Europa was a series of division-level tabletop games that simulated individual campaigns of the Second World War. Created by Richard banner in the heydays of tabletop simulations, its detail and depth of research remained unmatched in the industry for decades. The accuracy of its Order of Battles (OOBs) relied on academically established researchers such as Charles Sharp, and while its game system showed signs of aging in the 90ies, it remained popular. Planned to cover all of the European conflict, the series faltered in the early 2000s and a series of ownership changes., when HMS acquired the rights to the games but failed to publish even a single new game ever since.
This page contains everything about the Europa-Series, from the games to the game magazines to as many game reports we were able to get permission to publish for. It serves as an archive for a pastime that brought us countless hours of joy and entertainment, created friendships and lasting memories.
About the Europa Series
Games Designer´s Workshop
Game Designers' Workshop was originally established June 22, 1973. The founding members consisted of Frank Chadwick, Rich Banner, Marc Miller, and Loren Wiseman and a few other members of the Illinois State University Wargames Club (ca. 1972-73).
In an effort of bridging the gap existing between the milieux of role players, board wargamers and miniature wargamers, the company published RPGs with fantastic settings alongside ones with realistic or military themes, as well as rulesets about WW2, WW1, modern warfare and the American Civil War. However, GDWs main effort went into the Europa Series, of which Drang Nach Osten! was merely the first. Until 1985 eleven modules of the Europa-Series were put out forward, with John Astell, Frank Chatwick, Marc Miller and Rich Banner taking credits for the individual game designs. The last module to come out of GDWs workshops was Torch in 1985.
The company disbanded February 29, 1996. The designers attributed the company's demise as much to burn-out as to financial difficulties.
Games Research/Design
GR/D was formed in 1985 by John Astell and Winston Hamilton to give support to the growing popularity of Europa.
GR/D began publishing play aids for Europa, as well as a magazine dedicated to the series, under a license from GDW while GDW was still publishing the games. In 1989 they acquired use of the Europa trademark and began printing the games, both new titles and "Deluxe Edition" revisions of previously published titles.
In 1991 GR/D started the "Collectors Series" of Europa games under which previously out-of-print games of the series were throuroughly redesigned and republished. In new series based on the Europa system: The Glory Series and The Great War Series.
Mill Creek Ventures
When GRD's Winston Hamilton died in March 2001, Mill Creek Ventures (principal owner Carl Kleihege) bought the rights and took over production of Europa. They continued using the terms "Game Research/Design", "GRD", and "GRD Games" alongside "Mill Creek Ventures" in their publications. They never published an actual Europa game, but they continued with the development for future releases and released several issues of The Europa Magazine.
Historical Military Services (HMS)
In mid-2004 HMS bought the assets that formerly belonged to GR/D, and thus took over production of the Europa series. HMS published Wavell's War in November 2005, which had already been prepared for shipment on the time of the takeover. HMS has released two issues of The Europa Magazine, also already edited before the takeover. Since then, Europa has been dormant, a striking similarity to the handling of ETO.
Under the terms of the agreement whereby GR/D had obtained use of the Europa trademark the intellectual property reverted to Rich Banner when Winston Hamilton died, so all Europa production by Mill Creek Ventures and Historical Military Services has been done under a license from Banner.
Gaming Advice
The Europa-Howtos are a loose series of articles concerned with the conduct of Europa, either play tactics or the implementation of house-rules. [read more]
Gaming Advice
Research results by game designers, historians, and individual members of the Europa community. these OBs are not endorsed or owned by HMS/GRD and thus are not official in any way or form, but for entertainment purposes only.
Europa Online
Links and Reviews of other websites and online-ressources related to Europa.
Europa Software
Over the years, a couple of non-official programs and helpers to play Europa or other strategy games have been developed. JET , Vassal, CyberBoard and others try to bridge the gap between digital wargaming and the classic wargaming world.