, follow development updates, and find information about forthcoming releases.

The preserved material includes an “About Phalanx Games” section, individual game pages, product specifications, company news, and release announcements. Game pages commonly separated a title into several practical categories:

• Historical or thematic background
• An explanation of how the game worked
• A list of components
• Number of players
• Estimated playing time
• Suggested minimum age
• Designer and illustrator credits

This was useful for both consumers and retailers. A player could determine whether a game suited a particular group, while a store could identify its format, audience, duration, and physical contents.

News posts offered a view into the publisher’s daily operations. They discussed artwork selection, playtesting, manufacturing, attendance at game-design meetings, production progress, and release scheduling around major European trade events. Several posts mentioned prominent designer Martin Wallace and the development of Automobile, Steam, and Rise of Empires.

The news section also reveals the seasonal structure of the European board game industry. Publishers frequently planned important releases around the International Spieltage in Essen, commonly called the Essen game fair, and the annual toy fair in Nuremberg. Phalanx openly questioned whether concentrating releases around those periods was always sensible, indicating that its website was used for industry commentary as well as promotion.

A Catalog That Crossed Several Audiences

One of the most notable features of Phalanx Games was the breadth of its catalog. It was not exclusively a wargame company, even though historical conflict was central to its identity.

Some games were designed for dedicated hobbyists and required several hours. Others could be taught quickly and played with families. The publisher’s ability to support both categories explains why its name appears on products as different as Revolution: The Dutch Revolt and Hey! That’s My Fish!

This diversity also supported the company’s international ambitions. A short family title could reach toy stores and casual players, while a detailed historical design could build credibility among collectors and serious hobbyists.

Phalanx stated that its games appeared in numerous languages, including Dutch, German, English, French, Italian, Czech, Greek, Finnish, Spanish, Portuguese, Swedish, Norwegian, Polish, and Russian. Not every game necessarily appeared in every language, but the range illustrates how extensively the publisher relied on licensing, translation, co-publishing, and distribution partnerships.

In North America, Phalanx editions were frequently associated with Mayfair Games. Other titles appeared through companies such as Rio Grande Games or through regional partners. This cooperative model was common in the pre-crowdfunding board game industry because printing one multilingual production run could make a specialist title financially viable across several markets.

Hey! That’s My Fish! and the Company’s Broadest Legacy

Hey! That’s My Fish! became the original Phalanx company’s most recognizable family game. Designed by Alvydas Jakeliunas and Günter Cornett, it placed penguin pieces on a changing field of hexagonal ice tiles. Players moved in straight lines, collected the tile they departed, and gradually divided the board into isolated areas.

Its rules were simple enough for children, but the disappearing board produced significant tactical depth. Players had to balance collecting valuable fish against preserving future movement and trapping opposing penguins.

This combination perfectly expressed the company’s stated philosophy. The game was easy to learn, visually appealing, short, and considerably more strategic than its playful penguin theme suggested.

The title earned a position on the Spiel des Jahres recommended list and became an Origins Awards finalist. It has been reissued by multiple publishers, demonstrating a longevity that extends well beyond the original Phalanx company. Modern reviews continue to describe it as a deceptively thoughtful abstract strategy game.

Its continuing availability is culturally important because it introduced many families to European-style board game design. Players who initially saw it as a children’s game often discovered spatial planning, area control, risk assessment, and direct tactical interference beneath the friendly artwork.

Maharaja and Major Award Recognition

Maharaja: The Game of Palace Building in India was another defining Phalanx release. Designed by Wolfgang Kramer and Michael Kiesling, it involved traveling between Indian cities and competing to construct palaces and houses.

The game won the 2004 Nederlandse Spellenprijs, or Dutch Game Prize, and received an International Gamers Award nomination. It was also nominated for Germany’s Spiel des Jahres.

Maharaja strengthened Phalanx’s reputation for presenting strategic games with strong physical design. Its rondel-like planning system and competition over building opportunities appealed to experienced Eurogame players, while its colorful board and palace pieces gave it an inviting table presence.

The award was especially meaningful because it confirmed that Phalanx could compete with established European publishers. The company was only a few years old when Maharaja received the Dutch prize.

Other Phalanx-associated games received recognition from major award organizations. Mesopotamia and Hey! That’s My Fish! appeared on the Spiel des Jahres recommendation list in 2006, while Lascaux was recommended in 2008. Go West! received a Spiel der Spiele recognition for expert players, and Hey! That’s My Fish! was identified as a family-game recommendation by that Austrian award program.

Voor de Wind, known in English as Before the Wind, was nominated for the Dutch Game Prize in 2008. The company’s first release, Frank Chadwick’s North & South, was also nominated for the Dutch award in 2002.

