Jim, Lee and Richard are currently playing a cooperative game with no prestige points to learn the game mechanics. Seems to be playing well..

As the Second World War raged across Europe, tensions brewed within the seemingly monolithic German war machine. Hitler, like dictators before him, had given his minions overlapping responsibility, so that they would plot against each other and keep him the arbiter. Germany’s military leadership worked well enough as Germany’s armies advanced in conquest after conquest. But Hitler’s no retreat order in the difficult winter of 1941-1942 was a turning point in the way the war was run. All decisions now had to be approved from the top—a flagrant reversal of the German military tradition of setting objectives and giving subordinates freedom in how to attain them. As victory in the battle for Europe eluded the German generals and final defeat loomed, their competing agendas came ever more to the fore. Contravening their overseer, military leaders looked to a settlement with the Allies and, in a few cases, the end of the regime.

The Other Side of the Hill is a boardgame that simulates the effects that this struggle for power within the German High Command had on the development of the Second World War. Up to four players represent military leaders cooperating and competing as they manage Germany’s wartime strategy. To win, they must vie for Prestige by advancing the careers of their favored Army and Army Group commanders, grabbing their share of victories while the early-war pickings are easy, then avoiding responsibility for battlefield disasters as the Soviets and the Western Allies solidify and push back.

Players will pursue hidden objectives to dominate the German Officer Corps on behalf of Interest Groups such as the technically-minded Professionals, a traditionalist Old Guard, or anti-Nazi Dissidents—all while Allied aircraft bombard Germany’s war industry and Allied armies press in on every front. As in history, players must reconcile contradictory roles. The German General Staff’s job is to hold the Allies off, but each clique’s priorities can subvert any collective strategy. And beware: a player may in secret be sabotaging the war effort!

The Other Side of the Hill offers competition for two, three, or four players as well as fully cooperative, semi-cooperative, and solitaire modes. Playing cards include intriguing historical details on World War Two’s real-life German Generals, strategic Directives, wartime Events, and personalities of the “Black Orchestra” plot to assassinate Hitler. Experience the European Theater of WWII as you have never gamed it before—from The Other Side of the Hill!

Game modes
• Competitive: One player will win, even if Germany falls before it historically did.
• Cooperative: Players win or lose together.
• Solo: You make all the decisions.
• Semi-Cooperative: If Germany falls before the historical date, everyone loses. Otherwise, one player wins.
• Campaign Mode: You can play the full campaign in successive shorter and more manageable gaming sessions.

Brian, Lee, Mel, Richard and Steve played the full Abyss expansion. It surprisingly came to pass that Richard and Steve once again were the Hybrids. Richard didn’t become a hybrid until the second card draw. Up until then he was playing for the good guys and they were progressing well toward completing the voyage. But, once he became a hybrid, he and Steve really didn’t have to do much to help defeat the good guys since they were now doing an outstanding job of accomplishing that on their own. The game ended with the humans surrendering to their inevitable fate.

The expansion played great with only a slight additional length to the game.