Overview
At a glance
Is this game right for my group?
ABG editorial scores on a 1–5 scale.
Harder to teach
High replayability
Highly interactive
Scales well
Deep strategy
How it plays
How does it play?
Free, relatively simple WW2 wargame. The game simulates the German push toward Moscow in late 1941.
Core mechanisms
Key systems that shape the decisions players make.
Grid Movement
Move pieces between adjacent spaces on a regular grid.
Dice Rolling
Roll dice to introduce uncertainty into actions, production, movement, or resolution.
Movement Points
Spend a movement allowance across spaces with different costs.
Hexagon Grid
Use a hexagonal map where each space connects evenly in six directions.
Combat Results Table
Compare opposing strength as a ratio, then consult a table to resolve combat.
Read the full game description
Free, relatively simple WW2 wargame. The game simulates the German push toward Moscow in late 1941. The objective of the German faction is to capture and hold Moscow using blitzkrieg, while the Soviet faction tries to prevent that via strategic retreats. The basic game lasts 7 turns by each side; the expansion What happens next rules doubles that. Many of the elements of wargames are presented here: zones of control, combat results table, movement and combat values, full strength versus half strength, terrain effects on movement and combat, turns divided into phases, and weather conditions for mud. The reimplementation Battle for Moscow: Operation Typhoon, 1941 by Victory Point Games is not the same game. A web-based version of that game, including computer opponent, exists at https://oberlabs.com/b4m/.