- BGG rank
- BGG #2,763
- BGG rating
- 7.3
Days of Ire: Budapest 1956
- 1–4 players
- 60–90 min
- Complexity 2.8/5
- 2016
- BGG rank
- BGG #3,708
- BGG rating
- 7.4
Cruel Necessity: The English Civil Wars 1640-1653
2013
Rules assistance for Cruel Necessity: The English Civil Wars 1640-1653
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 1 player
- 60 min
- 13+
- Complexity 2.8/5
For 1 player
Rules assistant for Cruel Necessity: The English Civil Wars 1640-1653
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Cruel Necessity: The English Civil Wars 1640-1653 is a board game released in 2013 for 1 player, 60 minutes per game, and ages 13 and up. It was designed by John Welch and its main mechanics are Hand Management, Dice Rolling, and Point to Point Movement.
Similar games
- BGG rank
- BGG #660
- BGG rating
- 7.6
Labyrinth: The War on Terror, 2001 – ?
- 1–2 players
- 180 min
- Complexity 3.7/5
- 2010
- BGG rank
- BGG #561
- BGG rating
- 7.9
Here I Stand
- 2–6 players
- 180–900 min
- Complexity 4.2/5
- 2006
- BGG rank
- BGG #4,942
- BGG rating
- 6.9
Thirty Years War: Europe in Agony, 1618-1648
- 1–2 players
- 360 min
- Complexity 3.2/5
- 2001
- BGG rank
- BGG #5,420
- BGG rating
- 7.1
Soviet Dawn: The Russian Civil War, 1918-1921
- 1 player
- 25–60 min
- Complexity 1.7/5
- 2009
- BGG rank
- BGG #5,305
- BGG rating
- 7.3
Hapsburg Eclipse: The Great War in Eastern Europe 1914-1918
- 1 player
- 30 min
- Complexity 2.2/5
- 2014
- BGG rank
- BGG #4,659
- BGG rating
- 8.0
Hearts and Minds: Vietnam 1965-1975 (Third Edition)
- 1–2 players
- 45–360 min
- Complexity 3.0/5
- 2019
- BGG rank
- BGG #1,413
- BGG rating
- 8.6
Europa Universalis: The Price of Power
- 1–4 players
- 90–300 min
- Complexity 4.7/5
- 2023
- BGG rank
- BGG #1,229
- BGG rating
- 8.4
Here I Stand: 500th Anniversary Edition
- 2–6 players
- 180–360 min
- Complexity 4.6/5
- 2017
- BGG rank
- BGG #5,565
- BGG rating
- 8.0
Warfighter: The WWII Pacific Combat Card Game
- 1–6 players
- 45–240 min
- Complexity 3.1/5
- 2019
- BGG rank
- BGG #2,714
- BGG rating
- 7.8
Pericles: The Peloponnesian Wars
- 1–4 players
- 45–360 min
- Complexity 4.3/5
- 2017
- BGG rank
- BGG #1,690
- BGG rating
- 7.7
Heroes of Might and Magic III: The Board Game
- 1–3 players
- 90–120 min
- Complexity 3.5/5
- 2024
About the game
Cruel Necessity is solitaire game, suitable for group and classroom cooperative game play, tells the story of the English Civil Wars (1640-53) through its key events and decision points. You attempt to stop the advance of four armies bent on destroying Parliament and Puritanism, whom you represent; simply holding on to London is not enough. Each of the three English Civil Wars are replayed through the use of separate card decks that recreate the historical military and political events that could spell doom to the Parliamentarian forces. There are civil wars going on not just in England, but in Scotland and Ireland too; and each will have varying impact on the play of the game at different times. The title comes from the purported response to the beheading of King Charles by his implacable foe, Oliver Cromwell, who remarked that this act of regicide was a “cruel necessity.” Part of the States of Siege collection.
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- Victory Point Games
Questions and answers
Cruel Necessity: The English Civil Wars 1640-1653 supports 1 player according to the catalogue. This is the publisher’s listed player count, so the game is designed for exactly that number of participants. Variants for other group sizes, if any, are described in the rulebook of your edition, so check it before setting up a different configuration.
The listed playing time for Cruel Necessity: The English Civil Wars 1640-1653 is 60 minutes. This is the publisher’s estimate for a full game. The actual duration depends on the group, the player count and familiarity with the rules: first sessions usually run longer, while experienced groups often finish faster. Setup and teaching time are not included in this estimate.
The catalogue lists Cruel Necessity: The English Civil Wars 1640-1653 for ages 13 and up. This is the publisher’s recommendation and reflects reading demands, rule complexity and small components rather than theme alone. Younger players can often join with help from an adult, so check the age guidance on your edition and consider your group’s experience with board games.
Cruel Necessity: The English Civil Wars 1640-1653 has a complexity rating of 2.8 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-light game. The rating reflects how much rules knowledge, planning and decision-making a typical game demands. Expect a longer first teach for heavier games, and use a preparation guide before game night.
Cruel Necessity: The English Civil Wars 1640-1653 belongs to these categories: Wargame, Political, and Religious. Its main mechanics are Hand Management, Dice Rolling, and Point to Point Movement. Categories describe the theme and setting of a game, while mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you want something comparable.
The credited designers of Cruel Necessity: The English Civil Wars 1640-1653 are: John Welch. These credits come from the published game data and name the people responsible for the game’s design, not its illustrators or publishers. Designer pages on MeepleRules collect other titles by the same designers, which helps when you enjoy a game and want to find similar ones.
The catalogue lists Cruel Necessity: The English Civil Wars 1640-1653 as a base game. It can be played on its own with the components in the box and does not require any other title. Expansions, if any exist, add new content or rules on top of it and are listed separately in the catalogue with a link back to this base game.