Tactics in Bronze

Behind the Game: The Journey of Tactics in Bronze

Hi, I’m Sam Gust, the creator of Tactics in Bronze.

Like a lot of tabletop enthusiasts, I’ve always loved classic war games like Risk, Axis & Allies, Memoir '44, and Undaunted. But as much as I enjoy them, I've often found them practically unplayable in casual settings—they simply demand too much time, heavy setup, and commitment for a quick game night. At the same time, I’ve always been deeply inspired by timeless classics like Chess and Othello: games that are wonderfully simple to learn, lightning-fast to play, and endlessly deep.

That friction was the ultimate inspiration for Tactics in Bronze. I wanted a game that captured the grand, tense feel of a historical war game—the maneuvering, strategy, and tactical positioning—without the hours-long setup and rules overhead. I wanted something I could easily break out with casual players, yet still offer enough depth to satisfy my dedicated, strategic game groups, allowing us to play multiple rounds in a single evening.

Three Years in the Making

What started as an idea has grown into a multi-year labor of love. Over the past two and a half to three years, I’ve poured countless hours into designing, balancing, and relentlessly playtesting Tactics in Bronze.

Every rule and faction interaction has been refined through hundreds of games. To bring the visual world of ancient conflict to life, I embraced modern tools, utilizing AI to help fine-tune and polish the artwork, card layouts, box design, and rulebook into something striking and cohesive. The result is a fast-paced, highly strategic game that delivers a true war-game vibe with minimal setup.

Why Kickstarter?

As a young, independent designer starting out on my own, funding a large-scale manufacturing run is a massive hurdle. Right now, to get the per-unit cost down to where I can sell the game at a traditional retail price of $35, I would need to order a minimum batch of 1,000 units. Because I don't have that kind of capital upfront—and I want to avoid taking on high-risk debt.

I brought Tactics in Bronze to Kickstarter because I want to bridge that gap. With your backing, we can unlock the scale needed to bring production costs down, make the game more accessible, and get these boxes onto tables across America.

More than anything, I created this game because I wanted something genuinely fun, and engaging to share with the tabletop community. If Tactics in Bronze sounds like the kind of tactical experience you’ve been looking for on your game nights, I would be honored to have your support in bringing it to life.