Fantasy Flight Games

An Age of Paranoia and Espionage

Published 7 December 2011 | Cold War: CIA vs KGB

An Age of Paranoia and Espionage

A look at Cold War: CIA vs KGB

Back in September, we announced the upcoming reprint of Cold War: CIA vs KGB. Masterfully conveying the tense political and military maneuvering of one of the world’s most turbulent eras, this tight and satisfying two-player card game pits the world’s greatest spies against each other, as two global superpowers struggle for the fate of the world.

If you haven’t played Cold War, there’s never been a better time to add it to your collection. With its new compact packaging and updated presentation, plunging the world into conflict has never been more convenient; keep reading for a complete overview of play!

However, if you’re already a fan of Cold War or you’re looking for a gift for a friend, you’ll find this new edition mechanically identical to its predecessor. Everything from the card distribution to the rules remains unchanged, meaning you can expect the same play experience regardless of which version you own. The differences, in fact, are entirely cosmetic; the new reprint features smaller components and a more portable box (4½” x 4½”, as also seen in Hey, That’s my Fish!).

Defend your way of life

In Cold War, each player takes on the role of the director of either the CIA or the KGB as they attempt to gain control of various countries (and the victory points listed on their corresponding cards). The VP value of these countries ranges from five to twenty, and the first player to collect 100 points wins.

To win control of a country, players take turns drawing cards from a shared deck of “Group Cards,” which come in one of four categories: Military, Media, Economy, and Politics (it’s important to note that each card type has a single text effect, common to all of its cards).

Group cards each have a number that ranges between one and six, and players must keep adding them to their play area until the sum of these numbers equals a value on the contested country, without going over. Although comparable in this regard to Blackjack, Cold War offers a number of additional strategic options. For example, each type of group card has its own special effect, and can be “mobilized” (tipped on its side) in order to execute that effect.

Therefore, on each turn you will either blindly draw a new card and place it before you to add to your total score, or “spend” one of your card’s abilities. The experience is not unlike a high-stakes game of “chicken,” as you and your opponent each move closer to your goals at the risk of mutual annihilation.

Spy vs spy

In addition to its fevered race for political control, Cold War offers another layer of intrigue. From round to round, each player chooses an agent to put into play for his side’s cause. Each agent has a special power, so you must guess which agent your opponent will put in play while judiciously choosing your own, creating a tense game of bluffing and counter-bluffing.

For example, the “Master Spy" agent will purposely try to lose the round... because when he loses, he actually gets to claim victory! Is your opponent really having an unlucky round, or does he just want you to think so? Should you throw the round on purpose, or is that exactly what your opponent wants you to do?

With its fast-paced strategies and counter-strategies, Cold War perfectly captures a war of espionage, all in about 40 minutes. Get ready to mobilize your forces to your local game store; the reprint of Cold War: CIA vs KGB will infiltrate store shelves in just a few more weeks!

Discuss this article
in our forums!

The copyrightable portions of Cold War: CIA vs KGB is © 2011 Fantasy Flight Publishing, Inc. Guerre Froide and likeness is TM and © 2007 Ubik SRL. Cold War: CIA vs. KGB and Fantasy Flight Supply are trademarks of Fantasy Flight Publishing, Inc.

Covert Actions in an Age of Fear

Published 21 September 2011 | Cold War: CIA vs KGB

Covert Actions in an Age of Fear

Announcing the revised edition of Cold War: CIA vs KGB

"The Cold War isn't thawing; it is burning with a deadly heat. Communism isn't sleeping; it is, as always, plotting, scheming, working, fighting." – Richard M. Nixon

It is the height of the Cold War, and the two global superpowers, vying for control of the world’s resources, each employ their own network of highly trained spies and assassins. These shadowy operatives will resort to any means necessary - dirty tricks, devious ploys, underhanded machinations, and outright treachery - to ensure their side emerges victorious. Through subtle manipulation a country’s economy, media, political machine, or military complex, these agents can see to it those foreign governments embrace the correct ideologies – theirs.

Fantasy Flight Game is pleased to announce the upcoming release of Cold War: CIA vs KGB! This updated reprint of the popular two-player card game features clarified rules, more compact components, and a smaller, more portable box (4½” x 4½”, as also seen in Hey, That’s my Fish!). With the revised edition of Cold War, pulling the strings of world politics has never been more convenient or affordable.

Face off for the fate of the world

"We're eyeball to eyeball, and I think the other fellow just blinked." –Dean Rusk

In Cold War, each player takes on the role of the director of either the CIA or the KGB as they attempt to gain control of various countries. To win control of a country, players take turns drawing cards from a shared deck of “Group Cards,” which come in one of four categories: Military, Media, Economy, and Politics. These cards each have a number, and players must keep adding them to their play area until the sum of these numbers equals a value on the contested country, without going over.

Although based on this deceptively simple premise, Cold War offers a number of additional strategic options. For example, each type of group card has its own special effect, and can be “mobilized” (tipped on its side) in order to execute that effect, including the ability to discard your opponent’s cards and look at the next card in the deck! The result is a tense back-and-forth as players maneuver their agents in an attempt to outwit their ideological counterparts.

Visit our Cold War: CIA vs KGB website to learn more, and in the fourth quarter of 2011, prepare to make the world safe for your way of life!

Discuss this article
in our forums!

Top Secret: Destroy After Reading

Published 8 September 2009 | Cold War: CIA vs KGB

Top Secret: Destroy After Reading

Spotlighting a staff favorite, Cold War: CIA vs KGB

"The Cold War isn't thawing; it is burning with a deadly heat. Communism isn't sleeping; it is, as always, plotting, scheming, working, fighting."- Richard M. Nixon

Welcome to another spotlight on an FFG staff favorite, Cold War: CIA vs KGB. Over the past several months, we’ve taken a look at several staff favorites, including Drakon, Doom, and Lord of the Rings: the Confrontation. This time, we’ve gathered intelligence on Cold War, a quick, light card game of bluffing and intrigue for two players. Playable in less than an hour, Cold War is accessible enough for non-gamers, but deep enough for the most brilliant armchair strategist.

