Players: 1-6 (but see below)
Works well with just 2: Yes but…
Age: 14+
Playtime: 45-60 min
Complexity: 4/10
As agents of the SOE (Special Operations Executive) at the height of WWII, your job is to infiltrate German-occupied France and link up with the resistance movement there, in order to carry out a string of missions from which there is likely no coming back.
War Story: Occupied France is essentially a solo game that you can play with friends: there are four agents in play at all times, but none of them is assigned to any given player. It’s just a pool or resources that you—and your eventual partners—can use as needed.
It’s also very much built like a choose-your-own-adventure novel, with numbered paragraphs to read, decisions that send you to further paragraphs, and so on. I would go so far as to say that it’s not quite a game: it really is more of an interactive novel, with some light game elements peppered throughout. (If you want an actual hybrid of interactive story & boardgame, This War of Mine delivers in spades.)
As agents of the SOE (Special Operations Executive) at the height of WWII, your job is to infiltrate German-occupied France and link up with the resistance movement there, in order to carry out a string of missions from which there is likely no coming back.
War Story: Occupied France is essentially a solo game that you can play with friends: there are four agents in play at all times, but none of them is assigned to any given player. It’s just a pool or resources that you—and your eventual partners—can use as needed.
It’s also very much built like a choose-your-own-adventure novel, with numbered paragraphs to read, decisions that send you to further paragraphs, and so on. I would go so far as to say that it’s not quite a game: it really is more of an interactive novel, with some light game elements peppered throughout. (If you want an actual hybrid of interactive story & boardgame, This War of Mine delivers in spades.)
But is this interactive story any fun? Oh yes.
The game runs on very simple rules, making it possible to crack the box open and start playing right there and then; it also comes with three scenarios that throw you deep into occupied France and force you to make difficult decisions from the get-go. You can play each scenario individually or link them up in a three-part campaign. Best of all, each scenario is replayable, despite the absence of randomness anywhere in the system.
I would however dock War Story: Occupied France quite a few points because of the sheer number of errors in this first edition of the game. You’ll frustratingly have to spend a while correcting the various paragraphs (and cards…) highlighted in the FAQ before you get going. And we’re not just talking typos (although they do exist: just ask the unfortunate Domonique you’ll encounter in the game): these are wrong paragraph numbers, erroneous instructions, as well as missing icons and various indications. It’s unacceptable; especially from Osprey, a publisher that should know better.
Also, I can’t for the life of me figure out why—much less how—you’d play this with more than two players. Remember, it’s an interactive story: there’s not much to do, even for one person playing this solo. So if a buddy wants to enjoy the ride with you, fine. More than that, and they’ll start asking themselves what they’re doing there.
But SIX players? That’s insanity.
Most easily forgotten rule: You can only spend special tokens when the current paragraph shows the chevrons icon.
# # #
The game runs on very simple rules, making it possible to crack the box open and start playing right there and then; it also comes with three scenarios that throw you deep into occupied France and force you to make difficult decisions from the get-go. You can play each scenario individually or link them up in a three-part campaign. Best of all, each scenario is replayable, despite the absence of randomness anywhere in the system.
I would however dock War Story: Occupied France quite a few points because of the sheer number of errors in this first edition of the game. You’ll frustratingly have to spend a while correcting the various paragraphs (and cards…) highlighted in the FAQ before you get going. And we’re not just talking typos (although they do exist: just ask the unfortunate Domonique you’ll encounter in the game): these are wrong paragraph numbers, erroneous instructions, as well as missing icons and various indications. It’s unacceptable; especially from Osprey, a publisher that should know better.
Also, I can’t for the life of me figure out why—much less how—you’d play this with more than two players. Remember, it’s an interactive story: there’s not much to do, even for one person playing this solo. So if a buddy wants to enjoy the ride with you, fine. More than that, and they’ll start asking themselves what they’re doing there.
But SIX players? That’s insanity.
Most easily forgotten rule: You can only spend special tokens when the current paragraph shows the chevrons icon.
# # #
