239:, Claude Bloodgood liked the easily learned game mechanics, and thought that the two combat phases "provide for a fast-paced game." Like other critics, he also believed the game was unbalanced in favor of the Germans. Nevertheless, he concluded "This is an excellent game-system that will not distract player attention away from playing the game."
134:
19:
126:
Each player earns
Victory Points for destruction of enemy units. In addition, the German player gains Victory Points for exiting units off of the map along a road. At the end of each turn, Allied Victory Points are subtracted from German Victory Points. If the resultant difference is larger than the
64:
that had the combined objectives of splitting the Allied forces in two, preventing the use of the port of
Antwerp, and forcing the Allies to sue for peace. German forces managed to create a large salient in Allied lines (the "Bulge") before the attack was blunted and stopped, the Germans' objectives
215:, Roger Musson called the game "excellent fun." Although several other reviewers believed the game was unbalanced in favor of the Germans, Musson thought American defensive rules made up for German offense. He concluded that
80:
that uses a small map and relatively few counters to simulate the Battle of the Bulge. Victory conditions are checked at the end of each turn, and if either side has attained them, the game is immediately over.
59:
In
December 1944, Allied intelligence believed that German forces were close to collapse and were incapable of mounting an attack. However, German forces surprised the Allies with a major offensive through the
127:
German
Victory number on the Game Turn Track, then the German player immediately wins the game. If the number is less than the American Victory number, then the American player immediately wins the game.
219:
was perfect for gamers looking for a break from large ("monster") games, saying it was "quick-acting, and playable in around two hours or so. An excellent antidote to
Monster indigestion."
189:
After the demise of SPI, several companies acquired the rights to the game. Decision Games published a revised edition designed by Ty Bomba, first released in Issue 3 of
226:, Roger Gibson thought the Combat Result Table was unbalanced in favor of the Germans. Nonetheless, he concluded that "For a quick bout of major-generalship,
507:
502:
153:'s fourth game about the Battle of the Bulge, and the sixth "Bulge" game published by SPI. This version with graphic design by
302:
171:
118:
Each Game Turn represents 24 hours. The rules come with a series of linked scenarios that simulate each phase of the battle.
512:
40:
467:
327:
211:
441:
257:
158:
77:
161:, it differed substantially in both look and play from its much larger and longer predecessors.
271:
482:
8:
154:
48:
249:
31:, subtitled "The Battle for the Ardennes, 16 Dec '44–2 Jan '45", and also published as
130:
If the game ends after Turn 18 without a winner, then the battle ends in a stalemate.
298:
371:
235:
184:
The Big Red One: The Game of the First
Infantry Division at the Battle of the Bulge
33:
The Big Red One: The Game of the First
Infantry Division at the Battle of the Bulge
417:
178:
to the end of the war. SPI acquired a game license for a movie tie-in, repackaged
166:
133:
389:
197:
in 2021. Kokusai-Tsushin Co. (国際通信社) published a
Japanese language edition of
18:
496:
36:
393:
342:
150:
44:
325:
Gibson, Roger (September–October 1981). "The First &... The Last?".
194:
94:
61:
465:
Musson, Roger (July–August 1980). "From the Neva to the Meuse".
170:
was released later the same year, portraying the story of the
175:
147:
Bulge: The Battle for the
Ardennes, 16 Dec '44–2 Jan '45
157:
was published in
January 1980. As a relatively short
369:
Bloodgood, Claude (August–September 1980). "Bulge".
494:
230:is a good, fast simulation and very enjoyable."
47:German offensive in December 1944 known as the
193:magazine in 2008, and then re-released as a
320:
318:
316:
314:
388:
368:
364:
362:
458:
311:
182:with new cover art, and re-issued it as
132:
22:Original cover of edition titled "Bulge"
17:
495:
464:
384:
382:
359:
324:
292:
141:
121:
97:map scaled at 200 yd (183 m) per hext
442:"Bulge: The Battle for the Ardennes"
410:
379:
295:Ardennes 1944: Hitler's Last Gamble
13:
434:
137:Cover of "The Big Red One" edition
14:
524:
100:100 double-sided die-cut counters
43:(SPI) in 1980 that simulates the
508:Wargames introduced in the 1980s
242:
503:Simulations Publications games
475:
335:
331:. No. 34. pp. 28–29.
286:
68:
1:
279:
84:
54:
41:Simulations Publications Inc.