"We're eyeball to eyeball, and I think the other fellow just blinked." - Dean Rusk

Jeremy Stomberg, Operations Associate here at Fantasy Flight Games, counts Cold War: CIA vs KGB among his favorite FFG titles. "I've always been a big fan of spy movies, television shows, and novels, like the James Bond series and MI-5. Growing up, the Cold War was on the news every night, and was all people could talk about. Then in High School when the Berlin Wall fell, it was the end of an era. Cold War is a great game as it really feels like that era. Good guys against bad guys, but they are both using the same tactics." With cards featuring gripping photographs from this tense period in world history, this swift-moving card game will have you reliving that suspense all over again.

In Cold War, each player takes on the role of the director of either the CIA or the KGB (which are identical from a gameplay standpoint) as they attempt to gain control of various countries (and the victory points listed on their corresponding cards). The VP value of these countries ranges from five to twenty, and the first player to collect 100 points wins.

"We don't propose to sit here in our rocking chair with our hands folded and let the Communists set up any government in the Western Hemisphere." - Lyndon Johnson

To win control of a country, players take turns drawing cards from a shared deck of “Group Cards,” which come in one of four categories: Military, Media, Economy, and Politics. These cards each have a number, and players must keep adding them to their play area until the sum of these numbers equals a value on the contested country, without going over. Some players have compared this aspect of Cold War to Blackjack, but Cold War offers a number of additional strategic options. For example, each type of group card has its own special effect, and can be “mobilized” (tipped on its side) in order to execute that effect, including the ability to discard your opponent’s cards and look at the next card in the deck!

On top of this, Cold War: CIA vs KGB offers another layer of intrigue. From round to round, each player chooses an agent to put into play for his side’s cause. Each agent has a special power, so you must guess which agent your opponent will put in play while judiciously choosing your own, creating a tense experience of bluffing and counter-bluffing! For example, the “Master Spy” agent will purposely try to lose the round... because when he loses, he actually gets to claim victory! Is your opponent really having an unlucky round, or does he just want you to think so? Should you throw the round on purpose, or is that exactly what your opponent wants you to do?

Cold War: CIA vs KGB is the perfect game for a lunchtime match, or for a brief evening filler with your significant other. The compelling risks of blackjack and the tense bluffing of poker are combined, then given a dose of deep strategy and riveting historical theme. The Cold War may be over, but you can play it out again and again on your tabletop!

Cold War: CIA vs KGB is a light and quick card game of bluffing and resource gathering. Players carefully select which covert agent to dispatch to deal with various world crises and manipulate different economic, media, military, and political groups to ensure supremacy.

Discuss this article
in our forums!

Break The Stalemate

Published 19 November 2008 | Cold War: CIA vs KGB

Break The Stalemate

An Intro To Cold War: CIA vs. KGB

In Cold War: CIA vs. KGB, each game round features one country or event that becomes the focal point of an ideological clash between the two superpowers. Players will carefully select which covert agent to dispatch to deal with the crisis and manipulate different economic, media, military, and political groups to ensure supremacy. Players Two players, each taking the role of either the USA or the USSR. Objectives During the Briefing phase of each round, an objective is revealed from the objective deck. That objective, which might be a country such as Vietnam or Honduras, will have several attributes: a population limit, a stability number, a victory point value, and a list of bias icons. This objective is the focus of the coming Influence Struggle. Spies Each player has a stable of available agents, each possessing a distinct and useful ability. For example, the Assassin can eliminate an opposing agent if you are victorious in a struggle, whereas the Analyst can predict forthcoming struggles and give you the edge you need to establish dominance. Once the objective for an Influence Struggle has been revealed, you will carefully select the agent you wish to dispatch as your Agent X, and your opponent will secretly do the same.

Influence Struggle Once each player has chosen an Agent X, the Influence Struggle begins. Players recruit and activate different groups in turn, marshalling them to their cause and seizing control of the objective. To recruit a group, players simply draw the top card of the group deck and place it in front of them. Each different group type (military, political, economic, and media) has a unique power that can be utilized by activating the group. For example, military groups may send any other group card to the discard pile by mobilizing. Once mobilized, a group cannot use its ability again. In addition to its special ability, each group has a strength score between one and six. At the end of the struggle, the superpower with the highest strength wins the struggle, but players must be careful. If the strength of their groups exceeds the stability level of the objective they will destabilize the region and lose everything! The unwary Agent X who destabilizes an objective is disavowed by his superiors and removed from the game and the opposing superpower automatically claims the objective. (Unless, of course, they destabilized the region too – in that case, no one scores!) As the Influence Struggle develops, players must carefully consider which groups to activate and whether recruiting new groups is worth the risk of destabilizing the situation. Since you can never have more groups than the population number of the objective, outrageous strategies such as killing your own men or giving the opposition a low-strength group are commonplace. When the struggle is over, the superpower with the highest total strength (without destabilizing!) wins the objective, with the bias icons used to break ties. Once the winner is determined, the Agent X for each player is revealed. Watch out! Each player has a Master Spy, whose special ability allows the player with the lowest strength to score the objective, rather than the highest! Is your opponent playing poorly on purpose because she's chosen her Master Spy, or is she just bluffing you into thinking that's the case? Victory Once an objective has been scored, the agents involved take some well-deserved leave (making them unavailable for the next round) and play continues with a new objective. Once a superpower achieves 100 victory points, they've won!

Discuss this article
in our forums!