Osprey Undaunted: Normandy, youth large / 11-13

A super clean and deceptively strategic war-game, Undaunted: Normandy is a top-notch two player game. Pitting Germans vs Americans in a dozen different WW2 scenarios with varying goals, you can easily play through as one side, then switch and play through all 12 scenarios again with quite a different experience.The game can be learned in about 10 minutes. You’ll setup map tiles according to the scenario book, then give each side their starting area and units. This won’t be the same for each side which is where the variety comes in. However all the units function the same on each side which makes it easy to tell the state of the board at a glance, or what everyone’s soldiers or snipers do.Area control is usually the name of the game in most scenarios, but some have fun objectives such as the germans having to kill all the american rifleman to win, while the americans have to capture a control point at the far side of an open field.I found the game to be tense and balanced so far in every scenario. We’ve taken turns winning across various maps and each one came down to a final turn or action before the other could or would have won. While there is dice rolling involved for attacking, all other actions simply take place without dice or interference. This is probably my only knock on the game, as being a victim of bad rolls can simply lose you the game, such as failing to kill a soldier 5 times in a row. However this is simultaneously thematic, as war is hectic. Thematically the game feels amazing and just plays really smoothly and organically. Everything makes sense and my buddy and I love the flow of deck, hand, discard and supply. He said “Playing this round was both depressing and exciting, just like war itself.”I’ve been playing much bigger or longer games that take 2-4 hours per session, but wanted something more accessible. We are usually done Normandy in an hour including setup and teardown for one scenario. Love it!

This game is very fun and I enjoy playing it. The missions are fair and the troops all have good abilities. The game is very well made and I can't wait to get some of the expansions.

This game is very fun and can get intense, I literally made someone cry... The rules are incredibly simple and easy to understand, the game play feels very personal (people care about their 'men' in the game), the objectives focus the game and allow for interesting strategies, and combat hinges on die rolls so there is a great degree of uncertainty and you often need to pivot your strategy when a plan doesn't work out the way you expected.We played through the entire scenario book, re-playing the more interesting scenarios 2-3 times before moving on, and are now playing a campaign in the sequel, "Undaunted North Africa" which is actually more intense as the games are faster and the scope is even more personal (individual soldiers instead of entire squads).So set up your morter, load your MGs, and pray their sniper doesn't find your scouts, because things are about to get messy.

I'm a big WW II squad level wargame fan, and I'm always looking for the perfect game that's a good simulation, but not too chit or rules heavy. I honestly didn't expect much from Undaunted: Normandy when I first noticed it, but after watching a couple of reviews, I was intrigued, so I bought a copy.Right off the bat, this is obviously not a title heavy on simulation, nor is it intended to be. What it is, is a WW II themed deckbuilding game that manages to abstract traditional wargame elements into a tremendously enjoyable, low complexity gaming experience that creates a narrative every bit a satisfying and thematic as other more complex traditional hex and counter games.I highly recommend Undaunted: Normandy for younger, or less experienced gamers with an interest in getting into WW II gaming. It would also be excellent for experienced Grognards that are looking for a light but satisfying quickie, something portable to play down the pub, or need a simple game to draw in unsuspecting future wargamers.

Overall pretty amazing game. Fairly easy to learn. Some strategy involved. Really enjoy the changing landscape and missions. Unique with deck building and turn by turn actions. Only concern will be replay ability after gone through all the missions. Have not used the expansion yet with it. Other concern would be that the missions could take a long time given the limited movement on the map and luck needed to take out your opponent. Would highly recommend if you're looking for a two player game to play consistently/ regularly with another person.

Genuinely excellent

Good game for 2

I love wargames. Combat Commander and Heroes of Normandie are my piece of cake .But they are not for everyone .Undaunted Normandy is for an broader audience, indeed.( + )- The art is so great- The rules are easy to grasp- The components are sturdy and excellent quality- The gameplay is fast- The strategic has good depth- 12 scenarios- I Can preview expansions coming. Great !( - )- The roll of dice can be frustrating sometimes but the game is not about destroying units but to preview maneuvers and outthink your opponent- Doesn’t have many units types ( expansions needed in a near futureOverall it’s a great game .Easy to understand.Provides good tension and a not lengthy game session.Your soldiers have a name so you can remember the ones who had their finest hour .Really liked the game ! Can’t recommend enough.