
- BGG rating
- 7.6
Silent War: IJN – Imperial Japanese Navy
- 1 player
- 120 min
- Complexity 2.7/5
- 2010

2005
Rules assistance for Silent War
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
For 1 player

What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Silent War is a board game released in 2005 for 1–2 players, 60–7500 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. It was designed by Brien J. Miller and its main mechanics are Dice Rolling, Point to Point Movement, and Secret Unit Deployment.
"Silent War" is a solitaire wargame simulation of the United States' submarine war against Imperial Japan during the Second World War. The scenarios allow players to recreate various stages of the war or the entire campaign. In each of these scenarios, the player takes on the role of Commander Submarines, US Pacific Fleet (ComSubPac), deploying available submarines from either Pearl Harbor or Brisbane in order to attack the Japanese Navy. Additionally, in the patrol game, using single submarines, players can recreate some of the war's most famous patrols. The amount of flexibility the game allows the player is tremendous, a single submarine patrol can be completed in 10 minutes, the various campaigns can be completed in 10 or more hours depending on which campaign you play and your progress as commander. Every American submarine that was deployed to the Pacific in World War II has its own oversize easy to handle counter in the game. Each counter has the correct side view illustration in color for that class of submarine. The game map covers the huge expanse of the Pacific Theater of submarine operations from the Aleutians to Australia and from Samoa to the Sea of Japan. The map encapsulates most of the information a player needs to play, with a unique set of easy to use graphic charts. The rules will have the player running his first submarine patrol within 45 minutes of opening the game box. Special rules include American torpedo improvement, ultra, submarine repair and readiness, wolfpacks, campaign and combat events, war progress, patrol and search, TDC solutions, merchant shipping, Japanese battleship doctrine, two player rules and more. Can you as a submarine fleet commander best the historical submarine commanders and sink more ships and tonnage than the American commanders or will you wash out and be retired to a desk job? Components: 1 28"x22" map 5 counter sheets, mounted, die cut and full color printed on both sides: 3½ sheets of long (1.3"x0.65") submarine counters 1½ sheets of large (0.65"x0.65") counters. 4 8½"x11" full-color play-aid charts and displays: 1 single-sided combat display 1 single-sided submarine tender display 1 tables and charts display 1 counter explanation chart/sub comparison chart 1 24-page rules book 1 24-page scenario book 1 10-sided die 1 full color box and lid
Silent War 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 Silent War is 60–7500 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 Silent War 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.
Silent War has a complexity rating of 3.4 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.
Silent War belongs to these categories: Wargame, Nautical, and World War II. Its main mechanics are Dice Rolling, Point to Point 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 Silent War are: Brien J. Miller. 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 Silent War 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.