Game Designer

Jim Dunnigan

Jim Dunnigan — game designer focused on wargames and simulations; active from 1968 to 1999.

39 Games

Biography

James F. Dunnigan is a prominent game designer who produced many wargames from the late 1960s onward. According to the source data he was active between 1968 and 1999 and has 39 games in our database. He founded SPI (Simulations Publications, Inc.) in 1969 and authored literature on wargame design.

Career

Dunnigan started designing in the late 1960s and became a central figure in modern wargaming, founding SPI in 1969. His output in our database emphasizes hex-based maps, movement-point systems and simulation-focused designs with dice resolution. He frequently collaborated with designers such as Redmond A. Simonsen and Mark Herman.

Most Famous Games

Key titles include Empires of the Middle Ages (1980), The Next War: Modern Conflict in Europe (1978) and War in Europe (1976). Other notable games from his top list are Panzergruppe Guderian (1976) and Berlin '85 (1980). Several of his games received Charles S. Roberts Awards.

Design Style

His designs are simulation-heavy, characterized by hex grids, movement points and dice-based combat. Collaborations with technical designers like Simonsen reinforce his focus on historically detailed systems.