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Explore Alternate History in ‘Cataclysm: A Second World War’ Coming from GMT

Feb 28, 2018

A very interesting strategic level wargame is coming in the next few months from GMT Games. In Cataclysm: A Second World War, two to five players will take on the roles of major nations of the 1930’s and 1940’s as they look to spread their ideologies across the globe. I have to say I’m eagerly looking forward to checking this one out because it really does look unique. Cataclysm is for ages 12+, plays in an hour to five hours, and can be reserved right now at the P500 price of $55.00 with an MSRP of $79.00 when it hits stores this Spring.

From GMT:

Cataclysm: A Second World War is a quick-playing game about politics and war in the 1930s and 40s, designed for two to five players. The three primary ideologies of the time contend to impose their vision of order on the world. The Fascists (Germany, Italy, and Japan) seek to overthrow the status quo, which favors the Democracies (France, the United Kingdom, and the United States), while the Communists (the Soviet Union) look for opportunities to storm the global stage.

Not Your Father’s Panzer Pusher

Cataclysm is unapologetically a game of grand strategy. Military pieces have no factors or ratings. The capability of your forces increases as you shift the commitment of your economy from civilian to military production. Land, air, and naval forces all have their role in prosecuting war. There is no Combat Results Table; instead, battles are resolved by opposed die rolls with a limited number of modifiers capturing the most important operational effects. The area map emphasizes political boundaries, drawing attention to strategically critical territory, encouraging players to think in broad terms of resource acquisition, control of border states, and the perception of power as the arms race plays out.

There is no sequence of play. Instead, Cataclysm relies upon a strategic chit pull system that randomizes the order of not only your actions, but also the appearance of newly built combat units. This creates riveting tension that keeps players involved at all times. Random crisis events will upset plans, as well as signal the approach of the end of the turn. Not all is governed by luck. Players can use their reserve to carefully time important moves. Each side faces unique challenges managing its political, military, and economic resources in the face of constant uncertainty. Without long-term planning, any crisis can turn into chaos.

The full game of Cataclysm covers the entire globe and runs from 1933 to 1950. The extensive playbook includes several additional scenarios allowing for a range of theatres and start points. Special rules account for Appeasement, the Chinese Civil War, Lend Lease, the Atomic Bomb, the Great Purge, Dreadnought Refits, etc. Great care has been taken to allow a different but plausible alternate history to unfold with every play.

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Jeff McAleer

Founder/Editor-in-chief of The Gaming Gang website and host of The Gaming Gang Dispatch and other TGG media, Jeff tackles any and all sorts of games but has a special fondness for strategy, conflict sims, and roleplaying games. Plus, he's certainly never at a loss for an opinion...