Fire in the lake. DEVIR

One of the hottest points of the Cold War occurred in Southeast Asia in the late 1960s, as a result of the decolonization process in French Indochina. Vietnam was divided into two countries (a pro-communist North and a Western-aligned South). Fearing that the South might fall under communist influence, the United States committed extensive military efforts to arm the country, becoming embroiled in a conflict that marked several generations.

The Vietnam War has been portrayed in film (Apocalypse Now, Platoon, Full Metal Jacket), literature, and also in the world of board games. Designed by Mark Herman and Volko Ruhnke, Fire in the Lake is a board game for 1 to 4 players that simulates the conflict between insurgent and counterinsurgent forces (COIN) during the main period of U.S. intervention in Vietnam (1964–1972), up to the Paris Peace Accords.

Each player assumes the role of one of the four participating factions, attempting to determine the fate of South Vietnam: the United States (USA), the Army of North Vietnam (NVA), the Army of South Vietnam (ARVN), or the Southern Communists of the Viet Cong (VC). Through military, political, and economic actions, as well as leveraging various events, players accumulate and deploy their forces to influence or control the population, extract resources, or achieve their faction’s objectives. A deck of cards governs the order of each turn, events, victory checks, and other processes. The rules also allow for “virtual” players, enabling solo play or games with fewer than four participants.

Fire in the Lake is Volume IV of GMT’s COIN series, all of which have similar rules designed to simulate modern insurgencies or other conflicts from different eras, with multiple factions present. With a core card-driven mechanic, this wargame immerses players fully in the conflict, taking command of one of the four asymmetrical factions involved. The fate of history is in your hands—repeat it or change it forever.