Twilight Struggle: Red Sea – Conflict in the Horn of Africa

About this board game

Twilight Struggle: Red Sea – Conflict in the Horn of Africa is a card-driven Cold War game for 1–2 players that plays in around 35 minutes. It brings the tension and decision-making of Twilight Struggle to a more limited regional setting.

The year is 1974. The Soviet Union and the United States are locked in a global life-or-death struggle when the Horn of Africa suddenly becomes a major focus of Cold War competition. In Ethiopia, Emperor Haile Selassie I—an important U.S. ally in Africa—is overthrown after growing old and increasingly dictatorial.

A Marxist coalition takes control and begins a chain of events that disrupts the regional balance of power. As revolutionary leadership reshapes the region, both superpowers face the familiar pressures and opportunities of Cold War rivalry.

With its shorter playtime and focused scope, Twilight Struggle: Red Sea offers an accessible introduction to the Twilight Struggle system while preserving its central tension. Each decision matters as players navigate a rapidly changing political landscape through card-driven play.

• Designed for 1–2 players
• Approximately 35 minutes of play
• A focused setting in the Horn of Africa beginning in 1974
• A concise introduction to the Twilight Struggle system
• Cards from Twilight Struggle can be used with Twilight Struggle: Red Sea, and vice versa

Part of GMT’s Lunchtime Series, this game delivers a compact version of the award-winning Twilight Struggle experience. Its regional focus makes the historical conflict easy to approach while retaining the decisive choices and Cold War atmosphere that define the system.