Board Game Event: The Grizzled, This War of Mine, and Axis & Allies & Zombies: Different Kinds of Wargames

Join us at Pandemonium for a special, 4-hour, demoed session to learn and play games! You’re especially welcome if you’ve never before played hobby board games (and are curious about where to start). You’re especially welcome if you want to play games that take on a different interpretation of “wargame” as we all prepare for Veterans Day on Monday.

The reenactment of historical battles or wars via board gaming has a rich tradition within the hobby (indeed, in Little Wars, H.G. Wells hoped that these kriegspiel could eliminate war entirely – as this excellent article outlines). But while these games are excellent at modeling strategies, tactics, and the logistics of troop movements – all while telling highly dramatic and engaging stories – what is often missing is the human cost of war, either on the soldiers themselves or the civilian populations caught up in a conflict. There are some designers that seek to make these oft-ignored elements the focus of the game, and we will have a few of them out to demo, just in case you wanted to try something a little different.

The Grizzled (1-4 players) is a cooperative game following a squad of French WWI soldiers trying to survive the Great War. There are no troops to move or squads to fight with dice: instead, the game is all about mitigating the various hazards assailing your characters in the trenches. Hazards are represented by cards that you can eliminate with the help of your teammates, and the goal, ultimately, is to survive (or withdraw when you realize you can’t face much more). The game is meant to be played as a series of short games, so for this event, feel free to start and see how far you get.

This War of Mine (1-6 players, though probably best at 3) is a board game based on the video game of the same name. The game takes place during the Siege of Sarajevo where civilians, caught in the battle, had to learn how to survive. This is not your typical cooperative game. To start, each player controls every character, so it’s more of a corporate experience of shifting decision making, rather than something where each player has a unique, rule-breaking ability. Secondly, the game is designed to teach you as you play, rather than giving you a set quantity of rules you need to know in order to start. And finally, it's a rough game. It’s often unfair and highly based on luck, much like the situation it attempts to model. Therefore, come with a small group and an open mind if you want to try this one out.

Finally, we’ll have Axis & Allies & Zombies (1-5 players). Although this game may seem more schlocky than serious, it takes one of the fundamental strategies of Axis & Allies (sacrificing infantry – your cheapest unit – to take hits) and imposes a rather heavy cost: any infantry killed in battle return as zombies, a neutral force that can hold and take territory as well as attack both aggressors and defenders in the same battle. This one, simple change drastically shapes the strategy of the game, and with this title out of print, tonight can be a fun way to try it out. Just note that we may artificially modify the game to make sure it finishes in ~3 hours.

So if you ever wanted to learn these games or just want to spend time with others who like playing games, come on out! And if you’d rather wait for our next demoed event, stay tuned to our Events Calendar for future announcements.

RULES FOR ATTENDING: 

• Proof of COVID vaccination is required at EVERY EVENT. Either the presentation of the physical card or a clear picture will suffice. Pandemonium does not keep any records, written or otherwise, of vaccination status.
• Advance online registration is required.
• Anyone not registered in an ongoing event will not be allowed in the event space to maintain capacity limits.
• No food will be allowed in our event space for the time being. Drinking is allowed.