Winter War 44

Monroe St. Press's first event of 2017 was the Winter War 44 gaming convention held in Champaign, IL Jan. 27-29.

This annual gathering of tabletop, miniature and role-playing game enthusiasts is one of the longest-running in the Midwest. The relaxed atmosphere, comfortable accommodations and wide variety of games available make this event an excellent choice for a winter weekend getaway. Here's just a sampling:

This game, titled Operation Catapult, recreates a 1940 British strike against French ships off the coast of Algeria to prevent those vessels from falling into German hands.

Several railroad-themed games were featured, including Railways of the World: Canada and Mexico, where the object is to successfully haul freight across North America from Churchill, Manitoba (Polar Bear Capital of the World) to Veracruz, Mexico, on the Gulf Coast.

Historically-themed games created by the Avalon Hill company were also popular. This is a big-board version of Kingmaker, set during the 15th-century War of the Roses in England, pitting the House of Lancaster against the House of York for control of the throne.

Josh Medin (left) and Doug Atkinson (right), both of Champaign, with the haul of Monroe St. Press books they purchased (thanks, guys!)

Other vendors attending Winter War included D 20 Stitchery, makers of dice/game piece bags in numerous colors, styles, patterns and themes.....

... and Elaine Oldham of Champaign, multi-talented creator of fantasy-themed art.

Individual game demonstrators and teams were on hand to guide participants in playing new games. Here the Asmodee Demo Team shows off Legendary Inventors, a card game in which players assemble teams of famous scientists and inventors (Nikola Tesla, Thomas Edison, Marie Curie, etc.) in a contest of intelligence and innovation.

Finally, we have Academy Games' "Freedom: The Underground Railroad", in which players assume the roles of historical Abolitionists and work together to move slaves from Southern states to freedom in Canada. However, they must successfully elude slave catchers (symbolized by the colored pegs) to accomplish their goal.


We thank everyone who stopped by our vendor table during the weekend and we're already looking forward to returning for Winter War 45! For more information about this event check out its Facebook page.