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?
Sfacteria (425 BC) is a two-player wargame on land and naval battles of Pylos and Sphacteria, during the first phase of the Peloponnesian War. One player is in charge of the Athenians and their Messenian allies, the other one leads the Spartans and their helots.
Core mechanisms
Key systems that shape the decisions players make.
Action Points
Spend a limited allowance of points across several possible actions each turn.
Area Movement
Move pieces between connected regions rather than along individual spaces.
Dice Rolling
Roll dice to introduce uncertainty into actions, production, movement, or resolution.
Area-Impulse
Players alternate short actions within contested areas until everyone passes.
Simulation
Model a real or imagined system through detailed cause-and-effect rules.
Read the full game description
Sfacteria (425 BC) is a two-player wargame on land and naval battles of Pylos and Sphacteria, during the first phase of the Peloponnesian War. One player is in charge of the Athenians and their Messenian allies, the other one leads the Spartans and their helots. Each player has 4 commanders to lead his units. Both players receive historical reinforcements and can also try to obtain additional troops. To achieve victory, a player has to control the fortress of Pylos and the island of Sphacteria using his fleet and his land units, while taking care of his supply. The A4 map is divided into 27 areas (land or sea). The game includes a sheet of 67 counters. Each strength point represents 1 trireme, 25 hoplites, 50 peltasts or 100 archers. The game also features a number of "stratagem" chits.