War on Terror - The Boardgame

Wednesday 19th July 2006

The geeks speak...

So we're still bathing in the glow of actually finishing the game, but it's getting far too funny to sit back and take it easy, the preparations for selling the buggers at Essen Toy Fair are underway.

Just because we've finished the game doesn't mean the testing sets are gathering dust. One's in Australia, one's in London and there are a few dotted around Cambridge. In fact, we're getting more fans of the game by the day. Some neighbours are particular keen, having a crack at the "mad bastard long war" version of the rules. 13 and a half hours later and they came to a 'Gentlemen's Draw'. (see note left for us)

We've also kicked up some interesting debate on the one and only BoardGameGeek website, a taste of things to come? A common response is 'let's see the rules then', so we're going to be adding them to the website any day now.

T minus 28 days before we have production proofs in our hands, bring it on...

- posted by TerrorBull Games on 19 July 2006 - 0 comments

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Monday 10th July 2006

The War on Terror is Over!

We bloody did it. We've actually finished.

To think it was back in March 2003 when we first decided – initially as a private joke - to make a board game about the so-called 'war on terror'. This decision was born out of both frustration and anger. We'd been on the marches, we'd written to our MP and nothing made any difference. As we sat watching the TV on the eve of an unstoppable war, we started talking about how it all felt like a giant game: one-time allies were now enemies; old enemies, now friends. It was all about short-term strategic gain, rather than any enduring moral code – and yet we saw how the moral narrative was essential for everyone to go along with the game. It was almost as if everyone in the world had agreed to a set of unwritten rules and to question those felt as perverse as to question having to pay rent when you land on someone else's square in Monopoly; this is just the way the game works.

So we started fleshing out a strategic, war game with a difference. Firstly, we made it ridiculous. The cruel absurdity of the real war on terror became darkly comic in our game. Terrorists became one, amorphous all-threatening force; the Axis of Evil became a spinner in the middle of the board, oil became the central currency and the number one reason to (or not to) 'liberate' a country, then there's the balaclava that comes in the box with the word “EVIL” stitched in large, red letters on the forehead ... Before we knew it, that private joke had mutated into an indepth game that was both silly, yet deathly serious

I've got to say, we were doubtful this day would come, but today - over three years on from that drunken evening when the idea was born - we finally sent everything off to print.

So we got funding, we made Tom draw more pictures than we could handle, we finished the designs, we spent days on end staring at the computer, cleaning up hundreds of files, pixel by pixel and we read and re-read every line of text about 100 times. And now it's out of our hands...

Over three years on, we've finally sent everything off to print.For those who still don't believe it's actually real, here are some pictures of proofs we printed out today. And if that's not enough, to whet you're appetite, check out the huuuuuge jpeg of the front of the box. Doesn't really do it justice, but you'll have to take our word for it - this little beauty wouldn't look out of place on the Sistine Chapel ceiling.

Best foot forward! The Long War has just begun ...

- posted by TerrorBull Games on 10 July 2006 - 0 comments

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Wednesday 10th May 2006

Production update

Things are moving on a-pace down here in the bunker. Design is virtually complete and we've just started meeting with buyers and distributors and had confirmation that Borders, Cambridge are going to stock the game. Exciting stuff. Meeting Hamleys next month. And a couple more distributors are very interested... early signs are promising.

Sadly in all this activity, there are some game reports that never got written up and have been lost in the sands of time. Sorry about that. But just goes to show how the War on Terror will ultimately be eroded and forgotten through lack of thorough reporting.

- posted by TerrorBull Games on 10 May 2006 - 0 comments

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Monday 24th April 2006

Game Report: Andy S, Andy T, Tom & Jim

A four player game. The original 'WoT boys' and fresh blood from Jim who's heard much but has yet to sample the terror.

Kick off around 7 and looky here, we have new money! The "world bank of capitalism" has been given a face lift to include heads of noted satirists. Current list (in chronological order) - Juvenal, Jonathan Swift, William Hogarth, Mark Twain, Peter Cook and last, but not least, Bill Hicks. Just our little homage to what is a forgotten (but possibly reviving) artform.

From the beginning we have Andy T in Europe and N.America, Tom in S.America, Nowhere and Africa, Jim in Asia and Australasia and Andy S, being last to lay sees a sneaky way to annex Jim and muscles in on Asia too, developing strategically in his first turn so that Jim has to cross the sea to Indonesia in order to find new ground.

Andy S thinks he'll get away with picking on the new kid and then attacks Jim straight away in the first round. Pretty foolish considering Jim's just turned evil, picked up a load of terrorist cards and Andy S sneakily saw he was hiding a nuke too. Still, fools rush in... And after a bit of a tussle, Andy S banishes Jim from the far east and forces him to re-locate to N.America, much to Andy T's displeasure. Disgruntlement and indignation set the tone for the game.

Andy T agrees to give back land in Brazil and Venezuela if Tom does the same in the eastern and mid States.Seems like Jim isn't one to forgive and forget. In his following turn in retalliation for Andy S's two terrorist attacks, he nukes Mongolia, uses WMDs in India and uses terrorists in Malaysia to clear up. Andy S is left with two villages - knocked back to the proverbial stone age.

