The Chosin Few

About this board game

The Chosin Few is a solitaire wargame for one player, with an approximate play time of 45 minutes, depicting the Battle of the Chosin Reservoir during the Korean War in November and December 1950.

You control the United Nations X-Corps, which primarily consisted of US Marine and Army forces. The game particularly focuses on the 1st Marine Division and 7th Infantry Division as they face an overwhelming situation: the US forces are completely surrounded and have no way to even the odds.

An AI system controls the Chinese forces as they pour over the border into Korea and surround you. The historical outcome was a pyrrhic victory for the Chinese, with the battle causing such devastation that two Chinese divisions had to be permanently disbanded, while the remaining divisions were still under-strength for seven months.

The game was created in admiration of what the Marines accomplished at Chosin. Its historical framing compares the battle to a modern-day Thermopylae, while emphasizing that the US forces could not rely on terrain to minimize the Chinese numerical advantage.

The 2016 game includes the essential components for its compact solo experience:

• One board and a rulebook
• 25 cards and 11 counters
• Two standees and 20 cubes
• One six-sided die

With its focused scope, opposing automated forces, and powerful historical setting, The Chosin Few puts one player in command of UN forces fighting for survival during one of the Korean War’s most notable battles.