Port Arthur^*

Port Arthur is a compact naval strategy game for exactly two players aged 12 and up, refighting the 1904/05 Russo-Japanese war at sea in 50 to 75 minutes.

What's it about?

As Japan, you try to land armies in Manchuria and bloody the nose of the Imperial Russian Navy. As Russia, you're far from home. Your job is to stop those landings until reinforcements arrive. Both sides fight for the naval zones around Japan.

How it plays

1. Send your ships out on sorties into the naval zones.
2. Resolve combat with dice, shaped by each ship's speed and gunnery.
3. Push your luck for bigger gains, or play it safe and keep your fleet.
4. Watch control of the zones swing back and forth like a tug of war.

Turn order is random, so you can't script every move. Each turn asks for a tough call.

At a glance

• Designer: Yasushi Nakaguro; German edition by Schwerkraft-Verlag
• Second game in the Combat Rations series, after 300: Earth & Fire
• Small footprint, quick rules, high-quality art and components
• Medium weight, a friendly entry point into historical wargames

Conclusion

Port Arthur packs real wargame tension into a short session. It suits players who love historical duels but not thick rulebooks. If you hate dice deciding battles, give it a pass.