Blood Bowl, Jervis Johnson’s game of fantasy football, has been captivating players worldwide for nearly forty years. But what makes this game—with its painted miniatures, intricate rules, and passionate global community—so enduring? In Blood Bowl: Fictions, Rules, Players, Paul Wake traces the game’s history from its origins to the present day, situating the game within the broader contexts of Games Workshop’s manufacturing and commercial history. Wake draws on interviews with the game’s designers, players, artists, and sculptors alongside archival materials to give a comprehensive account of the game’s rich satirical storytelling, the risk management and spatial puzzles at the heart of its rules, and the psychology that makes Blood Bowl one of the most compelling games ever designed.

Paul Wake is Professor of Game Studies at Manchester Metropolitan University.