Downfall: Conquest of the Third Reich

One player controls the Western Allies, while the other controls the Soviet Union in their joint effort to destroy the Axis. Although both players share the goal of defeating the Reich, each seeks a victory that promotes its dominance in post-war Europe. To this end, each player controls two factions:

The Western player commands the Western Allies faction and the OKH faction, i.e. the German and minor Axis armies fighting the Soviet Union in the east (Oberkommando des Heeres).

The Soviet player commands the Soviet faction and the OKW faction, i.e. the German and Italian armies facing the Western Allies in the West (Oberkommando der Wehrmacht).

Gameplay is driven by Downfall's innovative initiative track. The faction with the initiative chooses an order, pays its initiative cost by advancing its marker along the track, and carries out the order. Then, the faction with the initiative (based on updated marker positions) chooses the next order. There is no fixed sequence of play; initiative spending determines who plays next. The progression of faction markers along the track also triggers strategic events, weather changes and the advancement of game turns.