Wargame Mechanics Index

Variable turn / game end

Turns or the game end on a random trigger.

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Watch it played 4 moments

  • 17:12–17:46
    Dramatic Foy Wargame
    Little Wars TV
    Rule in play German turn-end lifts smoke screen prematurely

    The Americans step into the open expecting smoke cover, but the Germans trigger a turn end which immediately lifts the mortar barrage. Unmasked in broad daylight, the paratroopers suffer devastating point-blank German fire.

  • 27:08–27:45
    What If Lee Relieved Vicksburg Wargame
    Little Wars TV
    Rule in play Hidden calendar ends the campaign

    The Confederate players reveal their secret campaign calendar track, which advanced 1 to 2 spaces via a d6 roll each turn, signaling the end of the game and revealing Grant missed his victory point target.

  • 1:00:00–1:00:35
    11-Player Napoleonic Campaign | Spring 1813
    Little Wars TV · Volley & Bayonet
    Rule in play Summer armistice roll ends the campaign

    Miles rolls the die of destiny to test whether the spring campaign continues or ends with a summer armistice; rolling a 5 triggers the armistice immediately.

  • 23:50–24:25
    6mm Scale Seven Pines Wargame
    Little Wars TV
    Rule explained Hidden turn limit creates sunset rush

    Confederate players worry about daylight running out, and the game hosts explain why they kept the scenario's end time secret from the players.

Moments picked automatically, by AI watching the video or reading its captions, and linked at the timestamp on YouTube. Quotes are from the captions.

How games do it 4 games

2turn
Return to BaseUnterseeboot: U-Boat Solitaire

The player may end the patrol early, but must meet conditions to get home safely.

How it works

The game ends after Turn 20 or when the boat is sunk. At the start of any turn the player may return to base, which requires no Searching or Detected tokens, surfacing, and surviving one last Aircraft Phase. Failing to surface by the end of Turn 20 loses the game.

To successfully return to base you must: Begin the turn with no Detected or Searching tokens in the Enemy Destroyer Area; Return the U-boat to the Surface, and Survive an Aircraft Phase one last time
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2turn
Turn Over cardVictory Without Quarter

Drawing the Turn Over card reshuffles the deck and starts a new turn, often before all units act.

How it works

The Turn Over card is shuffled into the deck; when drawn the deck is reshuffled and a new turn begins, so some units may not act in a given turn. This prevents precise positioning just outside musket range.

Astute readers will notice that the Turn Over card will probably come up somewhere in the middle of the deck before all of the units have had a chance to act.
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1turn
Random end of dayK.I.S.S. Rommel

The game lasts 9 to 12 turns, ending on a die roll from turn 10.

How it works

There are 9 to 12 turns in a day. Before each of turns 10, 11 and 12 roll a die; 5+ ends the game.

There are 9 to 12 turns in a day. Throw before each turn from 10 to 12 with a 5+ indicating the game has ended.
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1turn
Clock cardsMāori Pā in the Early New Zealand Wars (Muskets and Tomahawks)

The game ends when the fourth red clock card is drawn.

How it works

If neither side has met its objective by the draw of the 4th red clock card, the game is a draw.

Game ends when the 4th Red clock card is drawn. If neither side has won, the game ends in a draw.
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