SGS Overlord

SGS Overlord is a standalone game about the World War II campaign in Normandy, from D-Day on June 6, 1944, through the end of August. You command either German forces or the Allies in turns representing three days, aiming to hold or break through the front as the campaign unfolds.

The Normandy campaign

The game covers the full operation, from the landings to the breakout. As the German commander, you try to hold the front for as long as possible; each week gained may improve the Reich’s chances of survival. As the Allied commander, you lead American, British, Canadian, Polish and French forces to establish a foothold, break out of Normandy and advance toward Paris and Germany.

You can play the full campaign or choose one of four scenarios:

• Grand Campaign: 30 three-day turns, from June 6 to September 3, 1944, covering the campaign from the first operations to its final days.
• Bocage: 22 three-day turns, from June 30 to September 3, 1944, focused on the difficult fighting in the Normandy bocage after the landings.
• Race for Cherbourg: 7 turns, covering June 6–26, 1944. The Allies must try to capture the deep-water port of Cherbourg, while the Germans can defend it to disrupt Allied logistics.
• Operation Cobra: 15 turns, covering July 2 to August 18, 1944, including the American breakout from Normandy under Patton and Bradley after the German front is broken at Avranches.

Units and terrain

Land units represent brigades or divisions, with smaller forces such as garrisons and local defenses also included. Allied air units and naval support are represented in groups. The game also includes numerous fortifications and supply units, including wagons and depots.

The German side fields land units from the Wehrmacht, Luftwaffe and Waffen SS. German forces have good-quality troops, defensive positions and terrain advantages, but no air support. Marshes, woods and forests—and especially the bocage—offer strong protection, and German forces can gain local advantages at key moments.

The Allies have substantial air superiority, along with American, British, Canadian, Polish and French troops. They need to unite their beachheads and secure a port as a safe supply source; reinforcements and numbers then become important. Weather can limit Allied air superiority, while supply affects the Allies in particular. Both can slow the campaign and make it resemble positional warfare rather than a fast Blitzkrieg.

Playing either side

Neither side is designated as favored. Each has strengths and weaknesses, and scenario information sheets provide details to help you learn them. The Allies are identified as the harder side to play. Estimated playtime ranges from one hour to many hours.