Towards Freedom with Maquis and the Resistance Fighters
Follow the adventure of a small group of French resistance fighters in the dangerous struggle within Maquis.
A quick look at my recorded plays and I was thoroughly embarrassed. This wonderful board game arrived months ago and I got through… 2 plays?! Maquis deserves better! Although I don’t know if I’ll necessarily do a deep dive, this is something that deserves to have more table time. I eagerly set things up and prepared for some stealthy operatives.
Game Overview
Game Name: Maquis
Publication Year: 2013
Designer: Jake Staines
Artists: Ilya Baranovsky and Jake Staines
Solo Mode: Designed for Solo (Included in the Base Game)
This brave trio was all that stood between the Nazis and hope. With a set of missions and objectives, they had to carefully plot their way around town and avoid capture.
I don’t pretend to know what it would have been like during this time period, but the game’s tension is real.
First Play
November 17, 2019
Complexity
2
Latest Play
March 6, 2021
Expansions
0
Setup Time
Almost None
Lifetime Plays
6
Play Time
20 Minutes
High Score
N/A
Game Area
18" x 14"
Low Score
N/A
Plotting Safe Passage from Area to Area
At its core, the game centers around careful movement. Every resistance fighter must be able to trace a path back to a safe house at the end of the turn. If not, an arrest is imminent! This is why it’s vital to sometimes place an individual in a space that provides no benefit… Aside from blocking the Nazis from moving in. That’s quite an important job!
It’s a very difficult puzzle, particularly since the group is so small. A maximum of 5 resistance fighters may be active at once, but it’s much more common to have just 2-3 running about town. Arrests are, unfortunately, all too easy.
A Bit of Bad Luck
It was day 2. The resistance fighters were off to a decent enough start. A few resources had been collected and the safe house was as airtight as ever. All looked good!
A patrol tried to sweep the area and had nowhere to go. Morale had fallen enough to allow 4 patrols to appear during this round. Everywhere was already occupied.
My risky move meant that the resistance fighter at the grocer was immediately arrested. What’s worse…
The others had no safe passage back to the safe house, and that was that. In less than 5 minutes, failure occurred.
The Spare Room
I quickly reset and stuck with the same set of missions. No sense randomizing everything when I made no progress!
This time, my moves were more careful and calculated. I needed a bit of dynamite in order to complete an objective. Although early on, the chemist’s lab came in handy!
These spare room spaces are quite versatile because there is a selection of possible purposes. Every mission is a little different, so there’s no telling what will be required.
With the chemist’s lab so close to the safe house, I secured the dynamite immediately. Still, there was a lot to do!
Dangerous Progress and Startling Arrests
I managed to recruit all of the resistance fighters, but only had about 3-4 out at any time. Time was slowly running out, and it was vital that risky moves be taken. Sadly, this meant immediate arrests. I tried my best to ensure that everyone could make it to a safe house. In fact, I constructed a second one as another spare room! But it wasn’t enough.
With a distinct lack of weapons, only a single patrol was killed during the entire time. Even with that, I found my force down to a lone individual. Oh, my! This was going to be tough. It would all come down to a little, sneaking luck.
One Against Them All
Graffiti was in place across town as part of an objective. Alas, another resistance fighter was lost as she moved the sabotage mission ahead. Her service was not for naught.
It was down to the lone ranger! All he had to do was make it to the factory and drop off the dynamite.
Granted, I think I won this regardless since the objective would be completed, no matter what. Still, I wanted to get this brave fighter back to a safe house!
The patrols were out in force at an alarming rate. But wait… They concentrated their efforts in the wrong spots!
Successful Missions
Even though most of the resistance fighters had been arrested, their deeds went on to be remembered. Never did these yellow cubes look so lovely! Victory, at last.
There is an element of emotion behind the mechanics, though. I felt terrible whenever anyone was arrested, especially when it was due to me taking extra risks.
Did I make the right decisions? I pulled off the win, yet this experience made me think beyond a win-loss state.
Historical games have a tendency to get me emotionally invested, and this solo game does it very well.
Session Overview
Play Number: 3 and 4
Solo Mode: Designed for Solo (Included in the Base Game)
Play Details: Easy Difficulty Level
Required Play Space: 18″ x 14″
Setup Time: Almost None
Play Time: 5-20 Minutes per Play
Outcome: Win and Loss
I pulled it off right near the end! Even though I played at one of the easier difficulty levels, I still struggled to plan everything out. This was far from a total victory with just another day to go and a lone survivor.
%
1 Play
Affordability
Price & Value
8
Functionality
Challenges & Mechanics
10
Originality
Design & Theme
7
Quality
Components & Rules
10
Reusability
Achievement & Enjoyment
5
Variability
Distinctness & Randomness
7
Victory Conditions
Complete Both Missions
- Overall Goal Progress 67%
Goals and Milestones
Win at least 1 game at the easy difficulty level.
Win at least 1 game at the very easy difficulty level.
Win at least 1 game at the tricky difficulty level.
Continue the Conversation
Do you have any favorite moments from Maquis? The difficult decisions are plentiful and I still wonder if I might have done things a little differently. Are there other games that get you emotionally involved, if even just a little bit? I hope to keep this one in a more regular rotation, particularly since I have many more difficulty levels to try out!
On my short list. Looks out of stock at this time, so hopefully some reprintings will occur! Thanks for the overview. 🙂
I hope you come across a copy soon, Derek! The design and mechanics are really unique, and the components look even better in person. But I’m not here to sway you in one direction… Ha ha! I know some have mentioned how it may not have a lot of variability in the long-run, yet I still feel like there are plenty of strategies to work on.
Besides, the different difficulty levels mean that there’s a learning curve towards mastering it. Last I checked, the price tag was certainly worth what the experience offers up. Thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment!
If that’s a possibility for you, PnP files are available on BoardGameGeek. It is the complete game.
Ah, I had forgotten about this option. Thanks for bringing it up, Brenoit! I believe the most up-to-date and complete files are the Maquis 2019 PnP Files. Enjoy!
I know what you mean about wanting to get people out. In V-Commandos, the success criterion is all mission objectives completed and at least one commando leaving the map alive. In a game a few months back, we’d done the objectives, and three out of four of us were on exit spaces with the fourth surrounded by enemies. “All right”, we thought, “we’ve passed this mission – now let’s see if we can rescue him too”. And we did!
That sounds like an awesome ending! I’m with you: Sometimes the success criteria just doesn’t seem like enough. Going the extra step just feels more rewarding, even if it might result in fewer overall points. I particularly love the games where the meeples or characters feel like more than just placeholders or components. I like to care about them!