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?
Strategic Situation: HILL OF DOVES is a solitaire boardgame in which the player controls an Imperial British Army at war with a programmed non-player Transvaal Republican Army in 1881.
Core mechanisms
Key systems that shape the decisions players make.
Campaign Card Play
Play cards to command conflicts and carry consequences through a campaign.
Dice Rolling
Roll dice to introduce uncertainty into actions, production, movement, or resolution.
Grid Movement
Move pieces between adjacent spaces on a regular grid.
Events
Triggered events alter the shared state, rules, or available choices.
Hexagon Grid
Use a hexagonal map where each space connects evenly in six directions.
Read the full game description
Strategic Situation: HILL OF DOVES is a solitaire boardgame in which the player controls an Imperial British Army at war with a programmed non-player Transvaal Republican Army in 1881. The British army’s aim is to win the war by controlling the area known as Laing’s Nek which lies on the border between Natal and the Transvaal. The British army has up to twelve weeks to achieve this, failing which, the Boers will win the war. Programmed System: HILL OF DOVES is played using a programmed system whereby the player follows the instructions on the Game Sequence Chart aided by the Step Marker and the Quick Reference Card. If any battles are to be fought the player will be referred to the Assault Chart or the Ambush Chart to resolve the battle and then the player will be prompted to return to the Game Sequence Chart to continue the war. Time Phases: HILL OF DOVES is played at a strategic, operational and tactical level simultaneously. There are three phases to the game. The Operational Phase is the heart of the game and represents a seven-day cycle, with a Strategic Phase being referred to at the end of each Operational Phase to resolve situations occurring during the week just passed and a Tactical Phase representing a variable number of hours being referred to each time the British carry out an assault. Game Boards: HILL OF DOVES is played on three boards simultaneously. These are the Strategic Board, Operational Board and Tactical Board. Game information is recorded on these boards and British strategic, operational and tactical columns are maneuvered on the maps located on these boards.