Zones of Control

Zones of Control: Perspectives on Wargaming, published by MIT Press in 2016, emerged from a growing academic and professional interest in the intersection of game design, military strategy, and historical simulation. Editors Pat Harrigan and Matthew G. Kirschenbaum curated this extensive anthology to bridge the gap between hobbyist tabletop wargaming and its influence on fields like computer science, political science, and history. The book is structured to document both the technical mechanics of board-based wargames and their broader cultural implications, serving as a definitive reference for how rulesets shape our understanding of conflict.

The volume features contributions from an array of designers, scholars, and practitioners, aiming to provide a comprehensive look at how games simulate complex real-world systems. Its design prioritizes accessibility to academic theory while maintaining the rigor required by wargaming enthusiasts. Upon its release, it was well-received by critics for its ambitious scope and its role in legitimizing wargaming as a subject of serious scholarly inquiry, eventually becoming a standard text for those interested in the formal study of ludology and simulation.