Founded in 2021 by veteran publisher Uwe Walentin, Sound of Drums specializes in strategy board games rooted in history. From ancient naval warfare to Napoleonic battles and beyond, the company’s games aim to capture the feel of history without sacrificing fun. Sound of Drums also brings a high level of care to their component design, giving each title the quality needed to earn a lasting spot on players’ shelves.
We spoke with Uwe about Sound of Drums’ history, his design process, and what he thinks makes for a great game.
From Soccer Fields to Battlefields
In 1996, after working with several European publishers, Uwe Walentin founded his own company, Pro Ludo, to distribute board games in Germany. The company became widely known for distributing Ticket to Ride, a title that went on to win the Spiel des Jahres and help fuel the modern board game boom.
After selling Pro Ludo in 2008, Uwe explored other passions. “It was good that I did a lot of different things after Pro Ludo,” he recalls. “The job I loved most was being a soccer coach!”
While the shift from publishing to coaching might seem like a leap, Uwe never drifted too far from his roots. Soccer, he points out, “is also a game with complex rules. I did not lose the passion for ‘history in cardboard boxes’, but I did pause playing and buying war games for a couple of years.”
In time, Uwe found himself easing back into the hobby, and he began searching for what he calls “holy grail games” he hoped to bring to his table. But the search often ended in disappointment: counters overloaded with information, rules stuck in the 1980s, and components of only mediocre quality. That frustration planted the seeds for what was to come.
As he approached 50, Uwe realized that he wouldn’t be able to coach soccer forever. “My wife said, ‘Do what you most like to do: design and publish strategy games.’” With her encouragement, he set out to create the kinds of games he wanted to buy and play himself.
Turning Ideas into Play
Each Sound of Drums title begins with a spark of inspiration, often a historic period or event that Uwe believes could translate into compelling play. From there, he begins sketching out mechanics and testing them to ensure they support the theme and create a fun, engaging play experience. Just as importantly, Uwe insists every design introduces at least one new mechanic.
Of course, it takes more than one person to transform an idea into a finished game. In addition to Uwe, who is based in Switzerland, Sound of Drums works with designers from Canada, England, Cyprus, France, Denmark, Germany, Hong Kong, Italy, and Spain. It’s a truly international team, collaborating remotely to unite their talents.
“We only work with the best of the best, and they are spread all over the world,” Uwe notes. “I work 24/7, although ‘work’ is not really the right word for what I do. We are building a structure, and that is incredibly exciting.”
Playtesting is another essential part of the process, and Uwe weaves it in from the very beginning. “Before creating an initial prototype for game testing with my own group, I seek opinions on whether the idea has potential. This is followed by endless testing with different groups.”
When the feedback is strong, the team begins refining the details. They finalize components, polish the rules, and complete the graphic design. By Uwe’s estimate, the journey from initial concept to finished release takes roughly 1,000 hours of work.
What Makes a Sound of Drums Game
For Uwe, the most enjoyable part of playing a game comes from making choices. You decide on a particular action, see the consequences, and respond. He works to ensure that rules never get in the way of what’s happening at the table.
“This process should not be…hindered by complicated rules, complex procedures, or an excessive number of tables,” he explains. “On the contrary, rules, tables, and game materials should support the player in their decision-making.”
Sound of Drums games are, in his view, a modern evolution of the games that came before them. “Many game rules, especially war games, have remained stuck in
the 90s,” he says. “We are taking a completely different approach here.”
Of course, Sound of Drums games also look good on the table, with high-quality components shaped by Uwe’s publishing experience. “When I founded Sound of Drums, I had the advantage of knowing the quality standards from the Euro style games world, and it was clear to me that we would implement those standards in our historical strategy games as well.”
That means polished graphic design, customized dice and pieces, and components built to last. All of this, of course, in service of giving players meaningful, streamlined choices at the table.
Looking Back (and Ahead)
Uwe is proud of what Sound of Drums has done since it was founded in 2021. When asked about his achievements so far, Uwe doesn’t hesitate to point to one game in particular.
“Battles of Napoleon and its subsequent series Battles of the American Civil War is for me the most amazing combination of traditional hex and counter war game concepts with new and fresh ideas,” he says. “It’s historically solid, highly interactive, and it 100% represents my design philosophy.”
“On top of that, I think the game has a level of component quality never seen before in the war game hobby,” he continues. “We investigated every component and found the best solution for it. I don’t know of any war game that has play aids on heavy card stock with folded edges and a special finish.”
And Sound of Drums is just getting started. Uwe talks about plans to expand their reach even wider. “I know historical strategy games only appeal to a portion of the hobby,” he says. “With the game The Great Escape, based on the famous film from the 1960s…we have a cooperative game with unique game materials in the pipeline, and I am very curious to see how wide an audience we can reach.”
