Victory in the West: Plan Yellow, The French Campaign 1940

About this board game

Victory in the West: Plan Yellow, The French Campaign 1940 is a two-player historical simulation of the German campaign in Western Europe, with a playing time of about 360 minutes.

Set against the campaign that began on 10 May 1940, the game recreates the German offensive against Belgium and Holland and the struggle involving France, Britain, Belgium, and the Netherlands. Its outcome is not predetermined: the Allied player can spend Victory Points to alter armies and policies, testing whether different preparations could have changed the course of history.

Improve training, strengthen command structures, add anti-aircraft and anti-tank guns, or explore larger and more mobile French forces. The German player must also make consequential strategic choices, from sending Panzers through the Ardennes to attempting a renewed advance across northern Belgium or an unexpected left hook through Alsace.

The system covers the campaign at a detailed operational scale, with turns representing two days and hexes representing 6.8 miles (11 kilometers). Units range from battalions to armies, placing the broad movement of forces alongside the crucial decisions that shaped the 1940 campaign.

• Scale: two-day turns, 6.8-mile hexes, and battalion-to-army units
• Play: high solitaire playability and a medium complexity level
• Components: two full-color maps, 720 counters, player aid cards, and supporting booklets

With its options system, Victory in the West invites repeated questions about command, doctrine, equipment, and preparation. Designed by David James Ritchie, it gives commanders the chance to test familiar history against alternate decisions.