Diplomacy
- 2 to 7 player game
- 360 minutes to play
- The Classic Game of Intrigue, Trust, and Treachery
- Strategy board game
- European political theme
Product Description
At the turn of the 20th century, prior to World War I, the seven Great European Powers engage in an intricate struggle for supremacy. Military forces invade and withdraw, shifting borders and altering empires with subtle maneuvers and daring gambits. Alliances are formed and trust is betrayed as players negotiate and outwit one another in a delicate balance of cooperation and competition to gain dominance of the continent. Diplomacy challenges players to rely on the… More >>
I’m already a huge fan of strategy war games like Risk, and computer strategy games like Age of Empires. But Diplomacy is a lot different from Risk, since it has no random factor in it (dice) that makes it possible for someone to win just by being really lucky. It is based entirely on negotiations and strategy. Games can go for pretty long, but that’s to be expected in any war board game. Also, it can be played with 2-7 players, but with this game it’s definitely best to use 7, because the countries are set up historically, rather than being randomly placed like Risk. Some people don’t like it because it’s a lot of backstabbing your friends, but as long as you make sure it’s nothing personal, the game is a lot of fun.
Rating: 5 / 5
Diplomacy is an awesome game, hands down! The game is designed for 7 players and it is playable but not as fun with 5 players and any less makes the game somewhat stale. Up until I bought my own copy of Diplomacy (which is what I am reviewing), my friends and I would play the 1961 version.
I make that last point because there are some serious differences between the two. While the rules remain fundamentally the same, this version comes with (durable) cardboard pieces. Like the 1961 version, squares represent armies and rectangles represent navies. While I like that this version’s pieces have both a solid colored side and a graphic side, the army graphic is an artillery unit which I thought was not appropriate to represent an army (how about an Infantryman?); however the navy graphic was fine. I disliked that the pieces in general were cardboard as the ‘61 version had painted wooden pieces. As my personal opinion, I always thought the wood pieces created a novel depth (conjure here images of pre-digital war boards and maps with commanders pushing blocks around a map). The cardboard pieces are also susceptible to water damage (although both version’s boards are too).
Another complaint I have with this version is that there is no container to easily separate nation’s pieces by color. Something like that would have been a nice extra, although cannot be expected.
There were I found ample enough minimaps to use. They come on bound by that sticky-rip off stuff, like a paper note pad. While at least a couple dozen come with the game, if frequently played they will run out! I’d suggest either scanning the map and keeping a digital copy, going to staples or an office store and enlarging & laminating a few maps, or both (which I did, the lamination is cool because now I can use dry erase markers to make battle plans, etc).
Although I may have some complaints about the product, this game has given me dozens of excellent, wonderful memories with my friends and although I play with the same group, every game is different. Diplomacy is a wonderful game unto its own, simply to play although difficult to win!
Rating: 4 / 5
Give this gift to your favorite clever young person and watch them discover strategy. It is wonderful.
Rating: 5 / 5
This version is a far cry short of the wonderful wooden block editions of yesteryear, but an improvement on the plastic “star” shape designs. Sadly, in the age of free play-by-email Diplomacy communities that ease the burden of finding six other players and allow for leisurely, one week at a time turns, finding people willing to sit around a board for the better part of a day and night is a rarity. Still, this set is a very nice rendition of what may well be the best war game ever made – as attested by the many decades that people have been enjoying it. Purportedly, Kennedy even played this game, to give some context to the previous remark.
Rating: 5 / 5
This is perhaps the best game ever invented. Well, that is, if you are interested in history, geography intruige, human nature, diplomacy, and you have plenty of friends that like games and they all have a whole day to play the game.
Here’s the basic premis:
The game is set at the outset of WWI. There are seven major European powers (Great Britain, France, Germany, Austria-Hungary, Italy, Russia, and Turkey) involved in the conflict, and each country is respresented by a player. The game flows more smoothly if you happen to have an eighth player that is willing to serve as game-master. The game-master keeps time, helps interpret rules, helps keep the game moving along, and keeps things straight and in order.
The goal of the game is to acquire control of as many “supply centers” as possible. As a player’s country conquers supply centers they are able to add armies and navies to their military might.
Game play involves the following events:
1) Diplomacy – usually a 20-30 minute period where players meet privately with one another to try to make deals of mutual support, alliances, break alliances, etc.
2) Order-writing – when each player writes orders for every one of their armies and navies.
3) Resolution of orders – when all orders are made known, and all conflicts are resolved.
4) Addition or loss of armies and/or navies as mandated by the outcome of conflicts from the previous turn.
The game opens in 1914, and there are two turns per year (spring and fall). A game ends with the fall move of 1918. At that point all players still in the game count up their “supply centers” and the player with the most wins.
What you should know.
1) There are no cards, dice,or other elements of chance in this game, other than the BIGGEST element of chance there is – human nature! You never know when someone will live up to their agreements, support you when you need it, or makenew alliances and stab you in the back. It’s pretty brutal – like real life.
2) The game can be played with as few as two players, though it plays best with the complete seven-player game.
3) It takes hours and hours to play this game. A full game may take as long as 8 hours to play.
4) Not all “board game players” will be interested in this game, mostly because of it’s length, so you need either a gaming group/club or a large group of gaming friends to find enough players to try this game.
Anyway, I have been playing games, including Avalon Hill bookcase games, and more recent games like The Settlers of Catan and expansions, Agricola ZMG 7026, etc. And I still find this game to be top-notch, even after more than 30 years…now if only I could find six more people who would be willing to play (and a full day for game play!)
Even with those challenges, this game remains a 5-star event.
Rating: 5 / 5