Beschreibung
AUKUS & CHINA is 2-5 player, easy to learn hard to master, asymmetric modern-day strategy wargame. Area control meets hidden resource allocation and open-choice deck building. A&C explores the fictional scenario of an escalating conflict between the USA and China and their allies.

You and your friends are the leaders of one of 5 teams on 2 sides. Red side teams: China and Russia. Blue side teams: USA, UK-AUS-FRA, JPN-KOR.
Your goal in the game is to drive down the enemy side’s morale points. Morale points represent the public’s political willingness and economic ability to continue to support the government’s war efforts. Allies will win or lose together. You can drive down the other side’s morale points by controlling sea and land areas, and winning battles.

Mechanics that Make AUKUS & CHINA Unique:

Asymmetric Gameplay: Asymmetry plays a central role across all aspects of the game, manifesting on both side-specific and team-specific levels. This asymmetry ranges from resource availability and unit deployment to strategic options and unit-specific abilities. We refer to this as 'layered asymmetry,' which simplifies the learning curve for new players, as they don't need to immediately grasp multiple unique playstyles. Instead, they can gradually understand and adapt to the nuances of each level, making it easier to think strategically and empathize with different player perspectives. Simultaneously, it offers seasoned players a thrilling challenge to put themselves in their opponents' shoes, deepening the strategic complexity and excitement of the game.
Unit special abilities: Unit special abilities are the most prominent aspect of the game's asymmetry. These abilities allow players to strategically outmaneuver and even overpower larger forces with smaller ones by using the right combination of units and their unique powers. This depth of strategic options, stemming from the diverse abilities of each unit, provides unmatched variety and replayability.
Permadeath: Units are in limited supply. Units destroyed in combat are permanently removed and placed in the destroyed section of a team's tray, with some exceptions.
Catch up: We call it 'Rallying Call'—a game mechanism that allows players to use their setbacks as a catalyst to redouble their efforts in combat. It supports the trailing side by effectively preventing any player from gaining an insurmountable lead, thereby maintaining a competitive and challenging gameplay environment.
Hidden resource allocation at both macro and micro levels: You secretly manage your resources across three main powers: Mobilization power for deploying new units, Operational power for moving units, and Intel power for using unit special abilities, tactics, and cyber warfare. Plus, you use special abilities in combat covertly.
Escalation dynamics: The game unfolds over five escalation phases, introducing new units, combat zones, and events, making it progressively engaging. This structure is ideal for beginners to learn at their own pace and for seasoned players to strategically build their approach, while also ensuring that early mistakes don't immediately jeopardize the game, allowing for a more forgiving and fun experience.


The story of AUKUS & CHINA:
It's the second decade of the third millennium. The Indo-Pacific has become the core of the global economy, fueling the unprecedented growth of China, positioning it as a rival to the United States. In response, the USA and its allies have announced the AUKUS security pact to contain the expansion of China, which aims to displace the US as the world’s pre-eminent power. Finding itself increasingly isolated, China has strengthened its alliance with Russia, united by their belief that the current international arrangements give the US too much power and their determination to change that and to create a new world order, where new institutions, ideas and power structures will better accommodate their interests. The board is set, the pieces are moving. It's your turn to shape the outcome of the great conflict of our time.

We have put considerable effort into ensuring geographical and military accuracy, in proportion to the game's level of abstraction.

—description from the designer