Embrace the News: South China Sea

Our last series was all about escaping the news, and we do recommend taking a break every once in a while, but for those who obsessively check their news apps and have to be in the know, this new series is all about games on timely topics. While wargames mostly trend toward the historical, and are necessarily difficult to design around current events given the long lag time between game idea and game release, we managed to find a few to satisfy the urge to embrace the news.

This game stays tight until the end. Notice that the score marker is back on the "0” at the conclusion of the second of three rounds. Photo © 2026 WargamesandWhisky.com

Flashpoint: South China Sea‍ (we earn a small commission from our affiliate link at no cost to you) is just such a news-embracing experience, presenting the political and military zero-sum game occurring between the United States and China for hegemony of south-eastern Asia. And it is actually zero sum - every point you score directly removes a point from your opponent; there is only one score marker! It is the “pivot to Asia” multiple American administrations have discussed, right before it’s inevitably drowned out by another crisis.

On the board here is not a potential invasion of Taiwan, but the war of influence and naval posturing as proxy for the greater struggle. Flashpoint: South China Sea focuses on enduring diplomatic and ephemeral economic influence over the strategic nations of Southeast Asia (and the disputed islands they claim) in contest with China. In gameplay terms, this is rendered in a familiar core loop, using Event Cards for their Operations value or the Event text itself, placing influence cubes, and trying to outmaneuver your opponent and eke out a few points when the scoring cards are triggered. Be careful though - because some of the strongest actions are the most provocative, and increase regional tensions, restricting future actions on the board. All of the Events are ripped from the headlines, from allegations of human rights abuses to the outbreak of COVID-19, while the leaders of regional players on and off board are treated as wild cards, playable by both sides (see what we did there?) An interesting addition in Flashpoint: South China Sea is the ability to engage in political warfare, taking a gamble that could yield dividends through locking your opponent out of a country’s diplomatic and economic zones entirely. 

An innovation we really like is the addition of specific scoring capabilities for every card. Instead of the ‘Ops. or Event’ choice, Flashpoint: South China Sea also allows you to play an Event card to immediately score a specified region or category (economic, diplomatic, etc.), but once that region or category is scored each round, it cannot be scored again.This culminates in a Final Scoring at the end of the third round, where all scoring cards are scored sequentially, and if one side gets to 15 points, the game ends immediately before the remaining regions can be scored. 

If you’re looking for a way to ease into the admittedly heavy category of wargames reflective of current events, you won’t go wrong with the tug-of-war tension, tactical maneuvering, and fast play of Flashpoint: South China Sea. What will you see reflected in its gameplay?

Every bottle of Ironclad has a secret for those patient enough to reveal it! Photo © 2026 WargamesandWhisky.com

For this fast-paced game, we recommend Ironclad, a bourbon that epitomizes that distinct flavor of Virginia corn, along with malted barley, rye, and wheat. Ironclad is named for the Civil War battle that featured the first ships bedecked in iron armor, which took place within sight of the distillery near the Port of Newport News, VA. This small batch whiskey from founder Stephen King (no, not the author) is aged over four years, benefiting from the state’s extremely hot summers and cold winters, and James River air, while maturing in small, fresh oak barrels, meaning more contact with the wood. As a result, Ironclad’s flavor profile is sweeter, plummier, and also substantially more oak-tannic than many whiskeys, especially of the Kentucky variety. But like any good scuffle in the South China Sea, it will be memorable! Another unique element? This bottle has a secret that can be revealed by slowly pulling up the label from the black triangle featured along the bottom edge. This will take patience and finesse, much like the game itself.

Bonus Fact: Flashpoint: South China Sea comes with its own soundtrack - three of them, actually - reflective of the tension level, giving players a musical accompaniment to their brinkmanship!