Things May Be Hard, But You Can Make Them Worse With These Dystopian Games
Anyone can live in a terrible dystopia, but (some of) these games will let you create and even run your own dystopian society!
For some reason, I’ve been thinking a lot about dystopias. Dystopian stories, books, games- just whatever’s out there. Maybe it’s because The Handmaid’s Tale comes back this week. In fact, let’s go with that.
Dystopias are usually a fun setting for games with themes of cooperation and competition, survival, and human nature in general. And there are some very interesting stories to be told within these settings. So let’s take a look at some dystopian-themed games to jump into. You know, for fun.
Euphoria: Build a Better Dystopia
Most dystopian games are going to be at least a little uncomfortable for the player-characters if not the players themselves. But not in Euphoria! Here you’re building that dystopia. Lead your workers, create commodities, and impose harsh restrictions on the personal freedoms of your workers and fellow players alike. Some board games are completive, but Euphoria really wants you to figurately knee-cap your friends to gain a little more influence.
Coup
Coup is a card game set in a “not too distant future” where “the government is run for profit by a new ‘royal class’ multi-national of CEOs.” Your goal is to bluff, strategize, and deceive as best as you can to either take or maintain power. This is a fast-paced ‘nobody is safe’ kind of card game that’s equal parts addictive, fun, and infuriating. You know, perfect for parties and game nights.
Paranoia: The Uncooperative Board Game
I respect and love that Paranoia put ‘uncooperative board game’ in their tagline; you know what you’re getting into before you even crack open the box. Play as Troubleshooters in the Alpha Complex as you follow the orders of the all-knowing Computer and navigate the minefield that is the mutants, secret societies, and near-constant betrayals. Paranoia is a strategic survival game, but unlike some other survival games, you may be a little more incentivized to throw your fellow players under the self-driving bus than work cooperatively with them.
Paranoia: The RPG
If you like the sound of that brutal, hyper-competitive board game, but want to explore the world more than a game board can offer, I have some good news for you. There’s an entire RPG. The Paranoia RPG mixes dystopia, bureaucracy, and maybe a little horror with comedy. It’s not a game that takes itself terribly seriously and aims to make the dystopian genre a bit more lighthearted and fun. But something may be up with the Computer and if I were you, I’d be concerned about it.
Cyberpunk 2077: Gangs of Night City
Cyberpunk is another title with lots of different ways to jump into the world. There’s the tabletop RPG, video games, an anime… Right now, we’re looking at the Gangs of Night City board game. Players compete to become the biggest criminal overlord in the criminal underworld. Different gangs, styles, and customization options as well as multiple story paths and possible endings keep the game repayable and fresh. But that’s been a staple of the Cyberpunk series. There’s many ways it could all go wrong- experience them all.
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