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?
The U.S. Civil War is a 2-player strategic-level war game of the American Civil War.
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.
Scenario Campaign
Play linked or standalone scenarios with their own setup, objectives, and consequences.
Hexagon Grid
Use a hexagonal map where each space connects evenly in six directions.
Simulation
Model a real or imagined system through detailed cause-and-effect rules.
Read the full game description
The U.S. Civil War is a 2-player strategic-level war game of the American Civil War. The game covers the entire war from 1861-65 on a large 30” x 44” map area (2 mounted maps) of the Southeastern United States. Turns represent 3 months during the winter and 2 months during the summer, with four Action Phases to each turn. Military forces are represented by generals and strength-points (SPs). Each SP represents approximately 5,000 soldiers. Game mechanics stress strategy, maneuver and leadership but details like ironclads, naval battles, leader promotions, forts, and commerce raiders are included. Shorter scenarios are included that cover just 1861, 1862 and 1863. Players of Eric Lee Smith’s The Civil War (VG) and Mark Herman’s For the People (AH and GMT) will see many similarities between this game and those two benchmark games. Those two wonderful games inspired many of the rules and concepts used in this game. CONTENTS: • a rules booklet • Two mounted maps ("30 x "44 play area) • Three die-cut counter sheets (9/16" playing pieces) • Two identical 11” x 17” Player Aid Cards • Three 8.5" x 11" scenario cards • One deck of 30 Special Action Cards TIME SCALE: 2-3 weeks per Phase; 4 Action Phase per turn MAP SCALE: 24 miles per hex UNIT SCALE: Each Strength Point = 5,000 men NUMBER OF PLAYERS: 2 DESIGNER & DEVELOPER: Mark Simonitch MAP ART: Mark Simonitch COUNTER & CARD ART: Mark Simonitch & Rodger B. MacGowan (source: GMT website) RULES FAQ