Game Designer

Tom Dalgliesh

Tom Dalgliesh, active 1972–2009, is a designer and president of Columbia Games known for historical wargames and simulation-heavy designs.

13 Games

Biography

Tom Dalgliesh (born 1945) is reported as the owner/president of Columbia Games in Blaine, Washington. He has been responsible for numerous block and wargame designs since 1972. Our database lists 13 of his games. His son Grant Dalgliesh also works with him at Columbia Games (source information from unsere Datenbank/Wikipedia).

Career

Dalgliesh began designing in 1972 and produced a steady stream of historical strategy titles, often focusing on military conflicts. His catalogue spans early games like Klondike (1975) and Starlord (1977) to later releases such as Crusader Rex (2005) and Richard III (2009). His designs commonly employ simulation elements, Secret Unit Deployment, Area and Point-to-Point movement, and frequent Dice Rolling. He collaborated with co-designers including Lance Gutteridge and Jerry Taylor.

Most Famous Games

Notable titles include EastFront: The War in Russia, 1941-45 (1991; Second Edition 2006), Hammer of the Scots (2002), and Richard III: The Wars of the Roses (2009). Other significant games are Crusader Rex (2005) and Pacific Victory (2000). Several of these received awards such as Golden Geek Best Wargame and Charles S. Roberts honors.

Design Style

Dalgliesh's style is wargame-focused and simulation-driven: Secret Unit Deployment and dice mechanics create tactical uncertainty within historically themed scenarios. Movement systems (area and point-to-point) are typical for his designs.