La Der des Ders

About this board game

La Der des Ders is a strategic-level World War One wargame for 1–2 players, with an approximate play time of 90 minutes. Created by Arnauld Della Siega and published in 2019 in issue #145 of the French wargaming magazine Vae Victis, it covers the conflict from 1914 through 1919.

Each player controls one of the two opposing sides: the Central Powers or the Entente Allies. A specific solitaire system also allows one player to experience the game alone, making La Der des Ders suitable for both head-to-head and solo play.

The war unfolds over turns representing four months each, with a maximum of 14 turns unless victory comes earlier. During every turn, players gain Resource Points and decide how to spend them across the major areas of the conflict:

• Research
• Offensives
• Reinforcements
• Naval Warfare

Initiative determines the order in which the sides act. Events occur before resources are collected, then the player holding the initiative spends their points and conducts naval warfare. The other player follows by spending their points and resolving their own naval warfare.

This clear turn structure combines broad wartime planning with limited resources and changing events. Whether commanding the Central Powers or the Entente Allies, players guide their side through a compact strategic simulation of the conflict known as “the war that ends all wars.”