ORP Orzeł

About this board game

ORP Orzeł is a two-player game that recreates the submarine’s escape from the Baltic Sea to the North Sea during the first weeks of World War II. Designed for a playing time of around 30 minutes, it places one player in command of the Polish Navy and the other at the head of the German Kriegsmarine.

The Polish player must guide the submarine to safety, carefully planning movement while avoiding detection by the German air force and attacks from Kriegsmarine torpedo boats. The German player has the opposite objective: find and sink ORP Orzeł before it can leave the Baltic Sea.

Each turn, dice results enable a range of activities, including movement, attacks, and mine placement. Polish movements are partly hidden from the German player, creating uncertainty and suspense as the submarine attempts to slip through the surrounding danger.

The game begins after ORP Orzeł leaves its base in the Bay of Gdańsk. Following its commander’s decision to head for Tallinn because of health problems, the submarine was interned by Estonians on September 15, 1939. The Polish crew then escaped, intending to reach Great Britain and continue the fight against Germany.

• A game board featuring a map of the Baltic Sea
• A figurine of the submarine ORP Orzeł
• Eight wooden dice and 24 cardboard tokens
• Two player screens
• Polish and English booklets containing the rules and a historical article

Released in 2020, ORP Orzeł combines hidden information, dice-driven actions, and asymmetric objectives in a focused contest of escape versus pursuit.