Game Designer

Craig Van Ness

Craig Van Ness, active 1999–2011, is a designer focused on miniatures-based fighting and sci‑fi games using dice-rolling and modular boards.

1 Games

Biography

Biographical details are scarce in the source data. The record shows 10 listed games and activity between 1999 and 2011. His work covers science fiction, fantasy and fighting categories and includes licensed and original titles.

Career

Van Ness’s design output in our database spans from Stratego Legends (1999) to Battleship Galaxies (2011). He frequently worked on miniatures and combat games emphasizing mechanics such as Dice Rolling, Modular Board and Variable Player Powers. Recurring themes are sci‑fi settings and licensed properties; he collaborated multiple times with designers like Rob Daviau and Stephen Baker.

Most Famous Games

Key titles include Sorry! Sliders (2008), Heroscape Master Set: Rise of the Valkyrie (2004) and Risk 2210 A.D. (2001). Other notable releases are Heroscape Marvel: The Conflict Begins (2007) and Battleship Galaxies (2011). Several of these titles received mentions in awards such as Golden Geek and Meeples Choice.

Design Style

His style pairs dice-based conflict resolution with modular boards and variable player powers, often implemented in miniatures scenarios. Regular co-designers like Rob Daviau suggest a collaborative, scenario-driven design approach.