Board games BOARD GAMES

War of the Daleks

The thing about this game was it was impossible to hide behind the sofa AND play the game at the same time. Unless of course you played the game while hiding behind the sofa.

The War Of the Daleks game was brilliant. Based on the TV series “Doctor Who” and in particular the episode of the same name, it was brilliant and really exciting to move around the board.

One of the best things about it is that it had little toy Daleks that you had to avoid / could move around the board. Even when they were small they looked scary!

It was relased in 1975 by Strawberry Fayre though my family had it in the early 1980’s when Tom Baker was the Doctor. It was a high point for Doctor Who, with Douglas Adams writing for the series and Tom Baker’s funny doctor at the helm.

You could play with 2 – 4 players (so our whole family could play – even my dad liked to play it) and the aim of the game was to destroy the Dalek Control Centre, and try not to get exterminated! (obviously!)

There were those 8 Daleks patrolling on a track that you had to cross. You and your opponents could move the track when you landed on the appropriate square - if the Daleks touch you when they are moving, you go back to the beginning. You also had a gun to help protect you or to destroy a Dalek.

It was very interactive and you had to turn a dial to make the track and the Daleks move.

Most frustratingly, once you get to the end, you had to lift the cap off the control centre in the middle (which is also the knob for turning the Dalek track) and if you had an “explosion card” you would win, but if you got Davros (the leader of the Daleks) you would have to go back to the beginning! Dalek Russian roulette.

Most fun, and a great way to become slightly less frightened of the Daleks when you watched them on TV. I remember playing the game in a huge coulourful scarf and pretending to be Tom Baker’s Doctor. I even had a packet of Jelly Babies! Though I wouldn’t eat them because if I did I wouldn’t be able to offer them to people at odd moments…


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Do You Remember War of the Daleks?

Do You Remember War of the Daleks?

  • Anonymous user
    on
    The modern one (first released during David Tennant's time) is also good - the board keeps shifting round, accompanied by the TARDIS noise, and you have to find out where in time and space you are!
  • Andrew Dexter
    on
    I used to have this game, i didnt bother with it much but i used to play with the Daleks, i remember taking them to school with me and my class mate david chard wpould provide good dialog for the Dalek, though he didnt do a Dalek voice quite as good as me!..ha ha ha ,..good days, great memories, i think it was around 1976.
  • Anonymous user
    on
    Never heard of the game before, but it looks great- as a Dr.Who fan, I might try to bag one on eBay! Only one point though- it was actually Peter Davidson who was the Doc. in the early '80s, after Tom Baker quit in '81.