Game Designer

Stephen V. Cole

Stephen V. Cole — American game designer active 1979–2005, known for tactical sci‑fi wargames (Star Fleet Battles).

12 Games

Biography

Stephen V. Cole is an American game designer, former US Army intelligence officer and company founder. He founded JagdPanther Publications, co-founded Task Force Games and later led Amarillo Design Bureau. His work is closely tied to Star-Trek-related wargames and sci‑fi simulations.

Career

Cole's recorded activity in our database runs from 1979 to 2005, with 12 credited games. He played a central role in publishing Star Fleet Battles (1979) via Task Force Games and continued developing Star Trek wargames at Amarillo Design Bureau. His titles emphasize wargame and science-fiction themes and rely on hex-grid movement, simulation rules and dice mechanics.

Most Famous Games

Notable titles include Star Fleet Battles (1979; Charles S. Roberts Best Science-Fiction Board Game), Federation & Empire (1986) and Federation Commander: Klingon Border (2005). Other important releases are Starfire (1979) / Starfire II (1980) and Star Fleet Battle Force (2001).

Design Style

Cole's designs are tactical and simulation-heavy, often using hexagon grids, grid movement and detailed combat resolution. He has collaborated with designers such as Barry Jacobs and Ken Burnside and focuses on deep, scenario-driven space wargames.