
- BGG rank
- BGG #10,215
- BGG rating
- 7.0
World War II: Pacific Theater of Operations
- 1–4 players
- 360 min
- Complexity 4.1/5
- 1991

1989
Rules assistance for Red Storm Rising
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
For 2 players

What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Red Storm Rising is a board game released in 1989 for 2–4 players, 60 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. It was designed by Douglas Niles and its main mechanics are Area Movement and Secret Unit Deployment.
Red Storm Rising is a turn based game covering a theoretical Warsaw Pact invasion of Germany. Units are upright and specific information about them is hidden from the other player. Army groups are made up of 5-6 different units; each unit is roughly division sized. Map areas are irregular, and the board covers basically from the Soviet Union to France. Time scale is unspecified, but appears to be in the days per turn range. Advanced rules add air combat, airborne units, and chemical weapons.
Red Storm Rising supports 2–4 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 Red Storm Rising is 60 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 Red Storm Rising 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.
Red Storm Rising has a complexity rating of 2.6 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.
Red Storm Rising belongs to these categories: Wargame, Novel-based, and Modern Warfare. Its main mechanics are Area Movement and Secret Unit Deployment. 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 Red Storm Rising are: Douglas Niles. 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 Red Storm Rising 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.