The Longest Day (1979)

The Longest Day is tactical level Monster game depicting the assault, buildup, and breakout of the Normandy Invasion.

The game includes over 1500 counters representing Battalion sized units and command units up to Corp level of the American and German armies in northern France. Seven map boards depict the invasion beaches and areas as far east as Cabourg, as far west as Coutances, and as far south as Avranches/Argentan. The counters are in the style of German WW2 military symbols representing armor, infantry, artillery, assault guns, bicycle units, etc. Five separate scenarios are presented using the programmed instruction approach learning only what's needed to play a scenario before moving on to the next scenario.

Once all the rules have been learned then the campaign game is played which can take up to several months to finish.

Avalon Hill complexity rating - 8

from "The Avalon Hill General Index and Company History, 1952-1980"

The Longest Day (1980)
Designed by Randall Reed
Development by N/A

Two and a half years in the making, TLD represents a high point in research and simulation, but is it $65 worth of game? Perhaps the last of a dying breed, the public will vote with its dollars to determine if AH ever ventures into the monster game category again.

Magazine Reference:

The GENERAL Index Article List:

• The GENERAL Vol.19,No.1
  • The Longest Day – “An Overview” (Design Commentary/Variant) Jim Burnett
  • The Question Box - The Longest Day
• The GENERAL Vol.19,No.2
  • The Longest Day – “An Overview, Part II” (Design Commentary/Variant) Jim Burnett
  • Design Analysis - The Longest Day Jim Burnett
• The GENERAL Vol.22,No.6
  • “They're Coming!: German concerns for the First Turn” (Discussion) By Dan Thompson and Steve Piotrowski