Boardgames as Complex Cultural Artifacts

Here are game board designs for two titles, Twilight Struggle and Labyrinth, available through GMT Games.

Both fall under the 'card driven strategy' war-game, one of the particular niches GMT Games fulfills.  I own a copy of the deluxe edition of Twilight Struggle and although Labyrinth will not be available for purchase until this coming October, I have already reserved a copy.  Even though I always considered myself a board game fan, I never really understood the incredible diversity in the field until this past year.  That all changed when one day I found BoardGameGeek and looked over its listing of the top games.  Back then, as today, Twilight Struggle occupied the top rank in War Games, and near the top in both Strategy and Board Games over all.  I went to my local gaming store, Guardian Games, and purchased a copy the next day.

The famous "Record of Events"

Reading the reviews online, it becomes quickly evident that players really respond to the Cold War theme infused with the game-mechanic of influence spreading/control.  Use of a shuffled 'events' deck adds variability to the game experience, while specific mechanics ensure a continued level of pressure that makes every play memorable if not nerve wracking.  My copy contains a record of every game i've played, the various outcomes and winners inscribed on the underside of the box-top after each struggle is completed.

Just looking over the list brings back some memorable moments- the two day game, started at my friend Kevin's apartment and finished the next day at our local dive Beulahland, where I won as the USSR by two points after final scoring, or the game that ended in Kevin's favor when he played 'Wargames' and survived with one point to win for the USA.  The record is exclusively between Kevin and myself, as  Kevin is my only friend who has both the time and desire to play complete sessions with me.  (Although I did teach my girlfriend how to play not long ago)  Having never played a game quite like this, I became quite enamored with its presentation and play design.  Take a look at some of the 'event' cards contained within the three game decks. (The game is separated into three periods- early, middle, and late war)

The 'event' cards cover the gamut of Cold War moments

Playing the game, becoming immersed for hours (the two-day game took a total of six or seven gaming hours), I became aware that Twilight Struggle exists as a cultural artifact that, through its implementation and play-design mechanics, acts as a limited historical simulator.  This limited simulator creates a 'space' for the reenactment and reinterpretation of the Cold War through the construction of narrative revealed during game play.  Not only that, but the materials themselves (just look at the game boards and cards above) are also richly textured artifacts that evoke memories, in those old enough to have them, when viewed and used in the game.  For those like myself, who were born at the tail end of the Cold War (1981), the board, cards and chits used act as a sort of nostalgic link to a time some now romanticize in the wake of events surrounding us today.  Even though the game looks like a static object, its nature as a limited historical simulator makes the experience it creates kinetic- both player and game bring experiences and expectations to the act of playing, both working to produce a story that, in a limited way, helps bring a 'coherent' interpretation of the Cold War experience.

Over the next few posts I would like to explore Twilight Struggle as a rich text artifact, capable of encoding several layers of the milieu from which it was inspired.  I'll begin by looking at other fields of study that will help shed light on this process, namely material culture analysis and literary genre of Cold War studies, with some (brief) exploration of how Gramsci/Foucault/Lefebvre also inform this inquiry.  Then, I want to turn to the game itself and analyze the components within.  In conclusion, I want to look at other games that are either derivative, as in 1989, or take the simulator/narrative construction device to new grounds, like Labyrinth or Train. (Check out Brenda Brathwaite's talk on developing Train- it's incredible) My belief is that these boardgames, indeed all boardgames, are worthy artifacts of study that move beyond the (sometimes) playful nature of their existence.  At the very least, they deserve more attention in the study of culture and history. 


Note: Part II of this series can be found here.  And also, Part III.