Coast Watchers takes you into the World War II South Pacific’s struggle between Allied intelligence teams and Japanese security forces. Standup blocks hide coastwatching stations, guerrillas, refugees, and stranded Allied crew. Facedown counters hide the buildup of Japanese forces, which the coastwatchers seek to observe and report to headquarters. Other counters show where Japanese patrols are searching for coastwatchers or go into and get drawn from cups to run Japanese searches and Allied delivery missions.

Each side has Mission cards. Allied Missions assign side tasks to the coastwatchers. Japanese Missions lay out secret military objectives for victory points, including air and sea operations against which the coastwatchers are to warn Allied forces. By hunting coastwatchers while building up military readiness and guiding operations, the Japanese player seeks to slip through the enemy intelligence net. Players also draw Asset cards: special abilities to augment actions and perhaps add victory points.

Coast Watchers offers 15 standalone “Situations” plus 4 campaigns to tie them together. The Situations span the early-1942 Japanese incursion into the South Pacific to the neutralization of their great base at Rabaul by the end of 1943.

A solitaire system is included.