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?
Origins of World War I appears in Sid Sackson's well-known game book A Gamut of Games. Gameplay is very similar to Origins of World War II, which was published by The Avalon Hill Game Co in 1971, although players have to provide their own game components.
Core mechanisms
Key systems that shape the decisions players make.
Auction/Bidding
Bid against other players to determine who receives an item, action, or priority.
Alliances
Players can cooperate through temporary or formal partnerships while pursuing victory.
Dice Rolling
Roll dice to introduce uncertainty into actions, production, movement, or resolution.
Negotiation
Make proposals, promises, or deals directly with other players.
Variable Player Powers
Each player has different abilities, restrictions, or strategic advantages.
Combat Results Table
Compare opposing strength as a ratio, then consult a table to resolve combat.
Read the full game description
Origins of World War I appears in Sid Sackson's well-known game book A Gamut of Games. Gameplay is very similar to Origins of World War II, which was published by The Avalon Hill Game Co in 1971, although players have to provide their own game components. The following description was taken from A Gamut of Games introduction of this game: A political/strategy game in which five players represent the five major nations in pre-World War I Europe. They must compete against each other to achieve each nation's 'national objectives'. While actual war is not allowed in the game, the play should show quite clearly how tensions developed to such a high pitch in 1914. Note: A full set of rules and print-and-play components are available for download in the files section, below. Re-implemented by: Origins of World War II