I think it’s most likely the case that kids get into wargaming via Warhammer 40,000. In fact it’s most likely the case that adults get into wargaming via Warhammer 40,000. But Warhammer 40,000 isn’t exactly made for kids. Not in the setting I mean… which isn’t exactly great for kids, it’s very grim and very dark (of course that does make it extremely cool, and is probably what attracted me as a kid). What I mean is in the product as a whole.
My niece recently got into 40k, with a particular liking for Space Marines, and my poor brother quickly noticed how expensive it all is these days. Not that prices have changed all that much with inflation, however wages over many years in the UK have stagnated, and people have less money to spend on recreational hobbies. So price is one thing, blah blah blah… many have already complained and will continue to do so.
But the rules are what get me too. I remember playing 8th edition 40k, an edition which brought many people into the Warhammer hobby, and its initial release with its massively streamlined approach really worked well. It wasn’t too much to mentally manage after an 8 hour shift, a dog walk and cooking dinner. It did become bloated over time with the ‘Stratagems’ system, but at least initially it was a breath of fresh air, and something not too difficult (I imagine), to teach to kids.
9th didn’t fare so well, and neither did 10th. More complicated than their predecessor, with rule changes that seemed bizarre, as for some reason Games Workshop reinvented the wheel for the umpteenth time.
Blah blah blah, many have complained about the rules and will continue to do so (me likely included with 11th impending).
So where does this leave kids exactly?
Minis too expensive, rules seemingly designed for highly competitive wargaming first.
For the average parent, who’s not in the know, it’s probably not too easy to find things like alternative manufacturers (a lot of people think Warhammer is Wargaming). Or to stumble across One Page Rules, and realise on the whole it’s a far better and simpler game than 40k. Without someone already in the know, you’re not gonna know, y’know?
And to me that sadly looks rather bleak for the future of wargaming in general. Unless wages stop stagnating, or Games Workshop (I’m still resistant to calling them Warhammer) release a budget line of minis with streamlined rules attached (even though they already did do that and it didn’t work, so they probably won’t be trying it again).
This may be a uniquely UK problem where 99% of our hobby shops are Warhammer, I suppose in the US it may be easier to distract a kid with a box of Infinity or something. But God bless you if you attempted to teach a kid Infinity.
I suppose Heroscape is an option. It is still alive, although I’ve never seen any of it anywhere in reality, bar maybe a starter set when it was released for the first time.
I was sad to see Havok stutter and ultimately fail, it was a great pocket money buy for me back in the day. I even revisited it last year, I proxied everything and had a great time:
I also missed Airfix’s two attempts. Robogear, their repackaging of Russian company Tehnolog’s own sci-fi line, and Airfix Battles.
I think WW2 gaming may be losing its appeal for younger folks these days (grumpy old man rant approaching). Being born in the 80s, and growing up in the 90s, Saving Private Ryan which I watched when I was far too young, and Band of Brothers really shaped my young brain, not to mention that Medal of Honour, and the earlier Call of Duty’s all focused on WW2, so younger people definitely made contact with that period of history far more often than they do nowadays. Not to mention how many Grandparents were still alive and telling their stories.
That’s all to say, with Bolt Action having a decently young player base for a historical game, the impression I get is that it is aging, mostly being people in their 30s and above.
So is Warhammer still the best way to get kids interested?
If I’ve forgotten any kid focused wargames let me know. I also may have my own solution brewing.
Deathzap 
Near enough to be right. The other dying art that got kids gaming diversely was through books the last batch being really the Neil Thomas books and then a few self published ones like say skirmish gaming.
So kids are online and on social media so if it ain’t there it don’t exist.
In some ways warhammer has been will continue to be the most likely route for gamers trying out all the other stuff available.
Who knows face to face gaming may yet make a comeback generally?
Wondering if the social media bans across the world will hinder or help the hobby?
Maybe clubs in schools is the way to go.
And yes, the books! I’d forgotten about them. And the huge number of older gamers who talk about stumbling across a book in a local library. Can’t remember the last time I stepped foot in a local library…
Yes they have been in retreat although like vinyl retail bookshops have seen a recovery in business in the uk. And we still somehow have three print magazines being sold in the uk.
And also I think board gaming is still hanging in there for kids but adult stuff seems quite buoyant.
And of course people play chess on every street corner along with checkers, cards, backgammon and majong- ok getting a bit carried away there.
So there’s plenty to see where physical gaming is still a vibrant part of people’s lives- above all fun!
And finally I do think miniatures painting is big – for every painter/gamer there are probably dozens and dozens of just gamers but also lots of just painters – some who will get drawn into playing the miniatures…
Check out Necromolds. Definitely a great idea to bring younger kids in but getting it into big box stores may be a long way off.
My first wargames rules I made up myself, probably at about age five or so! They were basic and involved simple movement rules and projectiles shot from the position of a figure or cannon and knocking figures over. The figures were mostly made in England, HK and cereal plastic cowboys, Indians, WW2, knights, a few British ceremonial plastic and metal, and a handful of Romans and AWOI figures. They were mostly 54mm or a bit smaller or a bit bigger.
In my teens I experimented with Airfix HO ACW and rules from Charles Grant. Then, in my 20s, in the 80s, I discovered a group who war-gamed with 54mm figures in a watered down one or two page set of Featherstone rules.
I also discovered Ross Perry’s 1970s books The first Book of Wargaming and The Second Book of Wargaming.
In the 80s my students introduced me to Warhammer 40K.
I then discovered Paul Wright’s Funny Little Wars.
The rules I have been playing for the past couple of decades borrow from all those sources and Warhammer fantasy. The periods can be anything or a combination of periods. My main periods are Victorian/Edwardian with imagi-nations and Medieval/ancient/Horse and musket/Fantasy campaigns (different nations can be at different levels of development) I also play ACW , AWOI, American Indian Wars/Wild West, WW2 and SF. These games are mainly in 1/32 (54mm) and played on tables larger than table tennis ones.
And yes, I played 40K for a few years but got lost from all the rules changes. I actually didn’t finish reading one rules edition before a new one came out. I used to use converted McDonalds toys and cheap tanks as well as official models. I agree that the changes seemed to make the game more complex.
That’s an eclectic mix. And wargaming from 5? Wow. I think my first wargame was at 8 or 9. I used to line up 1/72 napoleonic figures, and roll dice. I definitely had rules but they’re all lost to time now.