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Pearl Harbor: The War Against Japan, 1941-1945
1977
Rules assistance for Pearl Harbor: The War Against Japan, 1941-1945
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–7 players
- 180 min
- 12+
- Complexity 3.2/5
Rules assistant for Pearl Harbor: The War Against Japan, 1941-1945
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Pearl Harbor: The War Against Japan, 1941-1945 is a board game released in 1977 for 2–7 players, 180 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. It was designed by John Prados and its main mechanics are Trading, Dice Rolling, and Variable Set-up.
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About the game
"Pearl Harbor: The War Against Japan, 1941-1945" "A board-wargame simulation of the Pacific and Asian Theaters of World War II, at the strategic level. Simulated are the major political, military, and economic events of the war from 1941 through 1945, as Japan fought the United States for mastery of East Asia and the Pacific. Two scenarios and a campaign game chart the course of the war." From First Edition Rules 1977: Pearl Harbor is a strategic game-simulation of the Great Pacific War, fought between Japan and the Allied powers from December 1941 to September 1945. The game conveys the major military, political and economic events of the war. The map covers the broad expanses over which the fighting occurred from Pearl Harbor to India, on a scale of approximately 200 kilometers to the hex, but varying somewhat due to the range of geographic latitudes involved, given the map projection used to create the board. The turns each represent three months of real time Pearl Harbor is actually several games in one. the basic game is played in scenarios which deal with different periods of the fighting, using pieces that represent historical forces arranged in optimized groups. The campaign game links the scenarios together. Advance and optional rules include measures for adding additional complexity to the game as well as for injecting variations on the basic situations and the campaign game. Pearl Harbor ranges from a two-player game to a multi-player arrangement using the same rules, with players representing the Powers involved on the Allied side (United States, Great Britain, China) and the separate armed services on the Japanese side (Japanese Army and Imperial Navy). Players will procure and maneuver their pieces and engage in combat, in an attempt to seize and maintain control over important objectives in the Pacific Ocean area. All service arms (Army, Navy, Air Force and Naval Air) participate in this attempt. Data for Second (boxed) edition 1979: 1 large map; 3.5 countersheets; 840 counters. Map and Time Scale: 200km/hx; 3 months/turn. Land units are corps and armies; naval units are multi-ship formations. Source: Text on the Sides of the Box, and (for time scale) a BGG review.
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- Game Designers' Workshop (GDW Games)
Questions and answers
Pearl Harbor: The War Against Japan, 1941-1945 supports 2–7 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 Pearl Harbor: The War Against Japan, 1941-1945 is 180 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 Pearl Harbor: The War Against Japan, 1941-1945 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.
Pearl Harbor: The War Against Japan, 1941-1945 has a complexity rating of 3.2 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-weight 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.
Pearl Harbor: The War Against Japan, 1941-1945 belongs to these categories: Wargame, Nautical, and World War II. Its main mechanics are Trading, Dice Rolling, and Variable Set-up. 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 Pearl Harbor: The War Against Japan, 1941-1945 are: John Prados. 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 Pearl Harbor: The War Against Japan, 1941-1945 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.