Description

'During the first two months of 1917 Russia was still a Romanov monarchy. Eight months later the Bolsheviks stood at the helm. They were little known to anybody when the year began, and their leaders were still under indictment for state treason when they came to power. You will not find another such sharp turn in history especially if you remember that it involves a nation of 150 million people...'
Leon Trotsky, History of the Russian Revolutions

The Russian Revolutions: 1914-21 is a social-political conflict game for 2 to 5 players. In the game, players take on the role of one of five factions (Monarchists, Octobrists, Cadets (Constitutional Democrats), Left Reformists, or the Revolutionary Left) active in the events of the Russian Revolutions of 1917. Some factions begin the game as Governing factions with state power; others as the opposition. Whatever your factions, you will need to build your political influence, maintain your military power, manage alliances with other factions, and protect Russia from foreign invaders. The winner of the game is the faction that gains state power, and uses that effectively to change Russian society as its ideology dictates.

The game is played on two boards, one depicting the European part of Russia, the other representing St. Petersburg/ Petrograd (Russia's capital city and the 'cradle of the revolution'). Political influence is represented by coloured blocks; a vast range of historical leaders as well as military units (with historical designations) are represented by colourful double-sided chits.

The game uses an innovative system in which player either spend 'action points' to take actions or to buy cards, and thereby gain influence among various significant institutions, organisations, and social groups which can be used in later turns. Historical events are affect play as they are drawn from time-tiered event decks. New cards are added to these decks as certain conditions are met in game play.

Unlike most political games, the Russian Revolutions: 1914-21 is very suitable for solitaire play. There is little hidden information and, while alliances between factions is an important part of play, these alliances are formed and broken automatically as the ideological position of you faction changes through the game. That means there is no need for long breaks in play where players 'negotiate' and scheme - all your scheming will happen on the board.