D-Day (game)
Encyclopedia
Board wargame
A board wargame is a wargame with a set playing surface or board, as opposed to being played on a computer, or in a more free-form playing area as in miniatures games. The hobby around this type of game got its start in 1954 with the publication of Tactics, and saw its greatest popularity in the...
published by Avalon Hill
Avalon Hill
Avalon Hill was a game company that specialized in wargames and strategic board games. Its logo contained its initials "AH", and it was often referred to by this abbreviation. It also published the occasional miniature wargaming rules, role-playing game, and had a popular line of sports simulations...
first in 1961 and later re-released in 1965, 1971, 1977 and 1991.
An operational/strategic simulation of the Western Front
Western Front (World War II)
The Western Front of the European Theatre of World War II encompassed, Denmark, Norway, Luxembourg, Belgium, the Netherlands, France, and West Germany. The Western Front was marked by two phases of large-scale ground combat operations...
between June and September, 1944, the game simulates the invasion by the Allies
Allies of World War II
The Allies of World War II were the countries that opposed the Axis powers during the Second World War . Former Axis states contributing to the Allied victory are not considered Allied states...
of France while it was occupied by the Axis Powers
Axis Powers
The Axis powers , also known as the Axis alliance, Axis nations, Axis countries, or just the Axis, was an alignment of great powers during the mid-20th century that fought World War II against the Allies. It began in 1936 with treaties of friendship between Germany and Italy and between Germany and...
. The title references the Normandy Landings in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
on 6 June 1944, but it is actually about the campaign to liberate France in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, while the invasion itself is a fairly perfunctory affair completed on the first turn.
One unique aspect of the game offers the Allied player the choice of where to invade. Players may (and often do) choose the Normandy
Normandy
Normandy is a geographical region corresponding to the former Duchy of Normandy. It is in France.The continental territory covers 30,627 km² and forms the preponderant part of Normandy and roughly 5% of the territory of France. It is divided for administrative purposes into two régions:...
beach where the actual invasion took place, but are free to invade at several other alternate locations, including the southern coast of France. The German player has considerable freedom as to where to place his starting pieces, but they do so without knowledge of where the Allied player will invade.
Although other games with much more complexity and realism have since been released, including Avalon Hill's early 1980s Fortress Europa covering roughly the same scale and subject matter, D-Day is still played in part due to its simplicity. Along with Stalingrad
Stalingrad (wargame)
Stalingrad is strategic-level board wargame published by Avalon Hill in 1963. As one of the first board wargames it was extensively played and discussed during the early years of the wargaming hobby.Despite its title, Stalingrad covers the entire campaign between Germany and the Soviet Union from...
and Afrika Korps
Afrika Korps (game)
Afrika Korps is a two-player wargame published by the Avalon Hill Game Company in 1963 and then re-released in 1965 and 1977. Played on a mapboard depicting the northern coastline of Africa, the game follows Erwin Rommel's Afrika Korps and their Italian allies as they fought back-and-forth...
, it was considered one of the "classic" games released in the 1960s by Avalon Hill
Avalon Hill
Avalon Hill was a game company that specialized in wargames and strategic board games. Its logo contained its initials "AH", and it was often referred to by this abbreviation. It also published the occasional miniature wargaming rules, role-playing game, and had a popular line of sports simulations...
, all of which shared a similar move-attack-advance game system.