Mark H. Walker is a writer and

board Board or Boards may refer to: Flat surface * Lumber, or other rigid material, milled or sawn flat ** Plank (wood) ** Cutting board ** Sounding board, of a musical instrument * Cardboard (paper product) * Paperboard * Fiberboard ** Hardboard, a ...

wargame A normal wargame is a strategy game in which two or more players command opposing armed forces in a simulation of an armed conflict. Wargaming may be played for Recreational wargaming, recreation, to train military officers in the art of milit ...

designer. He has written articles about

information technology Information technology (IT) is a set of related fields within information and communications technology (ICT), that encompass computer systems, software, programming languages, data processing, data and information processing, and storage. Inf ...

and

video game A video game or computer game is an electronic game that involves interaction with a user interface or input device (such as a joystick, game controller, controller, computer keyboard, keyboard, or motion sensing device) to generate visual fe ...

s for publications including '' AutoWeek'', ''

PC Gamer ''PC Gamer'' is a magazine and website founded in the United Kingdom in 1993 devoted to PC gaming and published monthly by Future plc. The magazine has several regional editions, with the UK and US editions becoming the best selling PC games m ...

'', ''

Computer Gaming World ''Computer Gaming World'' (CGW) was an American Video game journalism, computer game magazine that was published between 1981 and 2006. One of the few magazines of the era to survive the video game crash of 1983, it was sold to Ziff Davis in 199 ...

'', ''Armchair General'', and ''

Playboy ''Playboy'' (stylized in all caps) is an American men's Lifestyle journalism, lifestyle and entertainment magazine, available both online and in print. It was founded in Chicago in 1953 by Hugh Hefner and his associates, funded in part by a $ ...

'' and websites such as ''

GameSpy GameSpy was an American provider of online multiplayer and matchmaking middleware for video games founded in 1999 by Mark Surfas. After the release of a multiplayer server browser for Quake, QSpy, Surfas licensed the software under the GameS ...

'' and '' Science Fiction Weekly''.

Background

Walker spent over 23 years in the

U.S. Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest displacement, at 4.5 million tons in 2021. It has the world's largest aircraft ...

, (17 years active and 6 in the Naval Reserve) reaching the rank of

Commander Commander (commonly abbreviated as Cmdr.) is a common naval officer rank as well as a job title in many army, armies. Commander is also used as a rank or title in other formal organizations, including several police forces. In several countri ...

. He has a master's degree in Warfighting and International Relations from the

Naval War College The Naval War College (NWC or NAVWARCOL) is the staff college and "Home of Thought" for the United States Navy at Naval Station Newport in Newport, Rhode Island. The NWC educates and develops leaders, supports defining the future Navy and associa ...

Writing

Walker has written or co-authored dozens of computer-related books, including the official game guides for several computer games. His first novel, '' A Craving for Blood'' (), was published on October 2, 2006. He has since published two novels, ''World at War: Revelation'' and ''Everyone Dies in the End'', as well as several short stories.

Game designs

Walker designed an award-winning series of board wargames called ''Lock 'n Load''. The games are squad-level wargames in which a counter can represent a

squad In military terminology, a squad is among the smallest of Military organization, military organizations and is led by a non-commissioned officer. NATO and United States, U.S. doctrine define a squad as an organization "larger than a fireteam, ...

, a vehicle or a person such as a sniper or a commanding officer. The first of these games, ''Lock 'n Load: Forgotten Heroes: Vietnam'' was published by Shrapnel Games in 2003. ''Lock 'n Load: ANZAC Attack'', an expansion pack was released in 2004. ''Lock ’n Load: Band of Heroes'', published in 2006 by

Matrix Games Matrix Games is a publisher of PC games, specifically strategy games and wargames. It is based in Ohio, US, and Surrey, UK. Their focus is primarily but not exclusively on wargames and turn-based strategy. The product line-up also includes sp ...

, is set during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. Both ''Forgotten Heroes'' and ''Band of Heroes'' were voted best boardgame of the year by readers of ''The Wargamer''. Walker subsequently designed the award-winning Mark H. Walker's World at War. A platoon-level game system set in an alternate history in which NATO and Warsaw Pact fought a Third World War beginning in May 1985. The game system ties in with Walker's novel World at War: Revelation, which tells the tale of the darker side of the war, mixing military adventure with elements of horror and paranormal events. In 2010 Walker, then the owner of

Lock 'n Load Publishing Lock 'n Load Publishing is a developer and publisher of board and computer games, specifically strategy games and wargames. They are based out of Colorado Colorado is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States. It is one of the Moun ...

, published a third tactical series with the release of Nations at War: White Star Rising, a platoon-level game set in Western Europe between 1944-45. Walker also designed several smaller board wargames for free publication in Armchair General Magazine, although none of them were particularly challenging to hardcore gamers.

Publishing companies

Lock 'n Load Publishing: From June of 2006 until March of 2013, Walker owned Lock 'n Load Publishing. Under his ownership the company released 61 products. After the company's sale, Walker remained with the firm as a designer until November 2014. Flying Pig Games: In December 2014, Walker announced the founding of a new company, Flying Pig Games.

References

External links

Walker's personal web site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Walker, Mark H. 21st-century American novelists American game designers American male novelists Board game designers Living people Wargame designers Year of birth missing (living people)