
- BGG rating
- 6.6
Spain and Portugal
- 2 players
- 120 min
- Complexity 3.9/5
- 1984

1981
Rules assistance for The Fall of France
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
For 2 players

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Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
The Fall of France is a board game released in 1981 for 2 players, 360–720 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. It was designed by John Astell and its main mechanics are Dice Rolling and Hexagon Grid.
The Fall of France: The Campaign of France, 1940 is a two-player game recreating the German Blitzkrieg in France and the Low Countries in the spring of 1940. At 16 miles per hex, the maps cover France, the Low Countries, southern England, Switzerland, northern Italy, and western Germany. Each player controls the air and ground forces committed to the invasion or defense of the west. Naval units are not used in the game and are included for Europa purposes. Air units are based on groups of about 40 aircraft; naval units represent flotillas of destroyers and individual capital ships and cruisers; ground units are scaled at divisions, brigades, regiments, and battalions. The rules use the basic Europa game mechanics as a framework, with specialized rules covering the historical situation in detail such as movement, combat, air power, supply, fortifications, gliders, naval evacuation, and the Maginot Line. Game Components: Two 21" x 27" Maps (Europa maps 16 & 17) Eight dual-side printed full-size countersheets (#23-30) and one dual-side printed half-size countersheet (#31) (2040 i/2" counters) A Complete Set of Rules One Chart Set: French Order of Battle British Order of Battle Belgian Order of Battle Dutch Order of Battle Swiss Order of Battle German Order of Battle Italian Order of Battle French Unit ID Chart Turn Record/Replacement Chart Europa Corps Marker Display (x3) French Unit Breakdown Chart German Unit Breakdown Chart CRT/Terrain Effects Chart (x2) One Europa VIII Supplement: French mobilization and reinforcements British forces on the continent Belgian mobilization and reinforcements Dutch mobilization and reinforcements Swiss armed forces and reinforcements French Unit Breakdown Chart One Die See Game wiki
The Fall of France supports 2 players 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 The Fall of France is 360–720 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 The Fall of France 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.
The Fall of France has a complexity rating of 4.1 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a heavy 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.
The Fall of France belongs to these categories: Wargame and World War II. Its main mechanics are Dice Rolling and Hexagon Grid. 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 The Fall of France are: John Astell. 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 The Fall of France 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.