The Hunt for Red October is two games in one, a game of subterfuge where Marko Ramius attempts to outfox the entire Soviet Navy using a variety of tricks. In a second scenario the might of the Red fleet is pit against the combined NATO forces in the ‘cold war gone hot’. In each scenario the location of submarines is a precious resource, a secret that must be guarded so that at the right moment you may slip away to safety or strike your enemies from the deep!
Based upon mechanics designed by Origins-awards winner Alessio Cavatore (Warhammer, Bolt Action, Lord of the Rings Strategy Battle Game, Terminator Genisys the miniatures game, etc.) The Hunt for Red October uses double sided POSSUB (possible submarine) tokens to allow players to keep the location of their submarines hidden. Players will need to use ASW (anti submarine warfare) technology and tactics to determine the location of their enemies’ subs whilst outmanoeuvring their fleet in order to win. Check out the video below for a short run through of a turn!
THE WAR
In the wargame scenario, each player plays as either the Red Fleet or combined NATO forces trying to win by scoring 40 points that represent their superpower’s strategic advantage over the other side. Points are scored in two ways, either by destroying enemy units or by moving your SSBNs (Ballistic missile submarines) into first strike positions. The position of both SSBNs and attack subs is a valuable resource that is kept secret through the use of POSSUB tokens, when moving your subs you can place these tokens down to mask your movements and your intentions.
When you have moved your navy into the perfect strike position you can flip the scan and fire token to blast your opponent to the bottom of the sea, be warned however that your opponent will be looking to do the same and he who fires first can be at a huge advantage.
The War scenario lets players recreate that ‘what if’, throwing NATO against the Soviet Navy and seeing whether one side can secure victory before nuclear war is declared and the whole world loses.
STATS
Approximate Playtime: 60-120 minutes
Suggested age: 14+
Number of players: 2
Genre: strategy
Although of course there are risks and challenges to any new endeavour, the foreseeable obstacles on this project are small. We have run several successful crowd funding campaigns before, delivering on time, and are confident that we will be able to deliver this exciting new game on time and with a high production standard.