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A podcast about topics in game design featuring the many people who come together to make games possible.

Feb 26, 2016

Super PACS, co-designed by Brandon Patton, is a card game on Kickstarter right now about gaining the most political power in an election year. The game relies heavily on political cartoon satire, which makes it a beautiful game to look at. Game play is simple. Players draw and play faction cards (representing various voting blocs) and try to win the House, Senate, and White House. After each player takes a turn drawing/playing cards, an event is drawn which dictates whether someone loses some votes that round, and then a new round is played. After 10 rounds, players tally their political power and the winner is the one with the most.

Our discussion with Brandon focused a lot on the artwork for the game. Five different political cartoonists contributed to this game and coordinating with each artist provides its own set of challenges not to mention play testing and marketing a board game. This game was originally designed by AndrĂ© Pereira for a European audience and bringing it over to America necessitated some changes to give it an appeal to Americans (references had to feel American if it was a game about the American political process).

If you wish to back this game, please check out its Kickstarter, which ends on March 2nd.