'Nam 1965 - 1975

This wargame simulates the war in Vietnam. It is designed to capture the unique characteristics of the war, its political character as much as its military one. The full game lasts for ten years, from 1965 to 1975, the length of overt American involvement in Vietnam. Outright victory is difficult, but possible. The essence of victory is the right application of the right tools at the right time. The object of the game is to prevent South Vietnam falling to Communist powers. They strive to take over the country both by military means, using North Vietnamese regular troops, and Viet Cong guerillas, and by socio-political means, by winning over the population while working to topple the South Vietnamese government. These two aims work hand in hand, and part of the Communist philosophy involved the idea of popular revolution, to which end much of the fighting was aimed. As President and Commander-in-Chief, you oppose this challenge to the government of South Vietnam, and the vested interests of the United States in it, through the use of military power and economic support. In this game you can control the level of commitment to South Vietnam, and how that commitment is used on the ground. You are not a free agent, because you are responsible to the people of the United States for your decisions, and the war can become enormously unpopular. Overcommit, or fare badly and you will lose the next election. Behave irresponsibly and you may face worse things than an election defeat.