Taulet.
Back to gamesPlay mode
Twilight Struggle
StrategyExpert8.2· BGG rating

Twilight Struggle

Lead the USA or USSR in the most tense geopolitical chess match of the 20th century.

Players
2
Playing time
120–180 min
Min. age
13+
Year
2005
Designer
Ananda Gupta, Jason Matthews
Share

Setup

  • Place the board in the center. Set the Victory Point marker to 0, DEFCON to 5, and the Turn marker to the starting position.

  • Separate cards into three eras (Early, Mid, Late War). Shuffle the first two eras together to form the starting deck; Late War cards are added later.

  • Place starting influence tokens: USSR in Eastern Europe, USA among its western allies.

  • Each player draws 8 cards for the first turn.

Rules

  • Each turn, players alternate playing cards. Each card can be used for its Operations value (place influence, stage a coup, or realign countries) or to trigger the printed historical event.

  • A country is controlled when one player's influence exceeds the other's by more than the country's stability rating.

  • At the end of certain turns, world regions are scored (Europe, Asia, Middle East…) based on controlled countries.

Victory conditions

  • Win by reaching 20 Victory Points, by controlling Europe during a scoring round, or if your opponent inadvertently drops DEFCON to 1 (automatic nuclear war). If turn 10 ends without a decisive winner, the player with the most points wins.

Frequently asked questions

How many players does Twilight Struggle need?
2 players.
How long does a game of Twilight Struggle last?
120–180 minutes.
What is the minimum age for Twilight Struggle?
From 13 years old.

Rate the rules

How clear are the rules?

If you like this one, try…

Brass: Birmingham8.6Strategy

Brass: Birmingham

Build your industrial network across 18th-century England: coal, iron, cotton, and canals that will one day become railways.

2–4 players60–120 minExpert
Dune: Imperium8.5Strategy

Dune: Imperium

The spice must flow — and you will control it. Brilliant fusion of card building and worker placement set in the Dune universe. Allying with the right faction can change everything.

1–4 players60–120 minMedium
Terraforming Mars8.3Strategy

Terraforming Mars

Compete with other corporations to terraform Mars and build your galactic empire.

1–5 players90–120 minExpert