WW1 grand strategy game The Lamps Are Going Out redeploys in a second edition
Reignite history.
A second edition of grand strategy title The Lamps Are Going Out: WW1 has launched via a Kickstarter campaign, promising a new pass at the rules, additional cards and improvements to the systems underpinning the global conflict that plays out on its board.
Publisher Compass Games will be handling this fresh edition of designer Kirk Uhlmann’s First World War adaptation for two to four players (If you're also interested in World War 2 board games, we have you covered). Teams are split between the two alliances: the Triple Entente of Great Britain, the US and Russia against the Central Powers comprising Germany and its Central Allies. Involved sessions of four players can take five hours to reach their bitter end.
Like any grand strategy game worth its salt, The Lamps Are Going Out provides plenty of troop movement, upkeep costs, tactical use of limited resources and historically-based events that play out during each round. Players will take turns moving a limited number of units, engaging in conflicts across a number of fronts and producing resources critical to resupplying their forces across Europe.
Skirmishes often occur in trenches using a combat system the publisher describes as “simple, but yielding tremendous excitement” that doesn’t get bogged down even when armies are spread throughout different global arenas. A pair of d6 and double-sided tokens represent varying states of preparedness, with additional tokens representing weather, enhanced battlements and other modifications. Assaulting one area is dangerous enough, but sustaining a drive through multiple regions will require planning and heavy use of supplies.
Returning players can look forward to more event cards that address the political and social side of the war, streamlined rules throughout addressing common criticisms of the 2016 edition, and a mounted map for a better physical representation of war conditions on the tabletop.
Compass Games has published a number of popular grand strategy games, including The Russian Campaign (first released in 1974) and Enemy Action: Ardennes, a card-based wargame focusing on one particular military campaign.
The Kickstarter campaign for The Lamps are Going Out 2nd Edition will run through March 15th, and backers can pick up a box for $64 (£46). Shipping is expected to begin in May of this year.