Twilight Struggle

To set up Twilight Struggle, players first place the game board, which represents a world map divided into regions and countries. Each player (one representing the USA, the other the USSR) receives a hand of cards and places their starting influence markers in designated countries. The Space Race track is prepared, and the military operations track is set to zero. The turn marker is placed on turn 1, and the victory point track is set to zero.

The primary objective in Twilight Struggle is to accumulate more victory points (VP) than your opponent. Players gain VP by controlling key regions on the board, achieving specific conditions through events, or advancing in the Space Race. The game can end in several ways, and the player with the most VP at the end of the game or upon meeting an instant win condition is declared the victor.

A turn in Twilight Struggle consists of several phases. Players receive a hand of cards, then alternate playing one card at a time. Each card has an operations value and an event. A player can use the operations value to place influence in countries or attempt coups, or they can trigger the card's event. If a player plays an opponent's event card for its operations value, the event is triggered. The Space Race allows players to discard cards to advance, gaining bonuses.

Scoring in Twilight Struggle happens when a 'Scoring Card' for a specific region is played. When this occurs, players calculate their control over that region (presence, domination, or control) and gain victory points accordingly. The player with more influence in a region typically scores more points. Scoring cards are crucial for accumulating VP and can significantly shift the balance of power.

The game can conclude in several ways: naturally after 10 turns, if a player reaches 20 victory points at any point, or if a player achieves control of Europe (an instant win condition). Additionally, if a player causes global thermonuclear war (DEFCON 1) during their turn, they automatically lose. The player with the most victory points at the end of the game or upon meeting an instant win condition wins.