Siege of Leningrad
Siege of Leningrad: Solitaire WW2 Logistics Game is a simple simulation covering the historical 900 day siege of Leningrad by the Germans in World War II. Its purpose of this game-within-a-book is to show the logistical dynamics¸ characteristics¸ and interactions of the original siege¸ allowing one to see events unfold in a realistic manner¸ and thus¸ to understand them better. The Siege of Leningrad game system replicates the siege¸ with the gamer watching events unfold towards either capitulation or steely resolve as the city moves forth towards its destiny. Siege of Leningrad is a solitaire game that examines the siege from an economic and resources perspective¸ from the Soviet point of view. Originally designed to be a "logistics module"¸ it was published as a complete game¸ but with military action abstracted out of the main me-chanics. It in essence boils the entire 900-day siege (in three-day turns) down to its most basic parts¸ with separate indices tracking the city's food supply¸ its defensive capabilities¸ the health of the general population¸ and the important but less tangible "morale" of the city. Historical offensives and battles are presumed to be taking place all the while during the 300 turn game¸ but are not simulated separately. The game is presented as an overview of the siege and its difficulties for the populace as well as the government and infrastructure caught inside. It proposes a "balancing act" of sharing resources between the various needs¸ while keeping an ever present eye on the fragile "social fabric" of the city that needs to remain strong for as long as possible if Leningrad is to survive. Strategy is involved with deciding how to spend your resources. This 62-page illustrated book also includes a brief historical introduction¸ all game components necessary for play¸ and designer's notes. Designed by Gary Graber. Published by Minden Games¸ as Minden Classics Vol. 1¸ and now available in PDF format¸ published in 2020.