Watch “Downfall - Designer Teach & Play with John Butterfield and Joe Dewhurst,” a how-to-play guide on BoardGameVideo.
Description provided by Homo Ludens on YouTube:
Dive into the strategic depths of WWII with us on Homo Ludens for a live playthrough of "Downfall: Conquest of the Third Reich" live stream. This episode features an insightful designer teach and play session with the legendary designer John Butterfield and Joe Dewhurst. Originally designed by the revered Chad Jensen, who sadly passed away in 2019, "Downfall" offers a nuanced two-player game experience where participants command the Western Allies and the Soviet Union, navigating the complex alliance aimed at defeating the Axis powers while vying for post-war supremacy.
Published by GMT Games in late 2023 and kindly provided for review, "Downfall" innovates with its initiative track, guiding gameplay through strategic decision-making rather than a set sequence. This ensures a dynamic and engaging session, full of tactical depth and historical intrigue.
Join us to learn directly from the game's current designers, exploring the strategic events, weather changes, and shifts in power that define this detailed simulation. Your participation in live chat enriches the experience, offering a chance to engage with board game history and strategy live.
To support our content and help us continue bringing these in-depth gaming sessions to you, consider donating to our Ko-Fi at https://ko-fi.com/homoludens1871
Your support is greatly appreciated and fuels future content.
Mainly unboxings and playthroughs. Downfall: Conquest of the Third Reich, 1942-1945 is covered on BoardGameVideo.com by 6 reviews, 5 how-to-play guides, 7 recorded sessions, 8 unboxings, and 2 other videos.
2 players
360 - 720 min
Medium weight: Teach it in one sitting
About Downfall: Conquest of the Third Reich, 1942-1945, from BoardGameGeek:
Downfall is a two-player game on the conquest of the Third Reich in World War II. One player controls the Western Allies and the other the Soviet Union in their joint effort to destroy the Axis. Though the two players share the goal of defeating the Reich, each seeks a victory that favors their dominance in post-war Europe. To this end, each player controls two factions:
The Western player commands the Western Allies faction and the OKH faction, that is the German and minor Axis armies battling the Soviet Union in the east (Oberkommando des Heeres).
The Soviet player commands the Soviet faction and the OKW faction, that is the German and Italian armies facing the Western allies in the west (Oberkommando der Wehrmacht).
Gameplay is driven by Downfall's innovative initiative track. The faction with the initiative chooses an order, pays its initiative cost by advancing their marker along the track, and performs the order. Then, the faction with the initiative (based on the updated positions of the markers) chooses the next order. There is no set sequence of play; initiative expenditures determine who goes next. The progress of faction markers along the track also trigger strategic events, changes in weather, and advancement of game turns.
-description from the publisher
![Downfall: Conquest of the Third Reich, 1942-1945 [Unboxing]](https://img.youtube.com/vi_webp/GStgenwmMDY/mqdefault.webp)
![Downfall [Playthrough - Turn 1]](https://img.youtube.com/vi_webp/lzY219aXcJQ/mqdefault.webp)
