CGME

CGME, the CounterMoves Generic Microgame Engine, is a small system for creating "microgame-style" wargames. It was created as part of the long-defunct CounterMoves project. Though i didn't know it until late 2018, it seems that someone archived most, if not all, of the CounterMoves content on BoardGameGeek.

In brief, CGME is a two-page set of rules for creating a variety of microgame-style wargames. In effect, games can be created by simply creating new units and playing them using the core CGME rules. A series of games has cropped up around the CGME core rules and those are also available here for download, complete with game rules and printable pieces and game boards. CGME is released into the Public Domain, and therefore can be legally used for any purpose.

The core rules are not a playable game by themselves. In order to play you need to create or download a game (see below).

The complete set may be modified and redistributed however you see fit. The only copying restrictions which might apply are the graphics for specific games: those are often copyrighted works with limited distribution rights. When this is the case, the distribution's files describe the terms of distribution.

General Requirements:

• 6-sided dice: 1 or 2 will do.
• A CGME-based game - write your own or see below for a list of existing games. If you want to create your own games for CGME, you may find the free maps and free counters helpful.

While not strictly required, the following are recommended:

• Some wargaming experience.
• A printer, to print out the rules, maps and playing pieces. Alternately, use your favourite generic electronic interface (Cyberboard, Electronic Cardboard, etc.).

License

All of the CGME materials published via this page are released into the Public Domain by their author. Feel free to use them for any purposes, commercial or otherwise, as you like.

Downloads

• The core rules in ODT/PDF text formats. This bundle includes CGME's Common Optional Rules Supplement (CORS), a collection of common optional/house rules. Note that while the download is relatively large, the content is actually only a few pages of printed text. For some reason, however, the .PDF representation of these few pages takes a huge amount of space.
  CGME-20070104.zip (897.02KiB)
• CGME Joe is a game of combat between plastic green army men on a chessboard, complete with printable game board and pieces.
  CGMEJoe-20060515.zip (1.36MiB)
• CounterColors is an abstract wargame of Color vs. Color, with printable game board but needs game tokens (coins work well) in order to play.
  CounterColors-20040508.zip (339.06KiB)
• V.E.G. is a game of futuristic armored combat. Comes with several maps and a slew of ready-to-print playing pieces.
  VEG-20040508.zip (1.45MiB)
• CounterSpace is a game of space-opera style ship-to-ship combat. Comes with several maps, playing pieces in several colors, and printable ship cards.
  CounterSpace-20050430.zip (1.00MiB)

You may be able to find more generic playing pieces suitable for use with CGME on the counters page and some game board/maps on the maps page.