Historical Games and Simulations

The catalog’s heavier side distinguished Phalanx from many family-oriented European publishers. Its historical games often treated conflict as a combination of military, political, religious, and economic pressures rather than as battlefield movement alone.

Revolution: The Dutch Revolt 1568–1648 was among the most ambitious examples. Designed by Francis Tresham, creator of Civilization and a foundational figure in the 18xx railway game tradition, Revolution placed players in control of competing factions during the Eighty Years’ War.

The game could involve Catholics, Habsburgs, nobility, burghers, and reformers. These factions might temporarily cooperate, but each pursued separate objectives. Military action mattered, yet political and religious control were equally important. With a playing time that could reach six hours, Revolution clearly targeted committed groups rather than casual players.

Italia, designed by Andreas Steding, covered centuries of conflict and migration on the Italian peninsula. It contained two related games. Italia I addressed ancient Italy and the emergence of Rome, while Italia II examined the period after the decline of the Western Roman Empire.

Instead of controlling one civilization for the entire game, participants managed several peoples that entered history, gained influence, and eventually disappeared. This unusual structure encouraged players to think about history as a sequence of shifting powers rather than a contest among permanent nations.

The game included hundreds of pieces and required approximately three hours, making it another substantial historical experience. Its presence on the preserved PhalanxGames.net is particularly significant because the current domain holder describes Italia II as a game that remains important within his family.

The Dutch Golden Age and Less Common Historical Subjects

The Dutch Golden Age demonstrated the publisher’s willingness to explore subjects rarely represented in mainstream tabletop games. Designed by Leo Colovini and Giuseppe Baù, it focused on the economic, artistic, scientific, colonial, and commercial development of the Netherlands during the 17th century.

Players accumulated points in several fields rather than attempting only military conquest. The game included cards representing culture, art, investment, spices, and colonies, as well as guild control and auctions.

Its treatment of Dutch trade and colonial expansion reflects the historical framing common in games of its era. Modern audiences may approach such themes more critically, particularly when games portray overseas trade without fully addressing coercion, exploitation, or colonial violence. This does not make the game historically unimportant. Instead, it makes it a useful example of how European board games of the 2000s selected and represented national history.

The title also illustrates Phalanx’s interest in systems. History was translated into auctions, influence markers, guilds, trade cards, movement, and victory points. The company’s games often invited players to explore historical processes without claiming to reproduce every detail.

Bison and Questions of Cultural Representation

Bison, designed by Wolfgang Kramer and Michael Kiesling, placed players in charge of hunting groups seeking food before winter. Its mechanisms involved tile placement, territorial competition, hunting, fishing, and resource collection.

The game’s setting referred to the Nez Perce people and used imagery such as hunters, canoes, teepees, and a totem pole. Those elements helped create a visually distinctive product, but they also raise questions about cultural representation.

A totem pole, for example, is associated primarily with Indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast and is not an interchangeable symbol for every Native American nation. The use of generalized imagery was common in older European and American entertainment products, but contemporary players may recognize it as culturally imprecise.

Bison is therefore informative in two ways. It shows the mechanical creativity of prominent designers Kramer and Kiesling, and it reveals how tabletop publishing standards have changed. Modern publishers are increasingly expected to consult cultural experts, distinguish among Indigenous nations, and avoid combining unrelated traditions for decorative effect.

Steam, Automobile and the Martin Wallace Connection

Late in the Dutch company’s history, Phalanx prepared several games by British designer Martin Wallace. Wallace was already known for complex economic and historical designs that blended route building, resource management, loans, industrial development, and player interaction.

Steam, Automobile, and Rise of Empires were prominently discussed in Phalanx’s surviving news posts. The company reported on graphic development, artist selection, testing, and manufacturing. Steam was produced in Germany by Ludo Fact, one of Europe’s best-known board game manufacturers.

Automobile addressed the growth of the motor industry, requiring players to manage factories, demand, production, and obsolescence. Rise of Empires offered a broad civilization-building experience. Steam developed railway networks and economic competition from Wallace’s earlier Age of Steam system.

These titles suggest that Phalanx intended to strengthen its position among serious strategy gamers. They also show how the company worked with recognized designers rather than building its catalog around a single in-house creative team.

German Expansion and International Operations

Phalanx Games Deutschland was established in Konstanz in 2008. Konstanz is in southern Germany on Lake Constance, near the Swiss border. The location provided access to the major German-language board game market, which remains one of the world’s most influential tabletop markets.

