HEGEMONY: The Game of Geopolitics and Empire

Gameboard

Preparation

HEGEMONY is a game of strategy, meanness, and plain luck. The players all try to obtain or destroy the resources of other players through coups d'etat, war, bombing, bargains, and financial transactions.

The game requires enough components for all the players with an ample amount left over for the "Global Resource Pool." Review the list of required items below and determine how many you will need. Players will need to make their own play money. Suggested denominations for the bills are $1 million, $5 million, $25 million, $100 million, $1 billion, $5 billion, $10 billion, and $25 billion. Players will also need enough Weaponry cards labeled "Conventional," "Biological," "Chemical," "Missile," and "Nuclear." They can depict appropriate weapons on these cards if they wish.

Players will also need two dice and the special "Hegemony Gameboard." A small version can be seen at the top of the page; click on the image to enlarge it.

Before a game begins, the players need the following items:

  • Ten Civilian tokens. These can be anything: checkers, dots, etc.
  • Ten natural resource cards
  • Seven weaponry cards -- two Conventional, one Biological or one Chemical, two Nuclear, two Missile
  • Five Military tokens. These should be different from the Civilian tokens.
  • $100 billion

These items make up a player's Resources. The rest of the Resources, except for money, should be put in the Global Resources pool (box lid). Extra money should be put in the Global Economy (i.e., bank).

Players begin on the "GO" square. All players roll the dice. The highest roll goes first, and play proceeds to that player's right.

Play

Players advance a number of squares equal to their roll on the dice. When players approach the GO square, they should skip it and continue to the first square following it. A player will be on the GO square once in a game, at the very beginning.

All squares have instructions and different colors. The instructions on pale red squares are not optional; players who land there must take the action. The instructions on pale blue squares are optional, but if a player chooses to take the action, he or she must do exactly what is written on the square.

If the instructions on your square direct you to move to a different square, you must follow the instructions on it unless it is blue. Therefore a player's turn may involve moving to several squares.

Invade an Evil State

The board has four blue "Invade an Evil State" squares. Here are the full rules on how to prepare for this event, before you roll the dice as described on the squares:

  1. Set aside $40 billion.
  2. Choose one weapon card. Put it into the Global pool.
  3. Set aside 2 military tokens. Put them into the Global pool.

It should be noted that money can be recovered, but other resources spent in these ventures cannot, no matter what the outcome.

Winning

Players must drop out of the game if they lose either of the following combinations:

  • All their money and all their weapons
  • All their Civilian and Military tokens

There are two ways to win. One is to be the last player remaining. The other is to own all natural resources in the game, not just those previously belonging to other players.

Special Rules

The following rules may be used for a more interesting game:

  1. Arms Broker Rule: A player may buy and sell weapons before any player's turn. The price of the weapons will be negotiated between the buyer and seller.
  2. Research and Development Rule: A player may put up to $50 billion into the Global Economy in exchange for additional weapons, which may then be taken from the Global Resources pool (if available). The prices of these weapons are as follows:
    • Conventional weapons, $5 billion apiece
    • Biological weapons, $10 billion apiece
    • Chemical weapons, $15 billion apiece
    • Long-range missiles, $20 billion apiece
    • Nuclear weapons, $25 billion apiece
  3. Pre-emption Rule: A player may stage a pre-emptive attack on another player. Up to 5 weapon cards, 5 military tokens, and $75 billion may be used in this attack, with a minimum of $20 billion, one weapon, and one military token. To stage an attack, the attacker should place all Resources he or she is using in the attack on the board, placing the weapons cards and money face down so that the target cannot see them. The target then gets to respond, choosing weapon cards, military tokens, and money from his or her own Resources. Then both players reveal their weapons and money. The winner is determined in the following way:
    • If one player has used more nuclear weapons than the other, that player wins.
    • If neither player has used nuclear weapons or both have used the same number, then the total amount of money spent by each side determines the winner. Weapons' value is determined by the Global Resource value of each weapon (see rule 2). Each military token is worth $1 billion. Whoever spent more money wins.
    • If the difference in money is less than $5 billion (inclusive), each player should roll the dice. The one with the higher roll wins. If they get the same roll, then they should continue until one rolls higher than the other.

    The loser of a pre-emptive attack forfeits the money he/she spent to the Global Economy, the tokens he/she used to the Global Resource pool, the weapons he/she used to the winner, and half the natural resources to the winner.

