Overview

13 Days is a two-player card-driven game simulating the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis. One player controls the US (blue) and the other the USSR (red). Players compete to gain Prestige by dominating battlegrounds around the globe and controlling DEFCON tracks, while avoiding triggering nuclear war. The game is played over 3 rounds, each consisting of 8 steps. The player with the most Prestige at the end wins — but pushing too far on the DEFCON tracks means instant defeat.

Components

• 1 Game board
• 39 Strategy cards (13 UN, 13 US, 13 USSR)
• 1 Personal Letter card
• 13 Agenda cards
• 34 Influence cubes (17 red, 17 blue)
• 6 DEFCON markers (3 red discs, 3 blue discs)
• 6 Flag counters (3 US, 3 USSR)
• 1 Prestige marker (yellow disc)
• 1 Round marker (black disc)

Setup

1. Place the Game board on the table. Decide who plays US (blue) and USSR (red).
2. Each player takes all 17 Influence cubes in their color and their 3 Flag counters.
3. Place 1 blue cube in Italy and 1 blue cube in Turkey. Place 1 red cube in Berlin and 1 red cube in Cuba (military) as indicated on the board.
4. Place the Round marker on the first space of the Round track.
5. Place the Prestige marker in the middle of the Prestige track.
6. Place the 3 blue and 3 red DEFCON markers on their indicated starting spaces.
7. Shuffle the 13 Agenda cards and place face down near the board.
8. Shuffle the 39 Strategy cards and place face down near the board.
9. The US player starts with the Personal Letter card face up in front of them.

Turn Structure

Each of the 3 rounds follows these 8 steps:

1. Escalate DEFCON Tracks

Escalate all DEFCON markers one step (including the first round).

2. Draw Agendas

Shuffle the Agenda deck. Deal 3 cards to each player. Each player places their 3 Flag counters on the corresponding battlegrounds/DEFCON tracks. Each player secretly selects 1 Agenda card and tucks it face down beneath the board. The other 2 Agenda cards are returned to the deck without revealing them.

3. Strategy Cards & Initiative

Each player draws 5 Strategy cards. The player trailing on Prestige determines which player has initiative (plays first). If tied, USSR decides (always the case in Round 1). Players alternate playing Strategy cards (4 cards each, 8 total plays per round).

4. Save Card for Aftermath

After 4 turns each, both players tuck their remaining Strategy card face down into the Aftermath stack.

5. World Opinion Bonus

The player with the most Influence cubes on each world opinion battleground triggers the corresponding effect (ties = no effect). Resolve in order:

• Television: Dominating player may escalate or deflate one of their DEFCON tracks by 1 step.
• United Nations: Dominating player receives the Personal Letter card. No effect if they already hold it.
• Alliances: Dominating player draws the top Strategy card and adds it face down to the Aftermath stack or discards it face up.

6. Resolve Agendas

Reveal both selected Agendas simultaneously. If an Agenda has a DEFCON icon, all DEFCON markers in the DEFCON 2 area of that track escalate 1 step. Award Prestige to the dominating player: Prestige = difference in Influence cubes (or DEFCON steps) + bonus Prestige shown on the Agenda/battleground. Ties = no Prestige. A player can never lead by more than 5 Prestige.

7. Check for Nuclear War

A player immediately loses if:

• Any of their DEFCON markers is in the DEFCON 1 area, OR
• All 3 of their DEFCON markers are in the DEFCON 2 area.

If both players trigger nuclear war in the same round, both lose.

8. Advance Round Marker

Advance the Round marker. If it reaches the Aftermath spot, resolve the Aftermath and determine the winner.

Actions

Playing Strategy Cards

Each card can be played in one of two ways:

Command: Place OR remove (not both) the number of Influence cubes shown on the card to/from a single battleground (your own cubes only). You may use fewer cubes than shown. Maximum 5 cubes per player per battleground. Hard limit of 17 total cubes per player.

• DEFCON Effect: Placing/removing cubes affects the connected DEFCON track. The effect is 1 step per cube after the first (so 1 cube = no DEFCON change, 3 cubes = 2 steps).
• Opponent’s Cards for Command: Cards of your opponent’s superpower can only be played for Command. Hand the card to your opponent first — they may choose to trigger the Event before your Command action.

Event: Play any card of your own superpower or UN alignment for its Event text instead of Command. Event text overrides general rules (except the 5-cube-per-battleground maximum). If the card has a DEFCON icon, the Event may affect DEFCON tracks normally; if no DEFCON icon, no DEFCON effect.

Personal Letter Card

The holder may play it alongside a Strategy card played for Command to increase its Influence by +1. Then pass the Personal Letter to the opponent.

Scoring / Victory Conditions

During Play

• Prestige is awarded when Agendas are resolved (step 6).
• Basic Prestige = difference in Influence cubes or DEFCON steps on the Agenda’s battleground/track.
• Bonus Prestige: +0 to +2 as shown on the battleground. DEFCON tracks always award +1. Cuba (military), Cuba (political), and Atlantic are connected — each awards +1 for each other connected battleground also dominated.
• Maximum Prestige lead: 5.

Aftermath (End of Game)

Reveal all Strategy cards saved in the Aftermath stack (6-9 cards). Count Influence cubes on US and USSR Events only (ignore UN Events). The player with the highest total gains 2 Prestige. Ties = no Prestige.

Winner

The player with the most Prestige wins. If tied, the player holding the Personal Letter card wins.

Instant Loss

Triggering nuclear war (DEFCON 1 area or all 3 markers in DEFCON 2 area at step 7) = immediate loss.

Special Rules & Edge Cases

• DEFCON conditions may be temporarily violated during steps 1-6; they are only checked in step 7.
• No DEFCON marker may be moved beyond the limits of the track — leave it at the top or bottom.
• The Personal Letter Agenda awards 2 Prestige to the player holding the Personal Letter card (not based on Influence cubes).
• When the UN wins the Personal Letter at world opinion, and the holder already has it, there is no effect.
• Cards played as Events override normal placement rules but never exceed the 5-cube limit per battleground.
• Opponent Events triggered on your turn are resolved as if the opponent played the card (but on your turn).

Player Reference

Step	Action
1	Escalate all DEFCON markers 1 step
2	Draw 3 Agendas, place Flags, select 1 secretly
3	Draw 5 Strategy cards, determine initiative, play 4 cards alternating
4	Save remaining card to Aftermath
5	Resolve world opinion: TV → UN → Alliances
6	Reveal Agendas, award Prestige
7	Check nuclear war (DEFCON 1 or all 3 in DEFCON 2 = lose)
8	Advance Round marker

Key Numbers:

• 17 Influence cubes per player (hard limit)
• 5 cubes max per player per battleground
• 5 Prestige max lead
• 3 rounds, 4 card plays per player per round
• DEFCON effect: 1 step per cube after the first