It can be tough to explain sometimes that the past wasn’t just a footnote in history. It happened, and people were present to make it happen. Lives were lived and lives were lost. The Egyptians weren’t a mythical force. There really were medieval kings and queens. And World War I was more than just a precursor to its more famous offspring. Whether glorified or glossed over, it can be hard to convey the feelings people from the past experienced even when confronted by tangible events.
When it comes to get across the feelings of an existential threat, that’s even more difficult. How exactly did it feel to be around during the Salem Witch Trials? Or the Spanish Inquisition? Or the Reign of Terror? Or, for that matter, the couple centuries in Europe after the fall of Rome?
For most gamers nowadays, even the something like the not-too-distant Cold War can seem strange in retrospect. Sure, while many of us can remember the declining days of the Soviet Union, it can be quite challenging to comprehend the imposing might – and fear – the USSR wielded during the height of its power in the 1950s and 1960s. For decades the Cold War was an all-consuming threat to millions of individual lives and livelihoods. Many stories of escape and resistance to the actions of the Soviet Union came and went – all of them far more real and harrowing than a fictional James Bond.
One of these events is the often overlooked revolt of the Hungarian people in the fall of 1956 against their Soviet overlords, when what started as peaceful student protests ballooned into a nationwide rebellion. It represented the first real pushback to Soviet dominion. For a scant couple weeks, thousands of Hungarians rallied around the cause of re-establishing self-rule and forging their own destiny. It was a power keg moment that sparked hope and defiance in an occupied nation seeking freedom. And for a brief, fleeting moment in time, it almost worked.
That’s the situation you find yourself in with Days of Ire: Budapest 1956. In this clever card-driven game of conflict and strife Days of Ire takes you back to those fateful days. Played out over the first week of that rebellion, one player acts as the Soviet forces looking to re-establish dominance over the rowdy uprising in the capital city, while the remaining players are revolutionary leaders trying to fend off Soviet influence, rally their people to the cause, and keep the revolution alive for another day.
It’ll be difficult, challenging, and there’s no guarantee of success. And in that, maybe you can gain a small insight to those voices of the past to capture their existential threats turned real.
For reasons that we can’t get into (we’re not supposed to talk about our time machine), let’s just say we may have the means to nudge a little help in their favor. We’ve made contact with the Underground forces leading the charge, and we’ve offered up our help. That’s where you come in – if you think you have what it takes to alter the course of history to a more favorable outcome. We need to make sure that the details of their next plan of action don’t fall into the wrong hands, however, which means we’ve disguised the plan in the form of a simulation board game. And we’re giving a copy away to the recruit with the best odds of succeeding. Is that you? Now’s your chance to find out!
From now until midnight EST on December 9th you can check the contest out on our Facebook page, or by entering below. Just follow the entry form and proceed with the contest. The more you do, even if just one, you still have a better chance than not entering at all. Of course you’re welcome to do that too. But your odds of winning drop to zero. No pressure or anything.
Note: As a result of the US shipping delay for Days of Ire (which happened after it was chosen as the November Spotlight), this delayed or prevented several of our coverage materials for the month, including the late contest time frame. Moreover, the winner of the contest should be aware that they likely will not receive the game until no earlier than January 2017.
The Fine Print: The Cardboard Republic, in conjunction with Cloud Island Games and Mr. B Games is giving this game away strictly for entertainment purposes. This act is not a paid endorsement by Cloud Island, Mr. B, or any other entity. This contest is open to individuals only. Staff members of The Cardboard Republic, Cloud Island Games, and Mr. B Games are not eligible to participate. For winners outside of the Continental US, the publisher reserves the right to request they cover part or all of the shipping costs.