Gameplay
Gameplay for 13 Days: The Cuban Missile Crisis, 1962.
Overview
Two players lead the USA and USSR for three rounds. Prestige is shared: gaining a point pulls the marker toward your faction. Nuclear war can defeat a player regardless of prestige.
Arenas
The board has nine arenas in three categories. 
Military arenas are Berlin, the Atlantic and military Cuba. 
Political arenas are Turkey, Italy and political Cuba. 
World-opinion arenas are Television, United Nations and Alliances.
To dominate an arena, have strictly more influence there than the opponent. Equal influence gives neither side dominance. Each side can have up to five cubes in each arena, using its own finite supply of seventeen.
Military Cuba and political Cuba are separate arenas. They and the Atlantic are linked for their agenda bonuses; see Arena agendas.
A round
| Phase | Procedure |
|---|---|
| 1. Escalation | Raise all six DEFCON markers one step, even in the first round. |
| 2. Agendas | Shuffle the agenda deck. Deal 3 to each player, flag the possibilities, then secretly keep 1. Return the other 2 to the bottom of the deck without revealing them. |
| 3. Strategy and initiative | Draw 5 strategy cards each. The player behind in prestige chooses who plays first; on a tie the USSR chooses. Alternate until each has played 4 cards. |
| 4. Aftermath card | Put each remaining card face down in the shared aftermath pile. |
| 5. World opinion | Resolve Television, United Nations and Alliances, in that order. |
| 6. Agendas | Reveal both agendas; apply their escalation and resolve their prestige awards simultaneously. Recover the flags and discard the resolved agendas face up. |
| 7. War check | Check each player for nuclear war. |
| 8. Advance | Move the round marker. After round 3, resolve the aftermath; otherwise begin the next round. |
The chosen starting player plays first throughout that round. Playing an opposing card may give the opponent an event during your turn; this does not replace their next regular turn.
Choosing an agenda
Flags show all three agendas you drew, not just the one selected. For the Personal Letter agenda, put the flag at United Nations. Hide your selected card beneath the board at your faction’s agenda position. Both players can win prestige from either revealed agenda.
Between rounds
Influence and DEFCON positions carry over; they are not reset to setup positions. The Personal Letter also stays with its current holder. Begin the next round by raising all DEFCON markers again.