
- BGG rank
- BGG #13,731
- BGG rating
- 8.4
8th Air Force
- 1 player
- 120–240 min
- Complexity 2.0/5
- 2020

2022
Rules assistance for Save: South Vietnam!
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
For 1 player

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Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Save: South Vietnam! is a board game released in 2022 for 1 player, 250–300 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. It was designed by Robert Phaneuf and its main mechanics are Area Movement, Dice Rolling, and Area Majority / Influence.
A solitaire game of the US and South Vietnamese war against the Vietcong and North Vietnamese Army. US and ARVN brigades/regiments and police battle VC battalions, NVA regiments, and subversive Political Cadres for Provincial control throughout the country. It is early 1965. The South Vietnamese government and army (ARVN) are collapsing in the face of growing Vietcong attacks. President Johnson feels he MUST act. On March 8, 1965, the 9th Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, lands at Danang to take over the large base’s defense from ARVN forces who are presumably now free to conduct offensive operations against the VC. US Army units shortly deploy to Bien Hoa and other strategic areas. By fall 1965, the 1st Cavalry Division is engaged in a full-scale offensive in the Ia Drang Valley in Vietnam’s Central Highlands. "Americanization” of the war has begun. Before it's over 10 years later, Cambodia and Laos are dragged into the struggle. US forces leave Vietnam in 1973 having never lost a sizable battle, but South Vietnam quickly falls nonetheless, in early 1975. Welcome back to 1965, now YOU are in command! The ARVN has basically collapsed and the North Vietnamese Army is infiltrating the south in large numbers even as local VC forces grow in strength. If you can hold Saigon until Summer 1977 (50 quarterly turns), the communists will be totally spent - Victory! Or will you, like Johnson and Nixon, find the VC and NVA impossible to completely defeat?
Save: South Vietnam! supports 1 player 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 Save: South Vietnam! is 250–300 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 Save: South Vietnam! 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.
Save: South Vietnam! has a complexity rating of 2.3 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.
Save: South Vietnam! belongs to these categories: Wargame, Modern Warfare, and Vietnam War. Its main mechanics are Area Movement, Dice Rolling, and Area Majority / Influence. 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 Save: South Vietnam! are: Robert Phaneuf. 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 Save: South Vietnam! 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.