General Quarters

About this board game

General Quarters is a naval miniatures game released in 1975, with a listed play time of 240 minutes. Its two rulebooks present the original General Quarters rules for miniature naval gaming.

Although these rules were first published in the 1970s, their realistic and elegant game mechanics remain usable today. The system is designed for naval miniatures and can be used with models in any scale, giving players flexibility in how they approach their collections and tabletop setup.

The game’s historical coverage is divided between its two books, with a detail that may initially seem counterintuitive:

• General Quarters I covers World War II.
• General Quarters II covers World War I and includes optional enhancements for World War II.

This structure makes the pair useful for players interested in naval warfare across both world wars. Rather than being limited to one period or miniature scale, General Quarters provides a shared rules foundation for historical naval miniatures from different eras.

With its two-book format, broad period coverage, and enduring mechanical approach, General Quarters offers a focused set of rules for players who want to use naval miniatures in World War I or World War II settings. The 240-minute play time reflects a substantial tabletop experience built around these classic rules.