WHITE DOG GAMES
The Adventure of Board Game Development
On October 3, 1993, US Special Forces under the auspices of the UN were tasked with capturing top lieutenants of the hostile warlord Mohamed Farrah Aidid in Mogadishu, Somalia.
The game begins with US forces preparing to raid a building (the Meeting House) near the Olympic Hotel to capture these high-level members of Aidid’s Somali National Alliance (SNA).
The player’s goal is to get US forces out of Mogadishu with their captives and return safely to a UN base.
That may be easier said than done as Aidid’s forces have been made aware of the raid and are making haste to attack UN troops, resulting in the Battle of Mogadishu. The player controls the UN side and solitaire rules play Aidid’s forces.
Player Feedback: "Yesterday I put together a print and play copy of The MOG: Mogadishu 1993 and played a few scenarios. It's a very clever little solo game and it really captures the feel of the "Black Hawk Down" book/ film. The game is tense, with tough decisions, twists of fate and a growing sense of being overwhelmed the longer you stay out in the field. Very fun, and a good depiction of events from the UN/US perspective.
I played 4 scenarios. The first 2 training scenarios are pretty straightforward, run in, grab the target and run out. I did have a surprise casualty in an unexpected assault, and that really throws a wrench in your plans.
Radio Mogadishu is a fun scenario where you need to organise a tactical retreat and fight your way towards the relief convoy. Very tense, you constantly feel like you're about to be overwhelmed.
Then I played the main event, Black Hawk Down. I started off with 3 Black Hawks shot down, so I needed to rush my helicopter units over to guard them until relief could arrive. Then it was 8 turns of tension as my trucks came in to load up the prisoners and the wounded while everyone else waited for the UN relief force to arrive. Lots of tension, but attack helicopter support saved me. I bought 3 attack helicopter for my initial force load out and these proved invaluable.
All in all, a great little solo game. My only criticism (and this is also true of the book/ film it is based on) is that it doesn't really explain the Somali perspective or the negative effects of US actions. Maybe you could also lose points for causing mayhem/ public casualties, thus lowering your reputation? It could make for a nice little campaign system. Still, the game gives a lot of fun and the force load out options give a lot of flexibility and variety for each mission." - Chris S.
Technical
Nominated for Best Modern Era Game in 2023
and nominated for Best Tactical Game in 2023
"Really enjoyed this game." - Salt Lamp Gaming
