Black Orchestra

With the success of a Kickstarter darling Secret Hitler, and it subsequently being mass distributed, you see that game all over the place. The problem being, I don't really see why the theme for that game is so great. The whole game seems to sell on shock value. I feel a little dirty on the inside any time I see the game played at a local game night. Who wants to win as Hitler? I once saw a rethemed copy of the game online called Secret Voldemort which blew my mind. That's what that game should of been as Voldemort never actually committed atrocities against humanity... I've lost topic and I apologize; First and foremost, Black Orchestra is great. Now, the subject matter, while historically accurate might be a bit too much for some, so be forewarned. The neat thing is that you really get invested in the play, you want to assassinate Hitler, and when you fail you feel that failure. Losing a game of Black Orchestra leaves you more bummed then any other board game I've played... and I've played more then anyone sane would like to admit. The game is a cooperative game in which the players work together to try to fight off the SS and ultimately successfully plot an assassination attempt on Hitler. The game clock is basically an event deck that draws out historical events that raise/lower Hitler's support(difficulty to attempt an assassination) and other random board effects(including increasing the player map as the game progresses and Germany takes over more of Europe). The players need to keep their suspicion low and their motivation high as they avoid Hitler, and other high ranking SS officers roaming the board, while they collect plots and other items that can improve their chance of succeeding in the mission. If their suspicion gets too high they are sent to SS headquarters causing their turn not only to be wasted but the player then has to draw from an interrogation which has multiple different results on each card(which are not read out loud causing an added bit of paranoia to the table.) Another neat feature of the game is it's use of dice. In every game you will have to roll dice for the assassination plot, but the number of dice, potential rerolls and success requirement can be mitigated so while it still comes down to chance you can tip the scale in your favor. It makes the plot attempts nerve racking and adds to the game suspense. The dice can optionally be used by a player on their turn for the Conspire action. In a normal turn all players get three actions and can choose what they do from a list of available actions(all are listed on the game board... actually the board is so well organized that you don't really need the instructions.) Once per turn you can Conspire which risks any amount of your actions on a dice roll, potentially turning an action into added suspicion(bad result) or up to three actions per dice(good result.) The thing that's neat is that you don't need to gamble. Some of my friends are against it and play the game almost refusing to do so, while other people enjoy the gamble, both ways are viable paths to victory. I'm sorry for the long review, and jumbled thought process, but as writing I keep remembering things I enjoy about this game. It's for sure a more adult themed game, and I'm not sure I'd bring it to public game nights(It can be on the long side, and the subject matter is not for everyone) but if you are someone who enjoys historical games, co-op games, difficult/tense games I'd add it to your cart and start shouting at your friend that they need to bring all their poison to Berlin.

This is a brilliant game. The subject matter is very interesting, especially (though not exclusively) for those of us who are history buffs, and is treated very well ... lots of historical detail, with respectful but straightforward treatment of the horrors involved -- a great educational tool. It's also a very well done package from a graphic design standpoint; everything from the board to the cards to the rules booklet is beautiful, elegant, and perfectly suited to the theme. But equally important, this is a very elegant game to play. The mechanisms are simple and easy to master, but allowing lots of room for strategizing and variability. The rules are printed right on the game board, and there's a simple cheat sheet for extra detail, with the result that we don't have to spend any game time looking through the rules booklet (though there is a nicely done rules booklet as well). Yes, there are dice at the center of the game, so it's got a big luck element, so if you hate luck in your games you probably won't go for this one ... but as someone else pointed out, that's pretty much what it was like for the real people fighting against Hitler; everything often turns on a bit of good or bad luck. And the push-your-luck mechanism of choosing when to roll the dice (it's called "conspiring" in the game, and you can do it a lot or a little, your choice), along with the various mitigations you can apply (cards that offer re-rolls or allow ignoring of one or more bad results and so on) really just add to the strategizing as you play. Whenever we sit down to play this one, we will be playing it multiple times in a row. And we love taking a picture of the board if we win, with the lovely "We Killed Hitler" victory card on display.

Great game for a group that likes a good medium weight game with a strong WW2 theme.

The mechanisms are fairly easy to learn and play. The game was a little slow to start, but got more exciting as we progressed. In the beginning it almost felt like there wasn’t much you could actually do, but as you improve each character the game gets more complex. We played with 4 people and it worked well. Everyone had their own role and ability to do what they wanted, no one person was really able to control the game. It mimics history with its functionality and characters as well, which we enjoyed!

This game is amazing. You can play it solo and it is very fun and intense but I will say it is better with more people. It only intensifies the suspense!! I love how you have so many different tactics at your disposal and your interaction with other players is vital to your success. There is a lot of strategy as well as the realistic "that didn't go as planned" that we deal with in life. There is luck involved with the dice rolls but again, that is life a lot of times too right? This game is a lot of fun and if you are a history buff, everything is very accurate and detailed. A I lot of thought and study when into this game. With that said, this game is not dry at all which is nice for people that may not even be into war games typically. There is a good balance of strategy, luck and action in this game. It's fun and I love the historic tone and going after one of the most infamous leaders of all time. But be aware, it will not be easy and critical planning is necessary. If you want to go "all Rambo" on the situation, that's up to you but I'm just gonna say this now..."There will be a price to pay." Great game, highly recommend!

Let me start this off and say that this is the first board game I have purchased. The game is a very intriguing concept and interested me from the start. The game pieces are very detailed (both physically and with how it is set up) and grounded. The initial game is slow as it takes awhile to figure out how to play (even with How To videos found on the Internet) but once you get the hang of it, it is very fun. First time I played, I was playing with my father and we attempted to kill Hitler 8 times. All 8 times were failed attempts so we threw in the towel because we were at 2+ hours of playing (granted, it was our first game but I digress). The second time was a lot more streamlined and successfully killed him with Poison Gas. The game mechanics are ever evolving and players must "beat the clock" as in each stage is surrounding/leading up to a major WWII event so players need to kill Hitler before Round 7 which is the end of the war. Overall, this is a fantastic game and worth the purchase.

A thematic game that delivers fun, tension and all the highs and lows you want in a historical board game! Not overly complex but winning is certainly not a given! Quality is fantastic! Id recommend getting the conspirator card expansions (if available) as it adds some extra capabilities. The seller was quick and I'd purchase from them again.

Have you ever wondered what being a spy in WWII Germany may be like? Are you someone who likes learning about the progression of German forces through Europe as they tried to dominate the 20th century? Do you really have a burning desire to kill Hitler? Well, you're in luck! Black Orchestra has all of those things and more. It's easy to pick up and learn. This strategic game packs tension into every round as you dodge Hitler and his lieutenants and plot the Führer's demise. Good for solo play, but better with friends, this game is a good way to burn an hour or two. The instructions are clear, the setup is quick and the footprint is not much larger than Candyland. I recommend this game unless you are one that needs to win everything. This is a highly variable game where everyone losing is not only a possibility, but commonplace. That however makes the taste of victory all the more sweet when your plot comes to fruition. I suggest you try this game. Do the world a favor and show Hitler who's boss.