Tom keeps quiet during all this, building steadily and generally keeping his nose clean. The only flare-up point being the border between North and South America which Andy T transgresses at one stage. A bit of fighting either side sees a truce and Andy T agrees to give back land in Brazil and Venezuela if Tom does the same in the eastern and mid States. It's an admirably diplomatic deal, not often seen in the War on Terror.

Meanwhile, Jim's moved back into his "homeland" of Asia and Andy S has clawed back a few villages, but is wounded and finds it almost impossible to recover. After a brief spell of being evil and tempted by getting the Insurgency Emergency card, Andy S turns terrorist at this point, realising his chances as an Empire are next to nil.

Andy T starts getting greedy and despite covering nearly two continents sees himself getting hemmed in by Jim and Tom. In a panic, he carelessly drops a nuke in the wastelands of Alaska, sadly wiping out Jim's presence in N.America - and suddenly Andy T looks pretty strong with both Europe and N.America being city-rich. Jim - as we know, not one to shy away from retaliation - buys 300m worth of terrorists and slaps them all over Andy T's empire. Over the next few turns, they're responsible for robbing Andy of 600m worth of oil revenue. Jim also lands Andy T with a Political Kidnap which Andy cocks up, thus costing him a prized 'Bill Hicks' (new slang for the 500m note). In the course of a couple of alarmingly vicious turns, Andy T is a now looking at a poor and frightened empire. Time to regroup.

Andy S as the Terrorist Player tries to alert the world to the slumbering threat of Tom's quietly swelling empire, but being a terrorist, no one trusts him. He tries to keep the board in check with a couple of strikes, but is generally hindered through lack of funds.

Jim might be stronger if his earlier bruiser attitude hadn't meant he's been spending more on fighting than building. In fact, the terrorists make severe - if temporary - dents in his Asian empire. Nothing personal of course.

Meanwhile Tom, despite getting nuked out of S.America by a treacherous Andy T strike, has recovered well and a quick assault on Madagascar claims Africa as his own. A free development and another couple of cities and bam! Just over three hours into the game and Tom's won! His first for a while and wasn't he smug about it?

- posted by TerrorBull Games on 24 April 2006 - 0 comments

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Saturday 8th April 2006

Game Report: Andy S, Andy T, Tom, Michele, Hamish & Aruna

Another 6 player game and an early start, in the hope that we can all go out in the evening. Tom in N.America, Andy S in S.America and Nowhere, Mich in Africa and Asia, sharing Asia with Hamish. Andy T in iceland and split in Australia, playing with sheep. Aruna split between Africa and bits of Asia.

Andy T was scuppered from the start, really, through a mixture of hubris and bad luck. Hamish became evil so many times in a row we lost count, but most people had a turn at the balaclava.

Andy S goes for an early push into Africa, forcing Mich's empire to retreat to Europe. Meanwhile, Andy T wipes Tom out of N.America. Tom caves in terribly easy and turns terrorist just after nuking Andy T for a bit of fun. Nuked and weakened, Andy T then joins Tom the following round, but not before having a go at Mich. She crumbles and decides to jack it all in and join Tom's terrorist army too. Well, well, well ...

So suddenly we have 3 terrorists and 3 empires. Andy S makes good use of the breathing space and has S.America, Nowhere and most of Africa colonised.

While the terrorists plot, Andy A realises he's a cat's fart away from winning - all he needs to do is knock out one empire and he'll have the requisite number of empire points. Foolishly, he's far too cocky, lays down his free city, another free village courtesy of an explorer's card - thus grabbing Africa and a cool 9 points. He needs 10 to win with 3 empires still in the game. So he drops a nuke on Aruna, which would nicely finish her off. By this point, his gameplan is clear and panic sets in. Hamish sells Aruna his nuclear bunker for pittance just to keep her in the game. Andy S is down, but not defeated. He uses his second nuke and fires it straight off. Lethal, and brutal. Victory is in sight.

But then the terrorists suddenly put an offer on the table. Andy T "donated" the terrorists a nuclear bunker before he turned and now they're in the bizarre position of having to pass this onto Aruna just to keep the game going. It's a tense moment, but they have no choice. It's this or defeat. The deal is done. Andy S is left hanging one point from victory, knowing he's going to get shat on from all sides in the next round.

Sure enough, he's almost bankrupted when a plane hijack goes wrong and he has to pay 400m in reparations. Countless other terrorist attacks reduce his once impressive empire to just a couple of villages before anyone can run for cover.

Rather than limp on Andy S turns terrorist, the former glories of his Empire bringing a proud tear to his eye.

Mich and Andy T have to leave to go to a gig, so it's up to Tom and Andy S as the terrorist player to try and rid the earth of ambitious imperialists like Hamish, who's silently been spreading over the globe. He professes world peace with Aruna, but you know he can smell victory. The terrorists try to contain him to Europe and Asia with a "terrorist fence" - an effective tactic, but one which wears heavy on the terrorist coffers.

After 4 and a half hours, we have to call it a truce. Hunger strikes. The terrorists and two remaining empires are left, battling hard but looks like the empires had the upper hand in the end. Probably Hamish was on course for a win this time. Of course, the game really should have been Andy S's a good two hours earlier.

- posted by TerrorBull Games on 8 April 2006 - 0 comments

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