- BGG rank
- BGG #26,673
- BGG rating
- 5.6
TV Wars
- 3–4 players
- 90 min
- Complexity 1.9/5
- 1987
- BGG rank
- BGG #22,960
- BGG rating
- 6.3
War of the Networks
1979
Rules assistance for War of the Networks
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–4 players
- 90 min
- 12+
- Complexity 1.0/5
For 2 players
Rules assistant for War of the Networks
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
War of the Networks is a board game released in 1979 for 2–4 players, 90 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. It was designed by Bruce Nash and its main mechanics are Auction / Bidding, Tile Placement, and Simultaneous Action Selection.
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About the game
Game of television network battles for ratings. Each player plays one of four semi-fictional TV networks (ABZ, NBZ, ZBS, IND), and the goal is to have the most money when the game ends, after three rounds. Players move pawns around a standard square-track board, with spaces that trigger various events: drawing an event (Flash) card, buying a TV show or star, etc. Stars are assigned to shows, shows are assigned to time slots. Shows may be bumped to the next night to accommodate a new show just purchased. Each player goes around the board once, populating his Friday night schedule. Once all players have completed the round, each 30 min slot awards money to the top-rated network, with ex-aequos splitting the money. The process is repeated for Saturday and Sunday. When going around the board again, visiting an owned show space forces a payout to the owner. Finally, the Sunday round is followed by an additional weekend scoring, where the ratings across all three nights are summed and compared. The richest network wins. Note that when one rolls doubles, one either moves ahead the full die score, or one goes backward by the single die score. This adds strategy. The game was later republished by Avalon Hill as TV Wars (q.v.), but the latter's rules are considerably different.
Categories
Designers
Publishers
- Hasbro Industries (Hasbro Bradley)
Questions and answers
War of the Networks 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 War of the Networks is 90 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 War of the Networks 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.
War of the Networks has a complexity rating of 1.0 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a 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.
War of the Networks belongs to these categories: Economic and Movies / TV / Radio theme. Its main mechanics are Auction / Bidding, Tile Placement, and Simultaneous Action Selection. 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 War of the Networks are: Bruce Nash. 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 War of the Networks 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.