Board Games for Liberals

Don’t! Stop! Fascism!

Uh-oh! Fascists have taken over the federal government. Can you argue with your teammates about the most respectful way to debate them on their terms?

Chutes and Ladders: Senate Edition

In this spin on the beloved childhood classic, any player may refuse to give their opponent the dice after completing their turn. Will you take the moral high ground and lose Chutes and Ladders: Senate Edition? Ages seventy and up.

Don’t Wake Daddy

The weather is getting toasty, and Daddy’s getting sleepy! Can you solve the climate crisis without waking up Daddy? Also, Daddy is a metaphor for corporate influence in late-stage capitalism.

Risk: Gerrymandered

In traditional Risk, you must fight for control of all the territories on the map. But in Risk: Gerrymandered, whichever player has more money in their real-life bank account gets to go first, and also change the size of the territories whenever they want, and also decide what the dice say! Can you win Risk: Gerrymandered? Losers will be required to play Don’t! Stop! Fascism!

Guess Who?

Identify someone’s character based on their physical attributes—Jesus Christ, this can’t end well.

Four-Dimensional Chess

When you checkmate your opponent’s king, start the timer—if they can explain to everyone within earshot that they actually lost on purpose, their king will regain control of the narrative, and take control of the board.

Media Charades

Can you get your teammates to pay for the information they need to guess what’s going on?

Clue: Fifth Avenue

Egad—someone’s been murdered! Luckily, you have already identified the murderer’s identity, location, and weapon. In fact, the murderer is on social media bragging about committing the murder right now! Can you use your sleuthing skills to solve the riddle of how to persuade the other players to indict the murderer? Some of them think that murder isn’t even that bad. Maybe it’s even good, when you think about it. So, put on that monocle and craft a cohesive message that rises above a crowded media landscape—just make sure your argument is inclusive, but also inspiring, and definitely not patronizing, and—uh-oh! One of your opponents brought up gender in youth sports.

Monopoly: Communism Edition

Everyone wins. ♦