
- BGG rank
- BGG #10,738
- BGG rating
- 7.8
Red Poppies Campaigns: The Battles for Ypres
- 2 players
- 120–1440 min
- Complexity 2.9/5
- 2016

Rules assistance for In the Trenches: Rising Sun
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.

What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
In the Trenches: Rising Sun is an expansion for In the Trenches: Devil Dogs released in 2015 90–120 minutes per game and ages 12 and up. It was designed by John Gorkowski and its main mechanics are Hexagon Grid.
Description from the publisher: Rising Sun is the second battle pack for In the Trenches, and the focus is on the often overlooked role played by Japan in The Great War. There are three historical scenarios pitting Japanese infantry and cavalry, fighting alongside the Brits, against the Germans. There is also a hypothetical scenario that places the Germans on the offensive. Designed by John Gorkowski, In the Trenches enables players to game historically accurate simulations of tactical operations from the Great War. ITT challenges players to move and fight with company-level formations made of separate platoon-sized units during five minute, impulse-based turns. The historically accurate maps are scaled to 100 yards per hex. This approach recreates WWI command and control problems and inspires historically accurate play without forcing decisions.
The listed playing time for In the Trenches: Rising Sun is 90–120 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 In the Trenches: Rising Sun 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.
In the Trenches: Rising Sun belongs to these categories: Wargame, Expansion for Base-game, and World War I. Its main mechanics are 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 In the Trenches: Rising Sun are: John Gorkowski. 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 In the Trenches: Rising Sun as an expansion for In the Trenches: Devil Dogs. Expansions add new content, rules or scenarios to the base game and usually cannot be played on their own, so you need In the Trenches: Devil Dogs to use it. Check that your edition of In the Trenches: Devil Dogs is compatible, as some expansions were revised between editions.