Description

Perpetual Anarchy is a game for the "2019 Two-Player PnP Design Contest".

OVERVIEW
Perpetual Anarchy is a strategic 2-player game using a standard 52-card deck. Players are states in a world of international anarchy, attempting to impose their supremacy on the other state. Choose the money allocation between immediate benefit with armaments and wealth and long-lasting benefit with military and civil technologies. Finally, establish the state policy: focus on producing, defensing or attacking.

Perpetual Anarchy features bluff, push-your-luck and simultaneous action selection.

GAME THEORY
Perpetual Anarchy was inspired by game theory researches, especially by the PhD student in political science Nathan Alexander Sears' article: Simulating War and Peace in IR Theory with a Classroom Game

COMPONENTS
1 scoring board
1 technology board
28 cards (from an ordinary 52-card deck)
6 tokens

• 11 numbered cards: two 0s (10s), two 1s, two 2s, two 3s, one 4s, one 5, one 6.
• 3 action cards: attack (King), defense (Jack), production (Queen).

GAMEPLAY
The game is divided in multiple rounds. In each round, there are three phases. At the end of a round, players pick up all of their played cards back into their hands ready for immediate re-use.

Phase 1: Card Playing
Players place 5 face-down card in a row on the table simultaneously. From left to right:

1. the action card (attack, defense or production);
2. it is a numbered card representing wealth allocation;
3. it is a numbered card representing armament allocation;
4. it is a numbered card representing civil tech allocation;
5. it is a numbered card representing military tech allocation.

• Each state has a budget of 7 billion per round, so they have to choose how to allocate it: the sum of number of the player’s cards has to be 7 or less. Unused budget is lost.
• The maximum military tech allocation is 2, so it is possible to play only 0, 1 or 2 for military tech
• The maximum civil tech allocation is 2, so it is possible to play only 0, 1 or 2 for civil tech

When both players have placed their cards, every card is turned face-up. If a player wrongly played cards exceeding the sum limit of 7, the opponent decides which card or cards to decrease in order to be within 7. If both players make a mistake in the same round, the round is considered null and void.

Phase 2: Peace/War Scoring
If a state attacks the other one or both states attack, a war begins. Otherwise, states are at peace.
Based on the cards played and the tech levels, states score points as explained below.

Phase 3: Tech Increasing
If a state didn’t lose the war in the round, it can increase its tech levels based on its tech allocations.

PEACE
If a state at peace chooses the production action, he scores as many points as the value on its played wealth card + civil tech level.

If a state at peace chooses the defense action, he scores as many points as the value on its played wealth card -1 (reputation cost).

• Production: +0 action bonus.
• Attack: +1 action bonus.
• Defense: +2 action bonus.

If states are at war, whoever has the higher firepower wins the war.

If production or defense wins the war: it scores its own wealth allocation + the opponent’s one.
If attack wins the war: it scores its own wealth allocation + the opponent’s one - 1 (reputation cost).

When production or defense lose the war, it scores nothing and it loses its tech allocations.
When attack loses the war, it scores -1 and it loses its tech allocations.

ARMISTICE
In case of equal firepower, the war ends with an armistice: attack scores its own wealth allocation – 1; production and defense score their own wealth allocation. Tech allocations are not lost.

MILITARY TECH
A state can allocate part of its budget researching tech for military purposes. The number on the military tech card, namely the military tech allocation, determines how many steps a state can progress on the military tech board. The resolution of military tech cards occurs after the peace/war scoring.

Initially, the military tech level is 0; then, every 4 steps, a state increases its military tech level by 1. The military tech level contributes to a state’s firepower.

If a state is defeated, he loses its military tech allocation (but it doesn’t lose its military tech level).

CIVIL TECH
A state can allocate part of its budget researching tech for civil purposes. The number on the civil tech card, namely the civil tech allocation, determines how many steps a state can progress on the civil tech board. The resolution of civil tech cards occurs after the peace/war scoring.

Initially, the civil tech level is 0; then, every 3 steps, a state increases its civil tech level by 1. The civil tech level contribute to increase the efficiency in the production processes: the civil tech level contributes to the score of a production state at peace.

If a state is defeated, he loses its civil tech allocation (but it doesn’t lose its civil tech level).

END OF THE GAME AND SCORING
The game ends when the first player gets 50 or more. Before the beginning of the game, players may arrange to play for less or more points.
At the end of the game, the player who has more points wins.

—description from the designer