204:
7:
513:World War II board wargames
113:
10:
529:
471:. No. 26. p. 23.
375:. No. 52. p. 36.
293:Beevor, Antony (2015).
172:First Infantry Division
89:The game box contains:
138:
109:Player reference sheet
23:
136:
21:
250:Fire & Movement
155:Redmond A. Simonsen
142:Publication history
103:8-page rule booklet
49:Battle of the Bulge
483:"Casus Belli #005"
418:"The Bulge (2008)"
297:. London: Viking.
186:in November 1980.
149:was game designer
139:
122:Victory conditions
24:
446:boardgamegeek.com
422:boardgamegeek.com
304:978-0-670-91864-5
520:
487:
486:
479:
473:
472:
462:
456:
455:
453:
452:
438:
432:
431:
429:
428:
414:
408:
407:
405:
404:
394:"SPI Games: A-B"
386:
377:
376:
366:
357:
356:
354:
353:
339:
333:
332:
322:
309:
308:
290:
106:Game Turn record
93:11" x 17" paper
76:is a two-player
528:
527:
523:
522:
521:
519:
518:
517:
493:
492:
491:
490:
481:
480:
476:
463:
459:
450:
448:
440:
439:
435:
426:
424:
416:
415:
411:
402:
400:
390:Costikyan, Greg
387:
380:
367:
360:
351:
349:
341:
340:
336:
323:
312:
305:
291:
287:
282:
245:
233:In Issue 52 of
222:In Issue 34 of
209:In Issue 26 of
207:
167:The Big Red One
144:
124:
116:
87:
71:
57:
12:
11:
5:
526:
516:
515:
510:
505:
489:
488:
474:
457:
433:
409:
378:
358:
334:
310:
303:
284:
283:
281:
278:
277:
276:
268:
262:
254:
244:
241:
206:
203:
143:
140:
123:
120:
115:
112:
111:
110:
107:
104:
101:
98:
86:
83:
70:
67:
56:
53:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
525:
514:
511:
509:
506:
504:
501:
500:
498:
484:
478:
470:
469:
461:
447:
443:
437:
423:
419:
413:
399:
395:
391:
385:
383:
374:
373:
365:
363:
348:
344:
338:
330:
329:
321:
319:
317:
315:
306:
300:
296:
289:
285:
274:
273:
269:
266:
263:
260:
259:
255:
253:#22 & #65
252:
251:
247:
246:
243:Other reviews
240:
238:
237:
231:
229:
225:
220:
218:
214:
213:
202:
200:
196:
192:
187:
185:
181:
177:
173:
169:
168:
162:
160:
156:
152:
148:
135:
131:
128:
119:
108:
105:
102:
99:
96:
92:
91:
90:
82:
79:
75:
66:
65:unfulfilled.
63:
52:
50:
46:
42:
39:published by
38:
37:board wargame
34:
30:
29:
20:
16:
477:
466:
460:
449:. Retrieved
445:
436:
425:. Retrieved
421:
412:
401:. Retrieved
397:
370:
350:. Retrieved
347:Dalzol Games
346:
337:
326:
294:
288:
270:
264:
258:The Wargamer
256:
248:
234:
232:
227:
223:
221:
216:
210:
208:
198:
191:World at War
190:
188:
183:
179:
165:
163:
151:Jim Dunnigan
146:
145:
129:
125:
117:
88:
73:
72:
58:
45:World War II
32:
27:
26:
25:
15:
272:Casus Belli
69:Description
497:Categories
451:2022-01-08
427:2022-01-07
403:2022-01-07
398:costik.com
352:2022-01-07
280:References
164:The movie
85:Components
55:Background
261:Vol.2 #17
205:Reception
201:in 2016.
199:The Bulge
195:boxed set
159:microgame
78:microgame
392:(1997).
265:Campaign
114:Gameplay
95:hex grid
62:Ardennes
485:. 1981.
468:Phoenix
343:"Bulge"
328:Phoenix
224:Phoenix
212:Phoenix
35:, is a
301:
372:Moves
236:Moves
228:Bulge
217:Bulge
180:Bulge
176:D-Day
174:from
74:Bulge
28:Bulge
299:ISBN
267:#99
499::
444:.
420:.
396:.
381:^
361:^
345:.
313:^
275:#5
51:.
454:.
430:.
406:.
355:.
307:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
