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13 Days: The Cuban Missile Crisis, 1962
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Iron Curtain
2017
Rules assistance for Iron Curtain
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2 players
- 20–30 min
- 10+
- Complexity 2.1/5
For 2 players
Rules assistant for Iron Curtain
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Iron Curtain is a board game released in 2017 for 2 players, 20–30 minutes per game, and ages 10 and up. It was designed by Asger Aleksandrov Granerud and Daniel Skjold Pedersen and its main mechanics are Hand Management, Area Majority / Influence, and Campaign / Battle Card Driven.
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About the game
Imagine re-living the struggles and nail-biting dilemmas of the Cold War in a game that only consists of 18 cards. Imagine learning a game that manages to provide players with intense strategic and tactical decisions every turn in just under 20 minutes. Imagine playing as the US or Soviet in an intense struggle to win the Cold War battle of superpowers. Players play cards that build a card shaped world map that look different each game. Will you, as the Soviet, go for control in Europe and give up Africa? Will the US place Cuba out of reach for Soviet troops on the world map? “We wanted to create a game full of suspense where simplicity was key. Players only play one card per turn and there’s only 9 turns in the game. The tension comes from the dilemmas that the cards represent but also from how you read your opponent. It quickly becomes a battle of the wills.” Iron Curtain is an original strategy game where how and when you play a card is just as important as what card you decide will influence the tides of war next.
Mechanics
Publishers
- Matagot
- Frosted Games
- FoxGames
- Jolly Roger Games
- Ludonova
- Ultra PRO
Questions and answers
Iron Curtain 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 Iron Curtain is 20–30 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 Iron Curtain for ages 10 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.
Iron Curtain has a complexity rating of 2.1 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.
Iron Curtain belongs to these categories: Card Game, Wargame, and Political. Its main mechanics are Hand Management, Area Majority / Influence, and Campaign / Battle Card Driven. 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 Iron Curtain are: Asger Aleksandrov Granerud and Daniel Skjold Pedersen. 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 Iron Curtain 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.