Pat Braun became an operational managing director of the German organization. Contemporary announcements described an effort to establish Phalanx more firmly as a publisher of sophisticated games in Germany. Ulrich Blennemann served as a prominent brand manager and brought extensive experience in historical game development.

German editions included licensed and internally developed products. Surviving rulebooks and industry discussions identify titles such as Spartacus and Angriff! Ostfront 1941–1942. The German organization’s creation reflected the company’s ambition, but it also occurred shortly before broader changes in the business.

Closure of Phalanx Games B.V.

The original Dutch Phalanx Games eventually ceased operating. BoardGameGeek’s publisher record states that Phalanx Games B.V. worked with Phalanx Games Polska from 2009 through 2012 and then closed its doors. Other historical summaries place the cessation of the Dutch publisher’s activity in 2013.

The distinction between 2012 and 2013 likely reflects the difference between the end of active operations and the final public or organizational termination of the business. The available public sources do not provide a detailed financial account of why the company closed.

Its closure did not erase its catalog. Many of its games remained in circulation, were licensed to other companies, or received later editions. The secondhand market also preserved the company’s reputation. Collectors continue to seek Phalanx editions because of their artwork, unusual historical subjects, large component counts, or connections to influential designers.

Phalanx Games Polska and the Modern PHALANX Company

Phalanx Games Polska was established on April 21, 2009. Initially, it operated in cooperation with the Dutch Phalanx Games B.V. After that relationship ended, the Polish company adopted a new logo and developed independently.

The Polish operation increasingly concentrated on historical games and strongly themed strategy designs. It later simplified its public identity to PHALANX and expanded its international reach.

The company’s official information identifies Waldemar Gumienny as CEO and co-founder and Jaro Andruszkiewicz as co-founder and creative director. Its team includes specialists in development, artwork, graphic design, logistics, marketing, crowdfunding, accounting, desktop publishing, and three-dimensional design.

Modern PHALANX describes its goal as creating replayable games that combine original mechanisms, immersive themes, high-quality components, and strong artwork. This philosophy resembles the original Dutch company’s emphasis on attractive, challenging games, although the modern publisher has its own management, catalog, and business strategy.

The current company has used Kickstarter, Gamefound, direct online sales, convention appearances, retail distribution, and international partnerships. This reflects the transformation of the board game industry since the original PhalanxGames.net was active. Publishers can now present prototypes directly to a worldwide audience, collect advance orders, fund premium components, and build communities before manufacturing begins.

1944: Race to the Rhine

One of the modern PHALANX company’s breakthrough titles was 1944: Race to the Rhine, designed by Jaro Andruszkiewicz. It placed players in the roles of Allied commanders racing across Western Europe toward the Rhine after the Normandy campaign.

Rather than concentrating primarily on battlefield tactics, the game emphasized logistics. Fuel, ammunition, food, transport, supply lines, and the ability to maintain momentum determined success. This gave it the structure of a resource-management game while preserving a World War II setting.

The game received a Golden Geek nomination in the wargame category and finished as a runner-up. Its recognition was significant because it showed that a Polish publisher could attract substantial attention from the international BoardGameGeek community.

Reviews frequently describe the title as sitting between a Eurogame and a wargame. That hybrid identity resembles the original Dutch Phalanx philosophy: historical subject matter, strategic decisions, manageable rules, and replayability.

The title later inspired additional games using the “Race” concept, including 1941: Race to Moscow. A newer Keep ’Em Rolling edition of Race to the Rhine further demonstrates the durability of the design.

Press, Reviews and Industry Visibility

Neither the Dutch Phalanx Games nor the modern PHALANX became a mass-market entertainment brand comparable to Hasbro. Its popularity has been concentrated among tabletop hobbyists, historical gamers, collectors, reviewers, convention attendees, and crowdfunding supporters.

Within that audience, however, the name has substantial recognition. Coverage has appeared through BoardGameGeek, ICv2, Culture.pl, Ares Games, specialist review sites, gaming retailers, podcasts, video reviewers, and wargame publications.

Ares Games played an important role in distributing English-language PHALANX products beyond Europe. The companies maintained a North American distribution agreement for approximately five years before ending it amicably. PHALANX subsequently moved North American distribution to GTS Distribution.

Press attention has often focused on individual games rather than the corporate history. Race to the Rhine received coverage because of its unusual logistical approach. Europe Divided attracted interest as a game about post-Cold War influence and conflict. Later productions such as UBOOT, Hannibal & Hamilcar, Freedom!, Successors, Purple Haze, and Bretwalda helped strengthen the modern company’s international identity.

