A few months ago, I caught wind that The Dietz Foundation was working with a new designer named Yoni Goldstein on his first game called Chicago ’68 for a summer Kickstarter campaign. Chicago ’68 deals with the Democratic National Convention riots of 1968 in Chicago and sees players taking on the role of either the Establishment or the Demonstrators in a fast-paced game of street battles and political maneuvers. I reached out to Yoni and he was more than willing to discuss the game with me and also work on a series of Event Card spoiler posts in a run up to the Kickstarter campaign that is set to launch on August 6th.

In this series of Event Cards Spoilers, we will cover several different types of cards included in the game and give their details so that you can understand how the game works and how it incorporates the historical narrative of the 1968 Chicago Democratic National Convention Riots.

But first off, a bit about the game itself. Chicago ’68 is a game about the riots during the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, set against the social upheavals of America in the sixties. On one side: the Youth International Party (aka The Yippies) and the National Mobilization Committee to End the War in Vietnam (aka the MOBE), on the other: Mayor Daley, the Chicago Police Department and the National Guard. The game unfolds over the course of three days during the Democratic National Convention – from the 26th to the 29th of August, culminating in the nomination of a presidential candidate. There are two victory conditions: one is to gain the most media exposure favorable to your side and the other is to influence the delegate vote and bolster your political aims. The Demonstrators may pivot between these two objectives while the Establishment, although more powerful, must fight and win on both fronts.

Card #1: Police Action Card: Mass Arrest

Mass Arrest is a Conflict Card in the Police Action Deck. Like other Conflict Cards (e.g. Teargas and Advance), this is a direct means of gaining Exposure – and the deeper you sweep into the Parks the more Exposure you will be rewarded.

The Establishment player may also discard this card as a free action to dismantle a barricade. A Mass Arrest action is one of the surest ways of rounding up the Demonstrators and sending them directly to Cook County Jail. As one officer recalled to a Life Magazine reporter later that year: “In a situation like that, someone yells “Charge!” and it’s like Genghis Khan. Each man picks his own mission. Mine is to smash cameras; yours is to whack hippies …. You’re on your own.” 

Next card up in the series will be Card #2: Mob Chaos Card: “A stiff west wind…”.

Also, if you are interested in learning more about Chicago ’68, you can visit the Kickstarter preview page at the following link: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/dietzfoundation/chicago-68?ref=discovery

-Grant