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SoloPlay TwilightStruggle (PDF) v1
SoloPlay TwilightStruggle (PDF) v1
SoloPlay Rules
Original game design by Ananda Gupta and Jason Matthews 2005
Additional rules 2011/2012 SoloPlayTM (BGG User: GameRulesforOne)
Introduction: Twilight Struggle is a game designed for 2 experienced gamers. Every effort has been made in the
development of this variant to give a solo player an experience similar to playing a face to face game. Extensive play testing
has been performed to try and balance all elements of play that are present in the game. To compensate for the lack of
direct competition, additional mechanics have been added such as a modified card drafting process that will occur at the
beginning of each turn. It was the goal of the designer to give the AI player “your” play style which will be dictated by the
cards that you provide the AI to use against you. In this way you will be playing against your toughest opponent, yourself.
Setup:
1. Find a comfortable place to be able to play. Once experienced with this variant, it will take 3-4 hours to play out a
game that goes the distance, longer if you are apt to ponder deeply.
2. Choose a side to play. Your opponent will be referred to as the AI.
3. Preparing the cards:
a. Place the China card in the USSR control (faceup)
b. Remove all scoring cards (3 (early) and 4 (mid) war). These cards will remain in their own stack and serve
an important purpose in the game beyond indicating scoring.
c. Retrieve the early war cards, shuffle and place facedown near the game board.
4. Layout the game board and the starting components:
a. Setup all game tokens in their proper positions on the game board (Defcon, turn, VP, standard influence
token setup noted on the board etc.).
b. Perform a variable influence placement by retrieving and rolling the 2 dice and placing the noted amount
of influence markers on the game board in the country sequence as follows:
i. The smaller number rolled is the amount of influence placed in Poland for the USSR player (not
Variable Starting to exceed 4) and either 4 on a low roll of 4, 5 or 6 in West Germany, 3 on a low roll of 3 in France
Position:
The lowest die of the 2
or 2 on a low roll of 2 in Italy for the US.
rolled determines where ii. Place 1 (additional) influence in each of the following countries, in order, until all remaining setup
the initial influence will influence has been placed: the USSR/US place an additional 6/7 influence during the game setup
be placed at game start.
above what is marked on the game board which includes the low roll amount already placed.
1. USSR: Finland, Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia, Austria and Bulgaria.
2. US: France and/or Italy (if one/both has no influence), Spain, Greece, Denmark, Benelux
and Sweden (only on a low roll of 1). Note: West Germany will have no influence at
game start unless a low roll of 4+ occurs.
a. Therefore if a 1/1 was rolled there will be 1 influence in 6/7 countries if playing
the USSR/US respectively. If the lowest # rolled was a 4 or higher, the USSR will
add 4 to Poland and 1 each to Finland and Czechoslovakia. The US will have 4
in West Germany and 1 each in France, Italy and Spain.
c. Place all remaining game components nearby for easy access when needed.
4. Optional Skill Level Adjustment: To increase the challenge of this variant you can adjust the starting VP position
for the side you are playing: Give = start the VP marker on the AI side of zero.
a. Give 2 VPs: Experienced
b. Give 4 VPs: Challenging
c. Give 7 VPs: Expert
Late War:
• Aldrich Ames: Headline or non-scoring round (If you are affected, expose your hand, discard your highest OP card that is
solely your event, if none, choose the highest OP shared event card (not the China card). Then you must sequence your
hand in descending OP order (top to bottom) AI only cards, then combining shared/your events but in increasing OP order.
You as the US player must play the cards in sequence and will not "draw 2 cards and select" for the remainder of the turn.)
• An Evil Empire: Headline / any round (only used to achieve victory)
• Chernobyl: Headline (effect is delayed until the first scoring round and protects the region) / scoring round (protects the
scoring region only if the AI is leading in the region)
• Glasnost: Headline / any other round (only if "The Reformer" is in effect or the 2 VP will gain victory)
• Iran-Contra Scandal: Event never activated, play for OPs only. If drawn in Headline phase, redraw.
• Iran-Iraq War: Headline (modifier of 0 or -1) or non-scoring round (modifier of 0 or -1 only to possibly achieve victory)
Attack the direction that favors the AI or Iran, otherwise.
• Iranian Hostage Crisis: Headline or non-scoring round (if USSR does not control Iran)
• Latin America Debt Crisis: Headline or non scoring round (If you are affected, the 3+ card must be in the 2 cards drawn or
the “other” card playing on your phasing turn, otherwise the event happens.)
• Marine Barracks: Headline or Middle East scoring or non-scoring round (Activated only if US has influence in Lebanon and
control can be eliminated or control can be gained in 1+ countries.) Redraw if needed during headline phase.
• North Sea Oil: Event never activated, play for OPs only. If drawn in Headline phase, redraw.
• Ortega Elected in Nicaragua: Headline or Central America scoring or non-scoring round (Activated only if the US has
influence in Nicaragua and neighboring country with influence.) Redraw if needed during headline phase.
• Pershing II Deployed: Headline / Europe scoring (if influence removal affects scoring or VP achieves victory) / non-scoring
round (if VP achieves victory)
• Reagan Bombs Libya: Headline or non-scoring round (activated only if USSR has influence in Libya. If you as the USSR has
3+ influence in Libya the AI will activate the event and gain 2 VP instead of 1. If no USSR influence in Libya and the event is
headlined, another card is drawn meeting the headline requirements.
• Solidarity: Headline or Europe scoring or non-scoring round
• Soviets Shoot Down KAL 007: Headline or Asia scoring round or non-scoring round (May not be played if DefCon is at 2. If
AI forced to play when DefCon is 2, only the VPs are applied. The AI playing the USSR cannot cause thermonuclear war by
using the event.)
• Star Wars: Headline or scoring round (if leading in the primary region) Look for a 3+ US event to execute choosing the first
one you come across.
• Tear Down this Wall: Headline or Europe scoring or non-scoring round (used only gain or break control of East Germany)
Redraw if needed during headline phase.
• Terrorism: Headline / non-scoring round (if "Iranian Hostage Crisis" is active) / scoring round (if OPs have no effect)
• The Iron Lady: Headline (playable if 2+ influence can be removed from U.K. and/or US has Argentinean control that is not
lost by the addition of the influence) / any round (only if the VP gains US victory)
• The Reformer: Headline or Europe scoring or non-scoring round or any other scoring round (if OPs does not make a
difference in the scoring round.)
• War Games: Headline or any round (only to achieve victory)
Optional:
• AWACs Sale to Saudis: Headline or Middle East scoring or non-scoring round (only if US does not control Saudi Arabia)
Redraw if needed during the headline phase.
• Che: Headline or Central America scoring or non-scoring round (lowest stability BG and then non-BG country chosen first
which must have a 1 or 2 stabilization number. If successful, repeat. Choose the scoring region or a region that has yet to
be seen first, if applicable.)
• NORAD: Headline or non-scoring round (Place influence in a BG country that affects control first before considering other
BG countries (early war regions during early war and weakest region thereafter))
Final Comments:
It is not possible to cover all possible scenarios that might occur using these rules. It is important that the decisions made
by the AI are consistent and provide a logical and methodical way to spread its influence about the world. This is most
important when it comes to deciding whether an event is going to provide a better impact elsewhere than playing influence
in the primary region. Due to the balancing mechanics that are in these rules it is suggested that you stay as close as
possible to the methodology discussed when choosing the action to perform.