- BGG rank
- BGG #6,758
- BGG rating
- 7.6
Holdfast: Russia 1941-42
- 1–2 players
- 180 min
- Complexity 2.1/5
- 2014
- BGG rank
- BGG #6,747
- BGG rating
- 7.7
Tarawa 1943
2021
Rules assistance for Tarawa 1943
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 1 player
- 30–60 min
- 14+
- Complexity 2.1/5
For 1 player
Rules assistant for Tarawa 1943
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Tarawa 1943 is a board game released in 2021 for 1 player, 30–60 minutes per game, and ages 14 and up. It was designed by Grant Wylie and Mike Wylie and its main mechanics are Push Your Luck, Dice Rolling, and Point to Point Movement.
Similar games
- BGG rank
- BGG #4,533
- BGG rating
- 7.3
Hold the Line
- 2 players
- 60 min
- Complexity 1.8/5
- 2008
- BGG rank
- BGG #6,781
- BGG rating
- 7.4
We Must Tell the Emperor: The Great Pacific War, 1941 to 1945
- 1 player
- 60 min
- Complexity 2.0/5
- 2010
- BGG rank
- BGG #5,565
- BGG rating
- 8.0
Warfighter: The WWII Pacific Combat Card Game
- 1–6 players
- 45–240 min
- Complexity 3.1/5
- 2019
- BGG rank
- BGG #2,033
- BGG rating
- 7.9
Warfighter: The WWII Tactical Combat Card Game
- 1–6 players
- 30–90 min
- Complexity 3.1/5
- 2016
- BGG rank
- BGG #552
- BGG rating
- 7.5
Black Orchestra
- 1–5 players
- 90 min
- Complexity 2.4/5
- 2016
- BGG rank
- BGG #5,420
- BGG rating
- 7.1
Soviet Dawn: The Russian Civil War, 1918-1921
- 1 player
- 25–60 min
- Complexity 1.7/5
- 2009
- BGG rank
- BGG #588
- BGG rating
- 8.1
Dawn of the Zeds (Third Edition)
- 1–5 players
- 90–120 min
- Complexity 3.8/5
- 2016
- BGG rank
- BGG #660
- BGG rating
- 7.6
Labyrinth: The War on Terror, 2001 – ?
- 1–2 players
- 180 min
- Complexity 3.7/5
- 2010
- BGG rank
- BGG #3,148
- BGG rating
- 7.4
Zulus on the Ramparts!: The Battle of Rorke's Drift – Second Edition
- 1 player
- 25 min
- Complexity 2.1/5
- 2009
- BGG rank
- BGG #3,707
- BGG rating
- 7.3
Ottoman Sunset: The Great War in the Near East
- 1 player
- 30 min
- Complexity 2.0/5
- 2010
- BGG rank
- BGG #3,708
- BGG rating
- 7.4
Cruel Necessity: The English Civil Wars 1640-1653
- 1 player
- 60 min
- Complexity 2.8/5
- 2013
About the game
TARAWA 1943 is a solitaire, card driven wargame on the invasion of Japanese controlled Tarawa by the 2nd Marine Division. Each turn the USMC player will activate one of his battalions (there are 8 in the game). During it's activation it can move, attack, and attempt to regroup. The USMC player further has a 3 card hand (out of a deck of 30 cards) that gives additional resources to the player (naval support, air support, engineers, tanks, etc). The USMC player can play 1 card during their turn and 1 card during the Japanese turn. As a battalion is activated it reduces its cohesion (reflecting wear and tear, exhaustion). Battalions are further reduced in cohesion due to Japanese attacks and the marines "pushing their attacks". After the USMC player finishes their activation, the Japanese turn begins with the flip of a card. From this the USMC player will face fire attacks, banzai attacks, bunkers, cross fires, infiltration, and more. The card engine will ensure an ever changing game and no two will play the same. The game will give the historical starting invasion site, however, we have included the alternate "south beach" landing possibility, that the Japanese had expected and prepared. Victory is achieved by taking the island as quickly as possible while minimizing casualties. This was the first invasion of the US island hopping strategy and high losses or a prolonged fight could have led to a cancellation of the island hopping campaign. -description from publisher
Categories
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- Worthington Games
- Worthington Publishing, LLC
Questions and answers
Tarawa 1943 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 Tarawa 1943 is 30–60 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 Tarawa 1943 for ages 14 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.
Tarawa 1943 has a complexity rating of 2.1 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.
Tarawa 1943 belongs to these categories: Card Game, Wargame, and World War II. Its main mechanics are Push Your Luck, Dice Rolling, and Point to Point Movement. 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 Tarawa 1943 are: Grant Wylie and Mike Wylie. 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 Tarawa 1943 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.