Eric Lee Smith

Eric Lee Smith (aka Eric Smith in his SPI years) is a game designer and software development specialist. He worked for both The Avalon Hill Game Co. and SPI (Simulations Publications, Inc.). Most of his games were published by Victory Games (I), a subsidiary of Avalon Hill formed around ex-SPI employees. He now runs Eric Lee Smith Innovations, a Game design and consulting firm for a wide variety of clients in the areas of new product development, product management, and product design.

Eric designs and ships award-winning games, sales-leading software, and enterprise-class business systems. He leads product design, management, & development teams that create breakthrough products and is an expert in team building, product development, game design, and information and interaction design.

This marks the first time Eric Lee Smith has joined us at CSW Expo, and we are excited to welcome him as our Guest of Honor!

Notable Wargame Industry Accomplishments

Victory Games, division of the Avalon Hill Game Company (1982-1986)
Co-founder & Senior Game Designer. Won best wargame of the year twice for The Civil War and Ambush. Panzer Command and Across Five Aprils were nominated for best wargame. Invented the “chit pick” system, an innovative game mechanic that has been adopted for use in over 700 published games.

Simulations Publications, Game Designer (1979-1982)
Designed four games and produced six more; nominated twice for best wargame for Pea Ridge: Gettysburg of the West and The Alamo. Company acquired in 1982.

Other Key Facts

Computer games published: Eric Lee Smith’s Gettysburg: The Tide Turns, published by Slitherine. Shipped October 2017, available on Steam.

Board games published: Eric Lee Smith’s Battle Hymn Volume One (two American Civil War battle games), published by Compass Games. Shipped March 2018 and 2nd printing July 2019.

Board games in development: Battle Hymn Volume Two, a sequel, to be published by Compass Games.

Board games in design: Eric Lee Smith’s The Civil War is an updated version of the award-winning game published initially by Victory Games.

Product management consulting (2017): for SofterWare Inc., a 150-person software development firm.

Website design & development (2017-present): designed, developed, launched, and maintain the websites AgostinoLaw.com and MyIndianStove.com. New sites in development.

Games designed by Eric Lee Smith

• Pea Ridge: The Gettysburg of the West March 7-8, 1862 (1980)

• Citadel of Blood (1980)

• The Alamo (1981)

• The Sword and the Stars (1981)

• Ambush! (1983)

• The Civil War 1861-1865 (1983)

• Panzer Command: The Gateway to Stalingrad (1984)

• Mosby's Raiders: Guerilla Warfare in the Civil War (1985)

• Battle Hymn (1986)

• Battle Hymn: Leatherneck (1988)

• Across 5 Aprils (1992)

• Battle Hymn Vol. 1: Gettysburg and Pea Ridge (2018)

• Battle Hymn Vol. 2: Shiloh and Bentonville