2025Keith Tracton
- Videos
- 15
- Creators
- 8
1 - 2 players60 - 120 minMedium weight

2019Matt Lohse, Keith Tracton
Mainly playthroughs. World At War 85: Storming the Gap is covered on BoardGameVideo.com by 6 reviews, 15 how-to-play guides, 46 recorded sessions, 9 unboxings, and 3 other videos.
From BoardGameGeek
The commander of the West German 15th Panzer Brigade held the headphones away from his ears, protecting them from the voice of his border battalion commander, the man's voice rambling and emanating out of them at high volume. “There are Soviet tanks pouring across the border south of us heading for the Fulda crossings, our Intel section says it must be the 79th Guards Tank Division….so many…we are pulling our right flank back already, the American 11th Armored Cavalry over there will have to take care of themselves, but we need artillery…and Air, yes Air….NOW!” “Calm down, Otto, Air is on the way, and the guns are firing now. Tell me how many tanks you see.” “How many??...” There was a momentary pause. Through the headphones, he heard the battalion commander's breath sigh out. Then his voice came through again, only, this time, it was sad, resigned, almost normal. “All of them.” STORMING THE GAP is the first volume in the World At War 85 series of games of fast and furious platoon-level combat. Set in 1985, in an alternate history of World War III, when the Warsaw Pact armies storm across the border of East Germany in a powerful attempt to seize West Germany and the whole of Free Europe. The World At War 85 system features a unique combat system that involves die rolls by both attacking units and defending units. Die rolls are compared and hits are applied quickly, as all the information you need to fight your units is on the counters. No combat results table is necessary. The initiative, formation activation, random turn length, close air support and air cover are all integrated.
World At War 85: Storming the Gap has 79 videos from 20 creators: 6 reviews, 15 how-to-play guides, 46 playthroughs, 9 unboxings and 3 other videos. They date from 2018 to September 2025.
To learn the rules, start with "World at War 85 -- The Drive on Giessen" by The Oaken Knight, which runs 17 min.
For an opinion before you buy, start with "5 Minute Review World at War 85" by TheGimpyGamer. 5 creators have reviewed it. To see it played, watch "World at War 85 - Storming the Gap - Battle Report 001 - A Matter of Bridges" by Mark Faircloth, one of 46 playthroughs.
If you like it, try Nations At War: Compendium Vol 1, also by Matt Lohse, or World At War 85: Blood and Fury, also by Keith Tracton, or Kernstown and Battles of Napoleon: Volume I – EYLAU 1807, which share several of its mechanics.
8 of 20
2025Keith Tracton
1 - 2 players60 - 120 minMedium weight
2017Sean Druelinger, Matt Lohse
2 players60 - 120 min
2019Claude Whalen
1 - 2 players120 - 480 minHeavy weight
2024Uwe Walentin
2 players180 - 720 minHeavy weight
From BoardGameGeek:
The commander of the West German 15th Panzer Brigade held the headphones away from his ears, protecting them from the voice of his border battalion commander, the man's voice rambling and emanating out of them at high volume. “There are Soviet tanks pouring across the border south of us heading for the Fulda crossings, our Intel section says it must be the 79th Guards Tank Division….so many…we are pulling our right flank back already, the American 11th Armored Cavalry over there will have to take care of themselves, but we need artillery…and Air, yes Air….NOW!” “Calm down, Otto, Air is on the way, and the guns are firing now. Tell me how many tanks you see.” “How many??...” There was a momentary pause. Through the headphones, he heard the battalion commander's breath sigh out. Then his voice came through again, only, this time, it was sad, resigned, almost normal. “All of them.” STORMING THE GAP is the first volume in the World At War 85 series of games of fast and furious platoon-level combat. Set in 1985, in an alternate history of World War III, when the Warsaw Pact armies storm across the border of East Germany in a powerful attempt to seize West Germany and the whole of Free Europe. The World At War 85 system features a unique combat system that involves die rolls by both attacking units and defending units. Die rolls are compared and hits are applied quickly, as all the information you need to fight your units is on the counters. No combat results table is necessary. The initiative, formation activation, random turn length, close air support and air cover are all integrated.
Designers
Matt Lohse, Keith Tracton
Artist
Marc von Martial
Publisher
Lock 'n Load Publishing, LLC.
Categories
Mechanics