Game Designer

Richard H. Berg

Richard H. Berg, American wargame designer active 1976–2008, author of numerous historical simulations including SPQR and Terrible Swift Sword.

19 Games

Biography

Richard H. Berg (1943–2019) was a prolific wargame designer and multifaceted media professional. Sources note he lived in Charleston, South Carolina; his design career spans from the mid-1970s to 2008. He also worked as an attorney, composer and communications consultant and served in the U.S. Army.

Career

Documented as active from 1976, Berg has 19 titles in our database and—per unsere Datenbank—over 140 published games overall. He focused on historical wargames emphasizing simulation, hexagon-grid and grid movement systems, frequently using dice and movement-point mechanics. His games received multiple awards in wargame categories and cover periods from ancient history to the American Civil War.

Most Famous Games

Key titles include Terrible Swift Sword: Battle of Gettysburg Game (1976), War of the Ring (1977), SPQR (1992) and Pax Romana (2006). SPQR and other designs earned recognition in Charles S. Roberts and Golden Geek-related award categories. Other notable entries are Successors (1997/2008) and Conquistador (1976).

Design Style

Berg’s designs are simulation-driven and rules-heavy, characterized by hex-grid maps, grid movement and dice rolling. He frequently collaborated with designers such as Mark Herman and Mark Simonitch on complex historical simulations.