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?
Traces of War is a two-player game that simulates the intense fighting between Axis and Soviet forces after the battle of Kursk during August 1943 to March 1944. A major Soviet offensive is launched against a German mobile defense.
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.
Chit-Pull System
Draw tokens to determine which units, factions, or events activate next.
Multiple Maps
Actions occur across more than one linked board or geographic scale.
Hexagon Grid
Use a hexagonal map where each space connects evenly in six directions.
Read the full game description
Traces of War is a two-player game that simulates the intense fighting between Axis and Soviet forces after the battle of Kursk during August 1943 to March 1944. A major Soviet offensive is launched against a German mobile defense. Will the breakthrough be successful? Game Scale: Game Turn: 1 month Hex: 12.5 miles / 20 kilometers Units: Divisions to Corps Game Inventory: Two 20.7 x 28" / 525 x 712 mm full color maps Three dual-side printed countersheet (303 5/8" (16mm) square counters and 18 3/4" (18mm) round counters) One 16-page rulebook One solitaire track card Two sets of Player Aid Sheets (4 total) Solitaire Playability: High Complexity Level: Medium-low Players: 1 or 2 Playing Time: 3-6 hours Note: Players will need to provide one opaque cup for game play.