Sunset Games is a boutique war games publisher with an eye for quality. These are true classics, under-the-radar wargames that deserve a second look, especially if you’re hunting a unique vision for familiar settings. Whether it’s innovative multiplayer conflict, a swift impulse mechanism to cover the wide swath of blue ocean in the pacific theater of WW2, or a team-friendly battle in the snowy Ardennes woods, Sunset Games keeps a barometer on games to try.
That said, when looking at these titles, be aware that many Sunset Games editions are primarily in Japanese, with counters and other details not provided in English (though most contain English-edition rules). Many have English language versions (possibly by other publisher) or have options to print rules in other languages, but you’ll want to have a plan to bridge that language barrier when you pick up your copy.
The Pacific Theater, Refined
Diving into a strategic-level wargame in the Pacific Theatre of WW2 is always an adventure. Developing rules to cover carrier battles, amphibious assaults, and migration across vast ocean distances while keeping the gameplay tight is a challenge, one that venerable classic Pacific Fleet (Hiroaki Sato) handles with aplomb.
First published in 1983, but with a third edition released by Sunset Games in 2021 with improved counters and tweaked rules, Pacific Fleet packs a lot of game into a reasonable package. In other words, you won’t be sprawling its maps over several tables, or be setting aside weeks upon weeks to play a scenario (though the complete campaign is by no means an afternoon endeavor).
Pacific Fleet finds its unique footing with its turn structure, dialing in an impulse system to subdivide turns and allow more granular, and interactive, maneuvers, attacks, and action. In other words, you’re not moving your entire force on your turn, then watching your opponent meander through their entire fleet. Instead, smaller engagements break out dynamically, zooming you into the action for a rapid series of events before slipping back out to the strategic level.
All of this is packed into a relatively svelte 25 page rulebook, with much of the ‘weight’ here packed into the decisions you’re making, and their downstream effects: the US might want to pull some battleships to fend off a Japanese ambush, but doing so might drain their fuel too low to prevent their helping with an amphibious assault. Can your marines handle the suddenly evened odds, or will the points gained by taking territory outpace potentially losing ships to a lopsided attack?
Pacific Fleet helps you come to grips with those decisions by packing in numerous scenarios covering all the elements, including, in the expanded game, land actions in Asia. As in so many of the great wargames, tackling these scenarios teaches you the rules and gives you the footing to handle the complete campaign in an epic head-to-head or solitaire-friendly adventure (there’s very little hidden information here, making it easy to play both sides in typical solo style).
If you’ve never tried a Pacific Theatre game, or want a different flavor, coming from a Japanese designer, of your favorite setting, Pacific Fleet is worth a look.
The Ardennes Finds a Friend
Like Pacific Fleet, Battle for the Ardennes (Danny Parker) is a classic updated and restored by Sunset Games. Initially published in 1978 and designed by Danny Parker, Battle for the Ardennes bundles four individual maps that can be combined into two campaigns, a novel approach made better by including both 1940 and 1944 scenarios. Battle for the Ardennes strikes a balance between playable complexity and realism, allowing for options like destroying bridges or attaching artillery to vehicles for rapid movement, without distracting from a session’s narrative.
In short, you’ll believe you’re battling in the Bulge, without needing to page through the rulebook every other minute.
Battle for the Ardennes also functions pretty well as a multiplayer game, with the combined maps determining player control (two each for the allies and the
axis). If a unit on your side swings into your map, you direct it, which makes for a clean separation of powers, and more simpler set of options for each player. And, you know, barreling a Panzer over a river with a buddy cheering at your back is just plain fun.
If you’ve never tried a Battle of the Bulge war game, you’re in for a setting treat. Rivers, woods, a broad collection of forces with dynamic objectives, particularly on the German side. It’s a desperate race on one side and a fraught struggle to survive on the other, a unique setup that drives immediate conflict. No poking, prodding, and turtling in poor little towns here.
That 1940 scenario, too, flips the tables, putting the allied players on the back foot underneath a healthy German juggernaut. Territory that might’ve been a defensive stronghold into a launchpad for an enemy assault is a great tactical twist, and a fun way to make maps multi-use. If you jump into this game, don’t sleep on the earlier scenario: it’s a different beast, and one worth digging into.
All that said, the Sunset Games edition of Battle for the Ardennes is a Japanese conversion, so if you’re looking for an English-language edition, look for versions by TSR, SPI, and Decision Games instead.
Shogun, The Game
Looking at a game box and seeing a player count that goes from 1 – 16 is something that either strikes deep fear and suspicion into your heart, or gets you excited about the possibilities. If you’re the latter, Feudal Lord (Yukihiro Kuroda) can become a day, or weekend, devouring experience about warlords raging through 16th century Japan.
This is a wargame first and foremost, with its focus squarely on combat and negotiation. You’re marching samurai into dice-driven battles, dealing with 
game-altering event cards, treachery, and the satisfaction of stabbing your former ally in the back just to get a nice little castle for yourself. Personality is rampant, with generals having unique abilities, the counters and board bearing striking color, and a bevy of historical scenarios to dig into.
That last bit brings a qualifier, as Feudal Lord is less interested in perfect balance than narrative, and picking the right scenario for your group will go a long way. Players okay with taking a ‘lesser’ role in a conflict, like playing Italy in a WW2 game, will have opportunities to shine here, choosing their moments and making the most of the game’s diplomacy elements. Similarly, Feudal Lord goes over well when you’re flexible with things like player elimination – if you’re planning a weekend around this game, you’d do well to have something on hand to keep your pal entertained after his warlord is wiped out in an early round. Winning means taking territory, which means piling on weaker players is an attractive option.
Committing to theme, though, is part of Feudal Lord’s sharp charm. You won’t find many war games able to handle this many players well, and you’ll find just as few willing to dig deep into Japanese history. If you have a group willing to dig into samurai warfare, can roll with both wild dice and dramatic events, all while making deals left and right, well, Feudal Lord is your game.
Sekigahara makes an easy claim to Shogun fame, but that game locks two players into two sides. Feudal Lord is the political, spiritual match: a dozen or more knives locked together in a beautiful island cage, just the way Shogun meant it.
Playing Japanese Language Games
Sunset Games makes its classics primarily in Japanese. They’re often great productions, but I would be remiss to suggest diving in if you have little working knowledge of the language. Instead, if you’re looking at the games above and really want to give them a try, consider first finding a friend that knows Japanese (kidding, mostly).
Some Sunset Games titles have rules translations, like Battle for the Ardennes and Pacific Fleet. The Board Game Geek (and other wargaming) forums are a great place to get translated images of combat charts, counters, and other bits and bobs. You’ll be able to print out what you need and have it handy.
Japanese dictionaries (or a handy smartphone with a translation app) can help too, giving you a snappy way to confirm what this or that piece means. These
are all still, at their hearts, traditional wargames, and your experience in the genre will span the language barrier. That said, picking up one of these gems and expecting everything in perfect English is a recipe for disappointment.
Yet, these games are special classics, and making the effort to bring them to the table is a very real way to play with history. Especially with 15 of your best friends all staring at one another, guessing which samurai will swing it first.
A Curator of Classic War Games
Sunset Games is a specialized publisher, bringing classics back to life in updated editions that, if you’re up to tackling the language barrier, will give you a highlight wargaming experience. With a little legwork, you can dive into these excellent editions and experience their unique, often multiplayer, approach to wargaming.
