The Great War in the Near East

About this board game

The Great War in the Near East is a two-player World War I game, designed for a playing time of approximately 360 minutes, covering the conflict in Palestine, Iraq, and on the Turkish Front.

Originally published in Command magazine issue #38, the game is a standalone design that uses the core mechanics of The Great War in Europe, which appeared in Command issue #33. It brings that system to the Near Eastern theaters of the First World War.

The game can also serve as an add-on module for The Great War in Europe. Its counters feature an added diagonal slash, making the Near East units easy to identify when used with the larger game system.

• Players: 2
• Playing time: 360 minutes
• Release year: 1996
• Components: 400 counters
• Setting: Palestine, Iraq, and the Turkish Front during World War I

This combination of standalone play and modular compatibility gives The Great War in the Near East a clear place within the broader Great War game series. Players can experience its Near Eastern campaign on its own or use its specially marked counters as an expansion to The Great War in Europe.

Both games were later reprinted together as The Great War in Europe: Deluxe Edition by GMT Games in 2007, connecting this 1996 release with a later edition of the wider system.