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Introduction Recently I was cleaning up my basement when I came across a couple of programs from a gaming convention that used to be run by the University of Manitoba Wargaming Club1.  Nearly overcome with waves of nostalgia I decided to set up a page to commemorate the club and it's long gone convention cleverly dubbed Win-games.  My memory failing me as far as details on the cons go so I did some searching in the online archives of the student newspaper, The Manitoban and found some articles and advertisements,   A little more digging and rummaging around in the basement turned up more material as did reaching out to friends. Despite what the win-games III program claims win-games was not the only Manitoba, nor even the oldest.  That honour belongs to Prairiecon which started in 1978 in Brandon, Manitoba. If anyone has memories or artifacts of win-games they'd like to share I would love to post them.  1. The club dropped the word "War" from the name after win-games iv (1983) and before win-games v (1984) based on the covers of modules from those cons. Table of Contents History of the U of M (War)gaming Club - PDF History of Wingames - PDF Gaming in Winnipeg AD&D Modules Programs
Gaming in Winnipeg (Table of contents) As time permits I'm going to try and create a bit of a history of gaming in Winnipeg.  My first start is a list of Hobby shops in Winnipeg between 1974-1987. Kind of an arbitrary timeframe admittedly.  That's the year before Keystone Books and Hobbies opened and the year it closed.  I am planning on extending the period covered.
AD&D Tournament Modules (and other games!) (Table of contents) Of course one of the biggest draw of win-games was the AD&D tournament.  Modules have been discovered and our local AD&D scholar Michael Hopper, who wrote many of them has wracked his brains and some 30 year old notes for the following chronology: win-games i 1981 - a tournament is mentioned in the ads but nothing survives. win-games ii 1981 - a tournament is listed in the program but again nothing survives. win-games iii 1982 - Round 1 Castle Ston version one, version two, version three - Round 2 Castle Ston - note that the introduction part from round 1 is included as it's important to the module.  These are attributed to Jeff Neufeld but that's not his handwriting.  See the introduction to The House of the Rising Sun.  That's Jeff's handwriting. win-games iv 1983 - Round 1 Lair of the Black Titan - part 1 by Jeff Neufeld. - Round 2 Lair of the Black Titan - part 2 by Jeff Neufeld. wingames v 1984 - Round 1 - P'Orc Cheops Hill by Michael Hopper - Round 2 - The Ogre Sanction by Michael Hopper - New December 31, 2022 - Round 3 - Ragnarok by Michael Hopper Bonus! The Darkness Holds no Friends Top Secret module by Randy Campbell.  No character sheets unfortunately. wingames vi 1985 - Round 1 - a Cthulhu module by Oliver Bernuetz (lost) - Round 2 - The Famous Five + 1 by Jeff Neufeld - Round 3 - The Return of the Black Hand by Jeff Neufeld wingames vii 1986 - Round 1 - by Darryl Adam - something to do with a sphinx in a desert (lost) - Round 2 - by Darryl Adam- an underwater vampire Ixalan (lost) - Round 3 - by Oliver Bernuetz - I cannot recall details but something to do with being in Limbo I think. (lost) wingames viii 1987 - Round 1 - Marsh or Die by Michael Hopper - Round 2 - Rien Bien Feu, Rien Bien Fou by Michael Hopper - Round 3 - The Magnificent Seven by Michael Hopper wingames ix 1988 - Round 1 - Little Big Horn by Michael Hopper - this is a version rewritten by Michael after the con.  New version December 31, 2022 - Round 2 - Apocalypse Drow by Michael Hopper - Round 3 - Lair of the Black Titan 2 by Michael Hopper Monty Haul Dungeons On top of the AD&D tournament the club also ran what we called Monty Haul dungeons.  These were very high level dungeons, I think the players were given 1,000,000 EXP and told to write up their own characters,  I could be mistaken about that.  Action was insane and the EP was indeed on the hoof.  A few of these modules have survived.  The House of the Rising Sun by Michael Hopper, introduction by Jeff Neufeld - win-games viii 1987 Cthulhu Dawn by Michael Hopper - win-games ix 1988  Kalgre Wraithlord by Jeff Neufeld As time permits more modules will be uploaded. Copyright remains with the creator of the modules.
Programs (Table of contents) Here's links to all the surviving programs and game lists. win-games ii 1981 win-games iii 1982 wingames vii - events list wingames ix 1988

Last updated January 22, 2023

Email me at bernuetz@mymts.net