Reviews of Phalanx-related games vary, as they do for any publisher. Positive commentary often praises visual presentation, thematic commitment, components, historical research, and distinctive mechanisms. Criticism may concern rules clarity, production delays, balance, complexity, or the practical challenges of fulfilling ambitious crowdfunded projects. These discussions show an engaged audience that expects both historical substance and polished production.

Audience and Community

The historical Phalanx audience can be divided into several overlapping groups.

Family gamers encountered titles such as Hey! That’s My Fish! and NoNo. Eurogame enthusiasts were drawn to Maharaja, Mesopotamia, Chicago Poker, The Golden Age, and Before the Wind. Historical gamers found Revolution, Italia, Age of Napoleon, Spartacus, and other conflict-based designs. Fans of major designers followed names such as Martin Wallace, Francis Tresham, Wolfgang Kramer, Michael Kiesling, Klaus-Jürgen Wrede, Leo Colovini, and Bruno Cathala.

This combination gave the publisher an unusually broad but coherent identity. The games differed in length and subject, yet most were built around meaningful choices, efficient systems, and repeated play.

The present PHALANX audience leans more strongly toward historical and thematic hobby gaming. Crowdfunding has also made the audience more participatory. Supporters discuss component upgrades, rules development, scenarios, expansions, shipping, historical detail, and campaign goals directly with the publisher.

The Current PhalanxGames.net

The present PhalanxGames.net should be understood as a privately maintained nostalgia site rather than the official website of the active PHALANX publisher. The official modern publisher operates through PHALANX’s current commercial website.

The current PhalanxGames.net explains that its domain holder acquired the address because the original games had been meaningful to his family. He describes the games as part of his children’s upbringing and presents the restored material as a way to preserve that history.

The website reproduces descriptions of several games from the 2006–2009 period, including The Golden Age, Italia, Bison, Revolution, and NoNo. It also preserves old-style news items concerning Rise of Empires, Automobile, Steam, game testing, artist selection, industry events, and seasonal messages.

This combination is unconventional. Visitors looking for the former publisher may initially expect a conventional corporate archive. Instead, they find preserved game history combined with a personal story and a newer recreational interest. The site is therefore best viewed as a domain-preservation project rather than a complete museum, official archive, or continuation of the former company.

Cultural and Social Significance

Phalanx Games represents an important transitional period in tabletop history. It emerged when European strategy games were becoming more international but before crowdfunding transformed the economics of publishing.

The company’s multilingual releases demonstrate how publishers used licensing partnerships to distribute specialist games across national markets. Its range also shows that family games and historical simulations did not need to exist in entirely separate industries.

Several Phalanx titles remain relevant because they helped normalize the idea that a game could be accessible without being trivial. Hey! That’s My Fish! is perhaps the clearest example. Its colorful penguins conceal an unforgiving spatial contest, making it useful for children, families, and serious abstract-game players.

The publisher’s historical games also contributed to tabletop gaming as a form of informal engagement with history. Players encountered the Dutch Revolt, Italian migration and conquest, the Napoleonic Wars, industrialization, colonial trade, ancient political struggles, and other subjects through interactive systems.

At the same time, these games reflect the assumptions of their publishing era. Some simplify colonialism, use broad cultural symbols, or prioritize European military and economic perspectives. Examining those choices helps document how the industry has evolved and why historical consultation and cultural sensitivity now receive greater attention.

Legacy

The original Phalanx Games B.V. had a relatively short existence, but it left a catalog with lasting value. Its games received major nominations and awards, introduced international audiences to notable designers, and demonstrated that strong historical themes could coexist with elegant mechanisms and attractive production.

The Polish company that once cooperated with it transformed the Phalanx name into a modern international publisher. Although the present PHALANX is organizationally distinct from the Dutch business, it continues to emphasize historical immersion, strategic challenge, artwork, components, and replayability.

PhalanxGames.net preserves a smaller and more personal part of that story. It does not provide a complete corporate archive. Nevertheless, its saved descriptions, specifications, and news posts offer a useful glimpse of how Phalanx presented itself during the final years of the 2000s.

For collectors, the site recalls games that may no longer appear in ordinary retail stores. For historians of tabletop publishing, it illustrates the multilingual partnership model that helped European games reach worldwide audiences. For families who played titles such as Italia or Hey! That’s My Fish!, it preserves memories of evenings built around competition, conversation, and shared problem-solving.

That combination of commercial history and personal nostalgia gives PhalanxGames.net its unusual significance. It is not simply a dormant domain or a current publisher’s storefront. It is a surviving fragment of an influential strategy-game catalog and a reminder that the cultural life of a board game frequently continues long after its original publisher has disappeared.

 

 

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