Osprey Undaunted: Normandy, youth large / 11-13

While Undaunted might not look as impressive as other war boardgames with their armies of plastic models, this rather unassuming card and cardboard game fits very competent and complex game in its small box. Everything revolves around cards, as the 4 you draw each round dictate the actions you can perform that round and the units that can perform them. Getting shot removes cards from your deck and reduces the chances of that unit acting. Buying more cards for your deck may make a unit stronger, but also bloats your deck. Undaunted is a beautiful balancing act, that plays out over more than a dozen missions between two players. I recommend this as your starting point, but know that there are expansions awaiting.

A super clean and deceptively strategic war-game, Undaunted: Normandy is a top-notch two player game. Pitting Germans vs Americans in a dozen different WW2 scenarios with varying goals, you can easily play through as one side, then switch and play through all 12 scenarios again with quite a different experience. The game can be learned in about 10 minutes. You’ll setup map tiles according to the scenario book, then give each side their starting area and units. This won’t be the same for each side which is where the variety comes in. However all the units function the same on each side which makes it easy to tell the state of the board at a glance, or what everyone’s soldiers or snipers do. Area control is usually the name of the game in most scenarios, but some have fun objectives such as the germans having to kill all the american rifleman to win, while the americans have to capture a control point at the far side of an open field. I found the game to be tense and balanced so far in every scenario. We’ve taken turns winning across various maps and each one came down to a final turn or action before the other could or would have won. While there is dice rolling involved for attacking, all other actions simply take place without dice or interference. This is probably my only knock on the game, as being a victim of bad rolls can simply lose you the game, such as failing to kill a soldier 5 times in a row. However this is simultaneously thematic, as war is hectic. Thematically the game feels amazing and just plays really smoothly and organically. Everything makes sense and my buddy and I love the flow of deck, hand, discard and supply. He said “Playing this round was both depressing and exciting, just like war itself.” I’ve been playing much bigger or longer games that take 2-4 hours per session, but wanted something more accessible. We are usually done Normandy in an hour including setup and teardown for one scenario. Love it!

I love wargames. Combat Commander and Heroes of Normandie are my piece of cake . But they are not for everyone . Undaunted Normandy is for an broader audience, indeed. ( + ) - The art is so great - The rules are easy to grasp - The components are sturdy and excellent quality - The gameplay is fast - The strategic has good depth - 12 scenarios - I Can preview expansions coming. Great ! ( - ) - The roll of dice can be frustrating sometimes but the game is not about destroying units but to preview maneuvers and outthink your opponent - Doesn’t have many units types ( expansions needed in a near future Overall it’s a great game . Easy to understand. Provides good tension and a not lengthy game session. Your soldiers have a name so you can remember the ones who had their finest hour . Really liked the game ! Can’t recommend enough.

I waited a long to play it, when it arrived it was damaged, at least the components are in good condition, it has a long set-up but worth the play time and joy

I'm a big WW II squad level wargame fan, and I'm always looking for the perfect game that's a good simulation, but not too chit or rules heavy. I honestly didn't expect much from Undaunted: Normandy when I first noticed it, but after watching a couple of reviews, I was intrigued, so I bought a copy. Right off the bat, this is obviously not a title heavy on simulation, nor is it intended to be. What it is, is a WW II themed deckbuilding game that manages to abstract traditional wargame elements into a tremendously enjoyable, low complexity gaming experience that creates a narrative every bit a satisfying and thematic as other more complex traditional hex and counter games. I highly recommend Undaunted: Normandy for younger, or less experienced gamers with an interest in getting into WW II gaming. It would also be excellent for experienced Grognards that are looking for a light but satisfying quickie, something portable to play down the pub, or need a simple game to draw in unsuspecting future wargamers.

My favorite game currently. I play some great games: dungeons and dragons, star realms, hero realms, X-Wing 2.0, imperial assault, etc. This is a fantastic deck building game with a high quality tactical map made up of interchangeable tiles. The wwii theme is very strong, down to names for each soldier. My son and i have been playing every chance we get. Even my wife and daughter have played with me. Simple enough to learn, but very tactical and deep within the gameplay. My favorite game right now for good reason.

This is as good as you've heard. An outstanding game that combines deck building (think Dominion) with order planning (think Memoir 44 or Command & Colors) in the context of very small scale WWII tactical fighting (think Squad Leader or Combat Commander). There is a lot of thinking that goes into each turn. The game rewards planning, reacting and adapting. The turns are so quick that you are never idle. If you find yourself in a pure dice rolling contest then you probably did something wrong. We came to this after playing a lot of M44, which helped a little. But I would have no hesitation of recommending this if it were your first wargame. Can't recommend this one more highly. And so looking forward to the upcoming expansion.

This game is very fun and I enjoy playing it. The missions are fair and the troops all have good abilities. The game is very well made and I can't wait to get some of the expansions.