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Rules assistance for Island of Death: Return to Malta
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 1–2 players
- 60–240 min
- 12+
Rules assistant for Island of Death: Return to Malta
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Island of Death: Return to Malta is an expansion for Fortress Malta released in 2016 for 1–2 players, 60–240 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. It was designed by Michael Bennighof and its main mechanics are Dice Rolling, Hexagon Grid, and Simulation.
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About the game
In our game Island of Death, we studied Axis plans to invade the British-held island of Malta in 1942 by a combined airborne and amphibious attack. In the expansion book Fortress Malta we went into even more depth on those plans, and also looked at a number of alternatives including a daring 1940 plan for an Italian invasion and a German airborne attack in 1941. Had any of those plans succeeded, the Axis powers had prepared for the occupation as well. The Italian XVI Corps, consisting of the 26th “Assieta” and 54th “Napoli” infantry divisions, would remain on the island as its garrison, together with some units of the Royal Italian Navy (chiefly coast-defense artillery). That would provide an occupation force roughly the same size as the wartime British garrison, as Italian infantry divisions were smaller than their British counterparts. The Allies appear to have had no well-developed plans to re-take the island in the event of its fall. Britain held Malta and had no intention of surrendering it, nor did the Maltese. But we can make an informed guess as to what formations would have been available for a counter-invasion of Malta, and that’s the basis of Island of Death: Return to Malta. Return to Malta has 180 new playing pieces representing the Canadian 2nd Infantry Division, the Polish Parachute Brigade, the U.S. Marine Corps’ 2nd Provisional Brigade and two small brigades of Royal Marines. Their task is simple: take Malta back from the Italians. Return to Malta is not a complete game: Ownership of Island of Death and Fortress Malta (and only those two items) is necessary to play all of the four scenarios included. Note: This product is a digital download. Pieces require assembly. Available exclusively to the Gold Club (from the publisher)
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- Avalanche Press Ltd.
Questions and answers
Island of Death: Return to Malta supports 1–2 players according to the catalogue. This range comes from the publisher’s listed player count, so the game can be set up for any group size within it. Some setups, rules and scoring details may still vary by player count, so check your edition’s rulebook for the exact configuration.
The listed playing time for Island of Death: Return to Malta is 60–240 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 Island of Death: Return to Malta 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.
Island of Death: Return to Malta belongs to these categories: Wargame, World War II, and Expansion for Base-game. Its main mechanics are Dice Rolling, Hexagon Grid, and Simulation. 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 Island of Death: Return to Malta are: Michael Bennighof. 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 Island of Death: Return to Malta as an expansion for Fortress Malta. Expansions add new content, rules or scenarios to the base game and usually cannot be played on their own, so you need Fortress Malta to use it. Check that your edition of Fortress Malta is compatible, as some expansions were revised between editions.