Explore Noble Knight’s full selection of Sound of Drums titles, and enjoy the rest of our conversation with Uwe below.
Where does the name Sound of Drums come from, and what does it represent to you?
The task was to find a name for the publishing house that would suit different eras and inspire revelry. Right away, I had the drummer boy in mind, since drums have always accompanied armies from ancient times to modern times. Soldiers followed Alexander the Great to Asia to the sound of drums, and the drums sounded while Napoleon’s veterans attacked the hills at Waterloo. Thus, the idea for a company name and logo was born.
The drummer boy comes in different versions, and I am particularly proud of this idea and its execution.
Can you talk a bit about your philosophy when it comes to designing game rules?
When we ask ourselves what gives us the most pleasure when playing board games (apart from the social aspect), in my opinion it is the process of making 
decisions, implementing them, and observing the effects of those decisions, which then inevitably form the basis for subsequent decisions…
[In addition], a rule must not exist just for its own sake. It should add value to the game experience. A rule that requires exceptions is a bad rule and should be discarded. A rule must be easy to learn and remember.
In your opinion, which carries more weight when designing: simulation accuracy or playability?
Absolutely and without hesitation: playability.
You also publish solitaire games. What’s unique about designing for solo play, and how do those games work?
I wasn’t aware of how large the community for solitaire games is, and I’ve always had a very interesting topic in mind that I think would be perfect for a solitaire game: Operation Valkyrie.
Since designing solitaire games requires a very special skill that I don’t have, I commissioned my friend Gottardo Zacani to design the game. Gottardo is a terrific, very smart developer of solitaire games, and I am very happy with the result.
In Operation Valkyrie – Race for Power Against Time, the player takes the side of the coup plotters who wanted to eliminate Hitler and his regime in order to initiate a separate peace with the Western Allies. The player has a certain number of action points each round and must succeed in achieving key strategic objectives before his opponent, the Reich, becomes too powerful.
Your History of the Ancient Seas series features separate designs for 2, 3, and 5 players, each with the same core mechanics but tailored layouts. Can you talk about what inspired that approach?
Since my early youth, I have been searching for the ultimate epic civilization building game. And while there are certainly one or two classics out there, for me personally, the games available are either not epic enough or they have one crucial flaw: the designers try to develop games that can be played by 2-6 or 2-8 players.
This is completely understandable. However, it has the major drawback that a game with a large map in the two-player version only takes place on a small part of the map. To me, that feels like sitting in a Ferrari and only being allowed to use second gear. I wanted to try something new: a game system for a series of games consisting of individual, independent games that share the same game system (but require a different matrix) and are each “epic” in their own right.
HELLAS, the two-player version of the History of the Ancient Seas series, is epic. It has a large map, lots of game pieces, and an exciting story. No compromises.
The second aspect is that the ancient Mediterranean scenario offers so many possibilities for what you can put into a game that it could easily go beyond the original scope. That’s why I decided to offer expansions that open up endless variations for the games. With the New Markets expansion, for example, players have a “new” game board in every game because the resources are redistributed. With Pirates and Barbarians, players have a non-player faction in the game. For me, the games in this series are the ultimate civ-building games.
Which is more rewarding: the creative side of designing, or the publishing side of bringing games into players’ hands?
I really love to be in touch with gamers. I love going to conventions and I use every opportunity to talk with gamers. For me, it is simply fascinating how this hobby connects people in all corners of the world. The fact that there is someone in Australia, which is on the opposite side of where I am based now, who has the same passion for history in cardboard boxes and who most probably has started to dive into the hobby with the same games, is simply amazing. Today, each request for replacements or spare parts lands on my desk. And I use the opportunity to chat. I shouldn’t because there is so much “work” to do, but I can’t resist. I love to know what gamers like to play and why.
If someone were discovering Sound of Drums for the first time, what game would you recommend as the best entry point?
I think the 2nd edition of HELLAS is a very good entry point and portrays our design philosophy very well.
What is your favorite historical period for gaming?
Napoleonic era, closely followed by WWII
What’s a game you love (by any publisher) that you wish more people knew about?
Haha, I can’t resist and must name our MARE NOSTRUM. For me, this is the most epic, the most elegant, interactive, beautiful and smart game about the ancient Mediterranean Sea and the era of civilization building. I even don’t regret its long playing time. On the contrary, this is a game you can immerse yourself in for 4-8 hours.
If you could wave a magic wand and instantly design a dream project, what would it be?
I am a big fan of the 1815 battles and I would love to design the “ultimate collection of 1815 battles”, based on my system Battles of Napoleon.
By the way, this will come true in a couple of years. For now, we have a solid marketing plan on how to widen the audience for the series, and we will publish it sometime in the next two years.
I would also love to know much more about the War of Roses in England and would like to design a digestible, accessible game about that period. That could be a lot of fun!
Uwe, thank you for your time!
