BRAVO ZULU: This is a naval signal, conveyed by flaghoist or voice radio, meaning “well done”; it has also passed into the spoken and written vocabulary.
History.navy.mil
Congratulations to the nominees and winners of the 2022 Charles S. Roberts (CSR) Awards for “Excellence in Conflict Simulation Games.” This is the first full year that Ardwulf led the Charlies following a new Charter adopted in January 2023. Ardie deserves much praise for his tireless efforts to reestablish the Charlies as the preeminent hobby wargame industry awards.
Winners
A few observations about the winners. Note there are 14 “Best of” categories, three “named” awards, Hall of Fame inductees, and finally the “Wargame of the Year.”
Publisher: GMT Games took home five of 14 “Best of” winners. GMT Games continues to dominate the hobby wargame industry. That said, Flying Pig Games comes on strong with several winners including Wargame of the Year.
Verlag: This year I noticed (finally) the number of non-U.S. publishers. The field is not fully international as U.S. and European publishers dominate, but it is a step in the right direction to see the international flavor of wargaming.
Hex & Counter-less: Setting aside the Best Wargaming Magazine category, I note that six of 13—nearly half—of the “Best of” category winners are NOT hex & counter wargames:
- Best Medieval Wargame – Almoravid, GMT Games, designer Volko Ruhnke.
- Best Gunpowder Wargame – No Peace Without Honor!: The Dutch War 1672-1678, Compass Games, designer David Meyler.
- Best Modern Wargame – Plains Indian Wars, GMT Games, designer John Poniske.
- Best Modern Wargame – Flashpoint: South China Sea, GMT Games, designer Harold Buchanan.
- Best Solitaire or Cooperative Wargame – Skies Above Britain, GMT Games, designers Jerry White and Gina Willis.
- Best Expansion for an Existing Wargame – Fall of Saigon, for Fire in the Lake, GMT Games, designers Mark Herman and Volko Ruhnke.
The number of hex & counter losers is sure to make some happy. I wonder if they will see it as a positive sign of the diversity of wargames or use it as a cudgel to continue their political crusade to exclude what they see as damning “conservative perspectives,” embodied in hex & counter wargames, from our hobby.
Wargame of the Year: What? GMT Games did NOT win the wargame of the year? Congratulations to A Most Fearful Sacrifice: The Three Days of Gettysburg, Flying Pig Games, designer Hermann Luttmann.
Feature image courtesy charlessrobertsawards.com … and note the lack of hexes and use of wooden blocks.
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Rocky Mountain Navy Gamer 
Tons of discussions on BGG forum after announcement.
Yes. Several have taken the opportunity to express their demands for change to the awards.