Struggle for Europe 1939 – 1945

About this board game

Struggle for Europe 1939–1945 is a two-player, card-driven strategy wargame about the struggle for Europe during World War II, playable in approximately 120 minutes.

The game begins in 1939, with the Axis poised to expand rapidly against the Polish, French, and British Allies. Early decisions focus on where to move and whom to attack, while the Axis player seeks to capture enough victory locations to win before the first reshuffle.

Using point-to-point movement and area control, players maneuver armies with hidden strengths across the map. Command choices come from separate Axis and Allied card decks, reflecting the relative strengths and weaknesses of each side. There are no dice, so every card presents meaningful choices.

• Two-player strategic World War II gameplay
• Hidden army strengths and area control
• Separate Axis and Allied decks
• Victory through captured locations and accumulated victory points
• Deck destruction rather than conventional deck-building

Cards have multiple uses and may be recycled when played in one way. However, building units can permanently remove cards from your deck cycle, forcing difficult decisions about which resources to sacrifice. As the decks cycle, the Allied player adds higher-quality cards, with the Russians and Americans entering during the first and second reshuffles.

Meanwhile, the Axis player burns through its early-game quality cards and grows weaker as resources dwindle. Each player gets the chance to act as aggressor and defender, racing to meet the required victory-point total before cycling through the deck for the final time. With its compact scope and fast pace, Struggle for Europe 1939–1945 offers a complete strategic contest in under two hours.

The game includes a mounted game board, two decks of more than 60 cards, 3/4-inch counters, rules, and a box.