
- BGG rank
- BGG #14,386
- BGG rating
- 7.9
Across the Pacific
- 2–4 players
- 180–1080 min
- Complexity 3.1/5
- 2010

1986
Rules assistance for France 1944: The Allied Crusade in Europe
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
For 2 players

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Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
France 1944: The Allied Crusade in Europe is a board game released in 1986 for 2 players, 360 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. It was designed by Mark Herman and its main mechanics are Dice Rolling, Grid Movement, and Hexagon Grid.
(David A. Vandenbroucke review - http://grognard.com/reviews/france44.txt): France 1944 (Victory Games) is a Mark Herman design. It's a 130 counter, 1 map game of the breakout and pursuit across France. Units are divisions, I believe. Components are up to VG's usual high standards. Complexity is rated as "low," and solitaire suitability is "medium." The most interesting aspect of the game is that it seriously tries to model time over the course of the player's turn. You activate HQs, which can then control a varying number of infantry or armor units, depending on nationality. There is a track display that you use during movement/combat. As you make decisions about which actions to take, you branch along the track, limiting your options about what you can do next. Essentially this captures the passage of time required for certain actions. It's easier to play than it is to describe. For example, suppose you have an armor division near the enemy and a couple of infantry divisions further away. If you move up the infantry to attack and make a breakthrough, the armored unit will probably not be able to move very far through the breach. In effect, the armored unit has spent most of the turn waiting around for the infantry to get in position and make its attack. The game puts emphasis on elite units on both sides and on the brittleness of the powerful British formations (no replacements). Chrome rules cover Market-Garden and the Bulge.
France 1944: The Allied Crusade in Europe 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 France 1944: The Allied Crusade in Europe is 360 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 France 1944: The Allied Crusade in Europe for ages 12 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.
France 1944: The Allied Crusade in Europe has a complexity rating of 2.9 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.
France 1944: The Allied Crusade in Europe belongs to these categories: Wargame and World War II. Its main mechanics are Dice Rolling, Grid Movement, and Hexagon Grid. 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 France 1944: The Allied Crusade in Europe are: Mark Herman. 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 France 1944: The Allied Crusade in Europe 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.