The Pocket at Falaise

About this board game

The Pocket at Falaise is a World War II strategy game for 1–2 players, with a listed playing time of 240 minutes. It recreates the final phase of the Allied campaign in Normandy, as German forces struggle to escape an encircling trap while Allied armies attempt to close it.

Set in August 1944, the game focuses on the German 7th and 5th Panzer Armies pulling back behind the Orne and Dives rivers. Around twenty-five German divisions were threatened, and although roughly half escaped, they left almost all their heavy equipment behind. The result was a major Allied victory and a scene of extraordinary destruction.

The situation is more complex than a straightforward advance and retreat. German units attempting to escape are often forced to attack, while Allied forces moving forward may find themselves defending desperately against concentrated opposition. Players must manage tactical and operational obstacles while dealing with the hesitation, division, and imperfect coordination that affected both sides.

A chit-pull activation system captures the confusion of the battle, making each side juggle increasingly difficult choices. The game uses a combat scale spanning tactical and operational warfare without relying on a large number of fiddly rules. A complete solitaire system is included, with solitaire playability rated medium.

• 12-hour game turns and 0.75-mile hexes
• Units ranging from battalion to brigade
• Two-sided countersheets, player aids, and a full-color map
• Medium complexity and a listed playing range of 4–15 hours

Published in Against the Odds Magazine #27 in October 2009, The Pocket at Falaise challenges players to turn a historic crisis into a better outcome—or to discover how difficult closing the pocket really was.