On 28 June 1914, Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria and his wife were shot dead in Sarajevo, by Gavrilo Princip, member of the Black Hand, a political organization seeking for a merging of the Balkan area into a Greater Serbia or a Yugoslavia.

Austria-Hungary subsequently issued an ultimatum against Serbia. As the ultimatum was rejected, Austria-Hungary then declared war, marking the outbreak of the war.

While France and Russia immediately sided with Serbia, Germany joined the Austria-Hungary and started a surprise offensive in the west with the objective of quickly defeating the French, to then turn east and knock the Tzarist Russia out of the war.

1914 is a game of World War I conflict simulation at the strategic level. It recalls the most decisive battles fought by Austria-Hungary on both the Balkan and the Eastern Front in 1914. Although based on historical events and battles, the players in command of the two factions can modify the evolution of World War I.

The game is recommended for two or four players, but has a good solitaire suitability.

Developed with a system of wooden blocks and cubes and played out over 2 70x90 cm multicolor mapboards, with more than 300 wooden/plastic components created by the best Italian artisinal industry and painted "A buratto", a technique usually adopted for painting car parts and accessories.

The rules are divided into three major sections which can be learned one at a time:
• The Basic Game Rules introduce the basic concepts and enable players to start playing the game without too many rules to remember.
• The Advanced Game Rules provide more specific and detailed rules for enhanced realism.
• The Optional Rules are for those who want to get the most out of the game, with rules for Strategic Warfare, Amphibious Landings, and more.

In 1914, 1 cm is approximately 10 km, a turn is 1 month long, and a full-strength counter represents a major military formation, normally corps size with some divisions and brigades.

The game can be played with "Fog of War" on (with the faces of wooden blocks hidden from the opponent) or off (all units are visible).

1914: Austria-Hungary at War

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