Most wargames hand you an army. Crown & Courage hands you a fleeing king and a desperate question: how much of your nation can you save before the net closes? Tompet Games' new solitaire game drops you into April 1940, as Nazi Germany invades Norway, and tasks you with spiriting King Haakon VII and the royal family to safety while evacuating as much of the country's gold reserve as you can.
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Find events near youIt is a solo-only game from Norwegian designer Petter Schanke Olsen, who knows this terrain. His previous game, Halls of Hegra, was a well-received solitaire wargame about a real 1940 Norwegian fortress siege. Crown & Courage tells the same dark chapter from the top: the King's famous refusal to surrender, remembered as the "King's No", and the royal family's flight across the countryside.
The heart of the game is an Order Grid, a 3 by 3 layout where you place order tiles. You pick a primary order, such as Evacuate, Inspire, Sabotage or Strategise, then resolve any secondary orders sitting on the same row or column, which lets you chain clever combos under pressure. A German "bot" pushes back using the same grid, so the occupiers tighten their grip as you scramble. It blends low-randomness, euro-style decision-making with the tension wargamers love.
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Start organising for freeThis is the sort of meaty, thematic solo game that rewards repeat plays, and the real history gives it weight. The Kickstarter campaign has passed its funding goal and closes on 23 June. Production is handled from Norway by Tompet, the two-man team of designer Petter and graphic designer Thomas.
If solo gaming is your wind-down after the group heads home, this one is worth a look before the campaign ends.
Sources: The Players' Aid | Board Game Quest | BoardGameGeek
