- BGG rank
- BGG #15,824
- BGG rating
- 6.4
Nicaragua!: Revolution in Central America
- 2 players
- 180 min
- Complexity 2.7/5
- 1988
- BGG rank
- BGG #16,122
- BGG rating
- 7.0
Fail Safe: Strategic Nuclear Warfare in the Cold War
2013
Rules assistance for Fail Safe: Strategic Nuclear Warfare in the Cold War
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2 players
- 90 min
- Complexity 2.6/5
Rules assistant for Fail Safe: Strategic Nuclear Warfare in the Cold War
For 2 players
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Fail Safe: Strategic Nuclear Warfare in the Cold War is a board game released in 2013 for 2 players and 90 minutes per game. It was designed by Joseph Miranda and its main mechanics are Area Movement.
Similar games
- BGG rank
- BGG #22,992
- BGG rating
- 6.6
Crisis 2020
- 2 players
- 90 min
- Complexity 1.9/5
- 2007
- BGG rank
- BGG #26,154
- BGG rating
- 5.7
Crisis: 2000
- 2 players
- 60 min
- Complexity 2.1/5
- 1994
- BGG rank
- BGG #13,092
- BGG rating
- 7.3
Russian Civil War 1918-1922 (Second Edition)
- 1–6 players
- 240 min
- Complexity 2.9/5
- 2011
- BGG rank
- BGG #21,482
- BGG rating
- 6.7
Mare Nostrum: War in the Mediterranean
- 2–3 players
- 360–600 min
- Complexity 3.5/5
- 2015
- BGG rank
- BGG #21,738
- BGG rating
- 6.7
Norway 1940
- 2 players
- Complexity 2.4/5
- 2013
- BGG rank
- BGG #23,925
- BGG rating
- 6.1
The Ottomans: Rise of the Turkish Empire, 1453-1571
- 2–4 players
- 180 min
- Complexity 2.7/5
- 2004
- BGG rank
- BGG #24,111
- BGG rating
- 5.8
30 Years War
- 2–4 players
- 120 min
- Complexity 2.8/5
- 1995
- BGG rank
- BGG #24,889
- BGG rating
- 5.8
The Hundred Years War
- 2 players
- 180 min
- Complexity 3.3/5
- 1995
- BGG rank
- BGG #25,226
- BGG rating
- 5.9
The South Seas Campaign, 1942-43
- 1–2 players
- 240 min
- Complexity 2.4/5
- 2011
- BGG rank
- BGG #13,103
- BGG rating
- 7.2
NATO, Nukes & Nazis
- 2 players
- 180 min
- Complexity 3.8/5
- 1990
- BGG rank
- BGG #14,920
- BGG rating
- 7.6
Foreign Legion Paratroopers: Rapid Response Force
- 1–2 players
- Complexity 3.2/5
- 2020
About the game
Fail Safe is a wargame of a hypothetical strategic nuclear air war sometime in the late 1950s, before the age of the ballistic missile. There are two players, the East Bloc and the Free World. Each player has units representing formations of aircraft, weapons systems, and air defense forces. Players move their units, conduct air-to-air battles, and bomb ground targets. The objective of the game is to drop sufficient nuclear weapons upon the other side in order to prevent them from dominating the world. The game map encompasses much of the northern hemisphere, centered on the North Pole. Each game turn represents an hour or more of flight time, and each unit represents a wing of specific aircraft, by type. Components: One 22" x 34" map & 228 counters Magazine: Strategy & Tactics #283
Categories
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- Kilovolt Design
- Decision Games (I)
Questions and answers
Fail Safe: Strategic Nuclear Warfare in the Cold War supports 2 players 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 Fail Safe: Strategic Nuclear Warfare in the Cold War is 90 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.
Fail Safe: Strategic Nuclear Warfare in the Cold War has a complexity rating of 2.6 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.
Fail Safe: Strategic Nuclear Warfare in the Cold War belongs to these categories: Wargame and Modern Warfare. Its main mechanics are Area 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 Fail Safe: Strategic Nuclear Warfare in the Cold War are: Joseph Miranda. 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 Fail Safe: Strategic Nuclear Warfare in the Cold War 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.