Breakthru^*

Breakthru is an uneven naval battle for two players. Gold tries to bring the flagship to the edge, while Silver tries to trap it behind a blockade.

What is it?

Alex Randolph designed the game, and 3M released it in 1965. It belongs to the Hnefatafl family, since both sides have different forces and goals. The board measures eleven by eleven squares.

The two fleets

• Gold: one flagship and twelve escorts in the middle of the board.
• Silver: twenty ships forming a blockade around the outside.

How it plays

On your turn, you take exactly one of these options:

1. Move two small ships any distance in a straight line.
2. Move the flagship alone, which uses your whole turn.
3. Capture an enemy ship by moving one square diagonally.

Gold wins once the flagship reaches the outer edge. Silver wins by capturing the flagship first.

Who is it for?

It suits fans of clean thinking games aged 10 and up. A game takes around 15 minutes, so a rematch with swapped sides comes naturally. It's out of print, so you'll need to look for a used copy.

Conclusion

Breakthru builds real tension from very few rules. If you want variety from cards or a rich theme, you'll find too little here.