An excellent addition to any solitaire gamer’s collection. There are extra rules to change things up which, on top of the built in random factors, mean you won’t be solving the puzzle of Castle Itter for a long, long time. Players must defend the castle by outlasting an SS deck that regulates the enemy, earning more or less points depending on how many defenders remain. The clean presentation and manageable components make Castle Itter an excellent quick play game. A strange battle in which US forces, Austrian resistance members, Wehrmacht soldiers, and freed prisoners fought to defend a castle from attacking SS soldiers in May 1945. Leading the charge of excellent solitaire wargames that the past few years have given us, Castle Itter highlights a fascinating battle and wraps it up in an enjoyable package. There is a detailed solitaire bot included for when you’re missing any players. There’s a lot to absorb in this game but there is nothing quite like getting four dedicated players together to wage war and politics across the Aegean. Office clothes: These are the best board games for adults While each city-state pair is trying to win the wider war, they are also competing between the two of them to emerge first among equals. Two players control different factions within their city-state’s government. Buy now PERICLESīased in part on Mark Herman’s previous game of war as politics, Churchill, Pericles takes the system to Ancient Greece and introduces a fascinating new semi-cooperative 4 player take on the formula. As a bonus, you’re likely to convince non-wargames to give this one a go with its ease of entry and recognizable deck building mechanics. There’s an entire built in campaign with an expansion on the way, meaning there’s plenty of replayability, especially in the later scenarios. The rules are also not too complicated, making this an excellent purchase for two-player wargame fans.Īdd in having to use officers to build up your deck, sacrificing cards to secure initiative, and dealing with a variety of mission objectives means there’s a lot to consider in this seemingly simple package. Managing your hand, and more often than not, bluffing with it, makes Sekigahara stand out. War and peace: These are the best board games across all genresīoth players maneuver forces across central Japan, vying for important territories and positioning armies to draw their opponents into a decisive engagement. A block wargame complicated by the draw of action cards that limit which units can fight where, the potential for traitors, and relatively bloody combat, Sekigahara quickly reveals itself as a life or death poker game. Taking place in the seven-week campaign surrounding the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600, in which Tokugawa Ieyasu secured the shogunate from Ishida Mitsunari. Matthew Calkins’ Sekigahara: The Unification of Japan, is an almost perfect example of bluff and daring wrapped up in a relatively simple wargame.