    A player can pre-empt more than one person at a time, but not with the same resources. Distinct sets must be put out for each attack.
  4. Alliance Rule: In a game with at least three players, two or more players may enter an alliance. The alliance may pool its resources to stage or defend itself in a pre-emptive attack. In this case, the maximum resources used are the base values times the number of players in the alliance. (Minimum values remain the same.) The number of resources each player provides is determined by the members of the alliance. Alliance members are also allowed to give each other any of their resources. NOTE: The resources then belong to the recipient! A player may leave an alliance at the beginning of any turn by peaceful resignation. Pre-emptively attacking another alliance member is prohibited. Alliances with more than two members may also choose to expel a player by a majority vote (50-50 is not enough to expel the person).

Gameboard Squares

Invade an Evil State (4): Roll the dice. Rolls of 2-6 mean an unsuccessful attack; you lose what you used in it. 7-12 means a successful attack; recover your money and take a maximum of three natural resources from the Resource pool or from a player of your choice.

Double Agent: Your chief source of intelligence is a double agent for one of your enemies. Roll the dice and go back that number of spaces.

Terrorist attack (2): Roll the dice. 2-6 means a negative response; move back two spaces, lose a turn, and put $20 billion into the Global Economy. 7-12 means a positive response. Your approval skyrockets; jump to the next "Invade an Evil State" square.

Arms Deal: A nation has offered to sell you long-range missiles for $5 billion apiece. Buy as many as you want if there are enough Missile cards in the Resources, and pay the money into the Global Economy.

Happy Times: The economy flourishes. Take $100 billion from the Global Economy.

Military Coup (2): Your nation takes down the government of a foreign country. Put one military token into the Global Resource pool and take two natural resource cards, two weapon cards, or one of each from the player of your choice.

CIA Bites Back: You've been scapegoating the CIA for your problems, and they respond by declassifying and publishing damning information about you. Roll the dice and go back that number of spaces.

In Fraud We Trust: Your corporate friends steal an election for you. Nobody suspects anything until it's too late to do anything about it. Take an extra term... er, turn.

Outsourcing: Your nation's businesses are moving jobs overseas to save money. Give one Civilian token to the player to your left (one Military if you have no Civilians) and take $5 billion from the Global Economy.

Bad P.R.: A scandal erupts. Lose your next turn while the media go over it in detail, then take two turns when the people forget about it.

Arms Deal: A nation has offered to sell you hydrogen bombs for $10 billion apiece. Buy as many as you want if there are enough Nuclear cards in the Resources, and pay the money to the Global Economy.

Hydrogen and Stupidity: The media convince the people that using alternative fuels is un-cool. Leap for joy and take a natural resource from the global pool or a player of your choice.

Good Poll Numbers: Your country loves you. Add two new military tokens and one unconventional weapon from the Resource pool, if available, and jump to the next "Invade an Evil State" square.

Recession: A bad economy puts a damper on your funds. Put $50 billion into the Global Economy.

Big Brother: Take advantage of a trusting populace to ransack their civil liberties. Roll the dice and jump that number of spaces forward.

Arms Deal: A nation has offered to sell you daisycutters for $1 billion apiece. Buy as many as you want if there are enough Conventional Weapon cards in the Resources, and pay the money to the Global Economy.

Impeachment: Congress doesn't like your tactics and impeaches you. Roll the dice. 2-6 mean you are acquitted; breathe a sigh of relief. 7-12 means you get off, but only after paying $5 billion in bribes. Put it into the Global Economy.

CIA Coup (2): The CIA assassinates the leader of a foreign country with minimal losses and installs a leader friendly to you. Take one natural resource card from the player of your choice.

Draft: Replace half of your tokens (half minus one if you have an odd number) with an equal number of military tokens from the Resource pool, if available.

Overnight Magic: For no discernible reason, your poll numbers go up. Ignore the "margin of error" caveat and go to the next Military Coup square.

Corporate Alliance: A corporate buddy of yours is helping in your operations. They launder $30 billion from a foreign country to yours. Take that from the player of your choice.

Corporate Backstabbing: A corporate buddy is secretly laundering your nation's money into foreign countries. Pay $5 billion to each player.

Note: The gameboard and concept are, to the best of my knowledge, an original idea. Anything that looks like plagiarism is unintended. This "game" is obviously a bitter reaction of one Generation-X'er (or maybe Gen-Y'er; I'm right on the edge) to the actions of her country's government.