On November 9, 2009, the world marked the 20th anniversary of the end of the Cold War. That was the day that the most tangible symbol of the Cold War - the Berlin Wall - was banished to the ash heap of history. Unlike the other major conflicts of the 20th century, the Cold War did not end in an explosion of neutrons, but rather in an explosion of human freedom and optimism. We had avoided what many thought inevitable: the destruction of humanity by armed conflict between the Soviet Union and the United States. Overnight, the face of Europe had changed. Suddenly everything was possible.

That was 23 years ago now. Unfortunately, we have all learned that the end of the Cold War was not "the end of history." Humanity would find new ways to divide itself. As the threat of nuclear holocaust disappeared, newer and more sinister forms of conflict took its place. Where once superpowers stormed the world, decentralized networks and even individuals are now capturing the world's attention.

This Deluxe Edition of Twilight Struggle attempts to capture the feeling of that earlier era. Twilight Struggle is a two-player game that simulates the forty-five-year dance of intrigue, prestige, and occasional outbreaks of warfare between the Soviet Union and the United States. Twilight Struggle utilizes the card-driven game mechanics pioneered in award-winning games like We the People and Hannibal: Rome vs. Carthage, recreating the conflict between the most powerful nation states the world has ever known. The scope of the game covers the entire world as it was found in 1945. Players move units and exert influence in attempts to gain allies and control for their superpower.

As with GMT's other card-driven games, decision making is challenging; How can you best use your cards and units with consistently limited resources? Twilight Struggle's Event cards provide coverage for a wide range of historical events, from the Berlin Airlift to the Vietnam War and the American peace movement, to the Cuban Missile Crisis. This Deluxe Edition of Twilight Struggle combines world-class components, with the kind of world-class gameplay for which GMT is already known. We can't think of a better way to commemorate this vital piece of world history. We invite you to illuminate an era with the words of one of the most iconic statesmen: "Now the trumpet calls us again, not as a call to bear arms, although we need arms; not as a call to battle, though we be in strife - but a call to bear the burden of a long battle in the twilight" - John F. Kennedy