Game Designers' Workshop (GDW) was a company that published many popular wargames, as well as role-playing games such as Traveller. Founded in June 22, 1973, the company disbanded February 29, 1996 after having suffered financial troubles for quite some time. Many of their games are now carried by other publishers.

The company was originally established June 22, 1973 by Frank Chadwick, Rich Banner, Marc Miller, and Loren Wiseman. Originally their main effort went into the Europa series of monster wargames, of which Drang Nach Osten! was merely the first, but they brought out a considerable number over the years.

By rough count, GDW published one new product every 22 days for 22 years. The designers attributed the company's demise as much to burn-out as to financial difficulties.

Products

Role-playing games

• Traveller
• MegaTraveller aka MT. aka T2. Second edition of Traveller.
• The New Era aka TNE. aka T3. Third edition of Traveller.
• 2300 AD - "Hard" Science Fiction roleplaying game. First edition was titled "Traveller: 2300"
• Twilight 2000
• Cadillacs and Dinosaurs
• Dangerous Journeys
• Dark Conspiracy
• En Garde! (1973) - 17th century Parisian duellists
• 1889

Board games

• Drang Nach Osten! (1974)
• Imperium (1977)
• Asteroid (1980)
• A House Divided (1981)
• Trenchfoot (1981)
• Blue Max (1983)
• Dark Nebula: Battles for the Stars (1983)
• Fire in the East (1984) (revision of Drang Nach Osten!)
• Gangbusters
• Sky Galleons of Mars (1988)
• Team Yankee (1988)
• Minion Hunter (1992)
• Air Superiority (19??)
• Air Supremacy (19??)
• Battle for Chinese Farm

Miniatures rules

• Fire & Steel (Napoleonic Wars)
• Harpoon (modern naval combat), later developed into a computer game
• Johnny Reb (American Civil War)
• Striker (science fiction, 1983)
• Command Decision (20th Century Warfare)

External link

• Far Future Enterprises page on GDW

1973 establishments | 1996 disestablishments | Game manufacturers | Role-playing game publishing companies

Game Designers' Workshop