Designed by Jason Matthews and Anada Gupta; published by GMT Games; 2 players; ages 12 and up; $50 (approximate).
Twilight Struggle is a brilliantly designed wargame that has received widespread acclaim. The first game ever to win two International Gamers Awards (for two-player strategy game and for historical simulation game), Twilight Struggle also won two Golden Geek awards from the users of BoardGameGeek.com (for best two-player game and best wargame). It also won a Charles S. Roberts Award (given to wargames), and it was nominated for the Diana Jones Award for Excellence in Gaming. It's also among the top 15 highest-rated games of all time at BoardGameGeek.com.
One player is the United States; the other is the Soviet Union. They compete during the 45 years of the Cold War, covering such events as the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Vietnam War, and the possibility of nuclear war. Gameplay is driven by a deck of about 100 cards, which is divided into "early war" and "late war" sections. Experienced players have a definite advantage by knowing what cards might come up, but the deck is very well balanced.
Even if you hear the word "wargame" and want to run off screaming, think about giving Twilight Struggle a try. Most games take about three hours, and chances are you'll find that time to be 180 minutes worth of great gaming.
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