Haynes books are best known for their utility. Their series of workshop manuals are practically compulsory for anyone who plans on repairing their own car, and over the years the range has expanded to include all sorts of things. Regardless of the topic, when you pick up a Haynes book you know it’s going to be pretty comprehensive.
Table top gaming has been with us since before the invention of the table, and the Hayne’s Tabletop Manual embraces the challenge of encompassing such a huge subject. On the first page, it begins with a discussion on knucklebones, humanity’s first attempt at dice. The first two chapters discuss early gaming, and it covers all the main points very well. Rather than getting bogged down in a discussion about chess or academic definitions of games, it simply runs through the classics. From The Royal Game of Ur to Qirat to Go to all the Morris variants, we get a good (if short) grasp of the basics. We then swiftly move on to ‘modern’ commercial games, from H. G. Well’s Little Wars to Cosmic Encounters, Warhammer, Dungeons and Dragons and Catan. This is a comprehensive ‘story so far’, and an invaluable guide for those new to all this, and a nice refresher for those of us who have picked this sort of knowledge up in tiny ways over the years.
Chapters Three and Four discuss the modern hobby. From the big names on the scene and the games that everyone should really get to play if they have a chance (Twilight Imperium) to the standard forms of popular games and franchises. We get timelines of the major players, ideas on where to start and also suggestions on how to get a game going. The book discusses the practicalities of getting some friends round a table to roll dice. Again, invaluable for those getting into it all and entertaining for more hardcore hobbyists.
The next three chapters cover the practicalities and the extensions to the hobby. From storing your games properly, to collecting bonus expansions and identifying what games you can play more often, it’s all here. We get a good long chat about how to make your collection pretty and look at a bespoke kit for the hobby. A whole chapter is dedicated to painting models and though this may seem like a waste for experienced gamers (who have seen many guides by now), it’s an important addition to a comprehensive guide.
The last two sections discuss the hard mechanical soul behind many games (mostly maths) and how to design your own. Throughout this hardback tome, we have countless photos that show people how pretty the hobby is, and many quotes from gamers all over the world. This is a fun stocking filler for the gaming fan in your life, and also a useful introductory manual for anyone looking to get more friends around the table.
HAYNES TABLETOP GAMING MANUAL / AUTHOR: MATT THROWER / PUBLISHER: J H HAYNES & CO LTD / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW
