2 de Mayo

Write secret orders and fight over the streets of Madrid in the uprising of 2 May 1808, in a short two-player wargame.

Designer: Daniel Val
Published by: Gen-X Games
Editions by: Eagle-Gryphon Games

2 de Mayo is a two-player game about the uprising in Madrid on 2 May 1808, when civilians and a few Spanish army units rose against Napoleon's occupying French troops. The board shows an old map of the city split into 21 areas, and 41 wooden cubes stand for the forces. It plays in ten turns of four phases each (Preparation, Orders, Movement, Resolution), and orders are written down on paper, so you never know exactly what the other side is up to. The French win only if the Spanish are wiped out, every access area is garrisoned and fewer than four cubes are lost. A bilingual 2008 game, about twenty minutes.

Madrid in 1808 split into 21 areasOrders written on paper and revealed togetherTen turns of four phases each

Who it's for

You and a friend like tight historical wargames where a hidden order matters more than a big rulebook.

Not for you if…

You want more than two players or lots of components. This is a small, quick duel on a single map.

Vibe's take

A compact duel of hidden orders. The Spanish need to hold out, the French need to finish, and both sides keep guessing what the paper says.