Twilight Struggle
$49.99
Twilight Struggle at a Glance
| Game Type Wargame, Political Action/Event, Area Majority / Influence, Campaign / Battle Card Driven, Dice Rolling | Play Time 2 - 3 hours | Skill/Complexity (4 - 5) Medium - Heavy |
| Age 13+ | Publisher(s) GMT Games | Published 2005 |
| Categories Strategy | Players 2 Player | Rules Manual Official Rules PDF |
| Our Rating 8.8/10 | Cost $49.99 Approx |
About – Description
The highly reputable game of Twilight Struggle is a game based around The Cold War and was released in 2005 after being designed by Ananda Gupta and Jason Matthews.
This strategy-based game is suitable for two players only and can take around three hours to complete.
Due to its intricacy and design, it is a game that is aimed at players aged 13 and over.
Who’s it best suited for?
This is a very detailed game in the way that it plays and that’s why it’s mainly suitable for those who have experience in playing these kind of strategy games.
It’s based around the Cold War years and so, for the younger players, it could be seen to be educational.
Twilight Struggle is a game that contains a number of mechanisms while players have to make detailed decisions in order to succeed.
Skill – Complexity
This is considered to be a complex game as it is strategy based with a number of different mechanisms involved in playing the game.
It does help if players have played strategy based games before but it might be difficult for younger players to grasp. There is an element of skill involved and that can come from any experience that players might have.
Set Up – Playing Rules & Instructions
Despite the game being complex, set up is relatively straightforward. Tokens have to placed on the board, which depicts a map of the world, in set places. Players are then given eight cards from the early war deck with the Soviet player receiving the China card.
One player plays the role of the USA while the other plays the role of the USSR and the aim is to move their units around the board using their influence to win allies in order to become the superpower. It is a game that is based around making the right decisions and how they should use their cards in the correct way.
The event cards make the play of this game unique and related to a number of different areas known as Early War, Mid War and Late War. These cards underpin any actions that players can take such as:
- For the event– which relates to the player carrying out what is mentioned in the event text.
- Place control markers – markers can only be positioned in countries if a player already has a marker in that country or countries adjacent to it.
- Coup – This is where players attempt to coup a country that their opponent controls.
- Realignment – This is where players try to realign their control markers with one card allowing players to make multiple roles based on the number on the card.
- Space Race – This provides players with the chance to play their opponent’s card if the events are not all that desirable. Players can earn victory points in the Space Race.
Any turns that players take in the game follow this process:
Deal Cards
Headline Phase
Action Rounds
Check Military Operations
Final Scoring
To win the game players must take control of Western Europe but if any play leads to nuclear war then this results in a loss. Players can also win if they reach 20 or more victory points.
This video overview is very useful…….
Other Versions, Editions or Expansions Available?
Twilight Struggle has been released in a number of countries although no special editions have been released.
A wide range of expansion packs have been released including Turn Zero, Referendum Nato and Regime of the Colonels.
Likes & Dislikes
- Excellent theme.
- Hard to beat this within the realm of 2 player wargames.
- Replay value is very high as you must learn and keep learning the cards, although you will need an equal opponent in skill to keep it fair and engaging.
- The uncertainty while playing is great and creates that board game tension in the best possible way
- The game gets going right from the start of play. No hanging around for action here!
- Very hard to find other people to play this one out with. It’s length of play time and complexity can be an obstacle in finding a willing partner.
- This kind of theme may seem dry for some gamers and grasping the rules may just be too difficult to allow them to enjoy what the game offers.
Players particularly like the tension and depth that comes with the game as well as the chance to learn about the Cold War in more detail. They also feel as though the game is a great representation of the Cold War due to the way it plays.
However, this is a long game and players felt that it could be too long in some instances and some were not impressed with the way in which it is only suitable for 2 players.
Final Thoughts
This is a great game for players who want to immerse themselves in a game that requires strategy and decision making.
The rules are simple to learn which could make it ideal for beginners and once they get to play the game it seems as though players do enjoy it. However, for those who prefer faster games, it could be beyond them.
