Little Wars

Little Wars by H. G. Wells, published in 1913, is the pioneering foundational rulebook for miniature tabletop wargaming. Subtitled “A game for boys from twelve years of age to one hundred and fifty and for that more intelligent sort of girl who likes boys’ games and books,” it laid the groundwork for the modern hobby of strategic gaming.

Core Description & Rules

The Premise: Designed to be played on a large floor rather than a table, players use hollow-cast lead toy soldiers (traditionally from W. Britain) and hand-built terrain made from household items like books, blocks, and twigs.

Units: The game features three primary unit types: infantry, cavalry, and artillery.

Combat via Artillery: Ranged combat is decided literally—players use spring-loaded miniature 4.7-inch toy cannons that fire small wooden cylinders. Any physical figures knocked over or displaced by the cannon fire are counted as casualties.

Movement and Friction: Movement distances are measured using pre-cut pieces of string. Wells introduced strict time limits for turns (moving from 10 minutes down to 4–5 minutes), creating real-time pressure and tactical “friction” that forces rushed decisions and human error.

No Randomizers: Melee combat and resolutions avoid dice or coin flips; units in contact simply eliminate one another mutually.

Spirit and Philosophy

While rooted in tactical depth, the book is written with heavy whimsy, humor, and a lighthearted tone. Despite detailing simulated battles, Wells—a known pacifist—framed the pastime as an appealing, cerebral alternative to real-world mass slaughter, famously suggesting that people should resolve their grand disputes with miniature wars on the floor instead.

Genre: Napoleonic, 19th Century, Colonial

Scale: Custom

Average Models per Side: 20 to 50, 51 and Over

Number of Players: 2, 2+

Miniatures: Agnostic

Rules: Full Rules Free PDF, Purchased Hard Rulebook

Availability: In Print

Designers: H.G. Wells

Year Released: 1913

Website: Project Gutenberg - Little Wars

Additional Information:

The Rules are Available for free from the Project Gutenberg page