How does solo trick-taking work?
Fortitude is a new take on the roll and write (or flip & write) game. And while it isn't the first solo trick-taker, I wanted it to play differently than most of its predecessors. With the German bot, you aren't continually flipping cards until the right one appears. As the player, you aren't playing cards to get the high score...
You play cards to any row except those that match your card’s suit.
Germany’s first card of the game sets its regional focus on the rondel.
The German bot always draws the top card of the deck to play as its card.
The German bot plays its first card of the round to the location matching its regional focus.
This card’s suit is ignored.
Subsequent German cards are played to their matching location on the game sheet.
If German has already played to its card’s location, record its value in the opposite location.
Or, if both locations are filled, record the value in the next clockwise suit on the rondel.
Fortitude offers deeper levels of play than just recording card values!
Varying Difficulty, Challenges to Overcome, & Ways to Advance
You Draw Periodic Setback Cards That Must Be Resolved
You draw a new setback card whenever you cross out a month with a filled-in card space beneath it.
You also draw setback cards whenever Germany shifts its regional focus!
How you play gives you access to tactics that impact your future hands.
The region where you won the most tricks earns you a major victory.
Win tricks in specific locations to earn an end-of-round advanced tactic for your arsenal.
Losing Tricks in Trondheim and Calais Lowers Germany’s Alert Level
A low alert level increases the number of setbacks you must draw at a time!
Winning the End-of-Round Trick in Normandy Raises Germany’s Suspicion!
If Germany Deduces Normandy is the Actual Allied Landing Site, You Lose!
Survive for 16 Rounds and Your Mission Succeeds!
All of this plus extended German and Allied Actions, Allied double agents, and Germany’s lingering suspicion in Normandy means you have deeply strategic and varied play with just a single print-and-play sheet and 20 setback cards*.
*Printable setback charts can be used instead of cards.
"Fortitude is an interesting solo game,
and while it [isn't] complex, it has proven to be a challenging game thus far. In four games, I have only won once (and it required a pretty lucky draw near the end when the Germans managed to lose a Normandy trick to me when I had no choice but to play a 3 in that space). Sure, some of that may just be due to the learning curve, but I do like games that give you something to strive for."
"I think Fortitude is a really clever take on trick-taking
mechanisms in a war setting. There’s luck, sure, but there’s also a lot of places to make decisions and hopefully guide the Allies to victory. As someone who is not a wargamer, I find it to be engaging and one that I look forward to exploring more."
