Ambush!

Command one American squad through World War II France against a hidden enemy that the rulebook plays for you.

Designers: Eric Lee Smith, John H. Butterfield
Published by: Victory Games (I)
Editions by: Hobby Japan

A one-player wargame from 1983, set in France in World War II, where you command a single American squad and the game plays the enemy. You pick and arm your soldiers, each rated for things like command, initiative, perception, weapons skill and driving, then choose one of eight missions and send them across a map. The German side stays hidden, and the story unfolds through a booklet of programmed paragraphs that tell you what happens when you act. Dice, events and secret deployment mean no two runs go the same, and wounded or fallen soldiers feel like real losses. Count on about four hours per mission, a lot of reading, and a rare mix of tactics and storytelling.

Eight missions with hidden German forcesEach soldier has his own skills and ratingsProgrammed paragraphs run the enemy for you

Who it's for

You like solo wargaming with a narrative bent and are happy to spend an afternoon reading paragraphs and rolling dice with a single squad.

Not for you if…

You want to play with other people or want modern, streamlined rules. It is solo only, and paragraph lookup is slow.

Vibe's take

Tense and story-driven. You make small tactical calls while a booklet of paragraphs throws surprises at you, and soldiers become characters you worry about.