South China Sea: Modern Naval Conflict in the South Pacific

About this board game

South China Sea: Modern Naval Conflict in the South Pacific is a 2–3-player game of near-future political and military conflict, with sessions lasting about 240 minutes. Players represent China, the United States, Malaysia, the Philippines, or Vietnam as they compete to shape events around the South China Sea.

Political turns form the heart of the game. Through card play and structured negotiation, players respond to real-world events and try to “move the needle” toward their side. Powerful cards, including Chinese Coast Guard and U.S. Freedom of Navigation Exercise, can shift the political balance—but may also trigger armed conflict.

If fighting begins, the game transitions to a detailed hex-and-counter battle system. The map uses a scale of 45 nautical miles per hex, while turns represent 3–7 hours. Air squadrons, ship pairs, and land battalions capture the smaller-scale focus of the South China Sea theater.

• Political play can lead to victory without armed conflict.
• Naval units can move more than one hex per turn.
• A stealth-based checking mechanism can challenge multi-hex movement.
• Streamlined turn and strike procedures help expedite play.
• Every turn can include a structured negotiations phase.

Fast movement offers flexibility at a distance, while the movement-check system helps prevent ships from simply jumping through the beaten zone of modern anti-ship cruise missiles. Derived from Breaking the Chains but designed as a distinct game, South China Sea combines negotiation, escalation, and tactical naval operations in one volatile simulation.