Baader-Meinhof: The Inception of the Red Army Faction
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Labyrinth: The War on Terror, 2001-? has opened the door for boardgames depicting terrorism, and hence the door to understand terrorism as a historical event through boardgames. Groups such as the Red Army Faction, E.T.A., the Weather Underground, or the I.R.A. could become treated in boardgames in the future. Post-war left-wing militant groups is a very uncommon theme in games--a controversial one that is hard to approach, perhaps because there is insufficient historical distance. In time, however, this theme will likely not be so controversial.
A game about the R.A.F. would probably be a 2-player game, one controlling the communist urban guerrilla, and the other the German legal and military forces (Verfassungsschutz, Bundesnachrichtendienst, police). Though in theory it could cover the entire span of the R.A.F. through the 90s, I think that a focus on the early stages—the Baader-Meinhof era—and maybe extend to the 1970s would be more interesting. Either way, the game can have a very strong narrative. Twilight Struggle shows how a game can invoke the post-war tension, and a game about the R.A.F. could bring that tension to the table and make it even more personal and visceral.
Interesting potential mechanics:
• Training and funding
• Staying underground (similar to active/sleeper in Labyrinth?)
• Personal cards: the members of the R.A.F. would have different personal motivations.
• The German State player would have to find terrorists, and then submit them to trial. The trial aspect can be an interesting addition to the game.
Labyrinth: The War on Terror, 2001-? has opened the door for boardgames depicting terrorism, and hence the door to understand terrorism as a historical event through boardgames. Groups such as the Red Army Faction, E.T.A., the Weather Underground, or the I.R.A. could become treated in boardgames in the future. Post-war left-wing militant groups is a very uncommon theme in games--a controversial one that is hard to approach, perhaps because there is insufficient historical distance. In time, however, this theme will likely not be so controversial.
A game about the R.A.F. would probably be a 2-player game, one controlling the communist urban guerrilla, and the other the German legal and military forces (Verfassungsschutz, Bundesnachrichtendienst, police). Though in theory it could cover the entire span of the R.A.F. through the 90s, I think that a focus on the early stages—the Baader-Meinhof era—and maybe extend to the 1970s would be more interesting. Either way, the game can have a very strong narrative. Twilight Struggle shows how a game can invoke the post-war tension, and a game about the R.A.F. could bring that tension to the table and make it even more personal and visceral.
Interesting potential mechanics:
• Training and funding
• Staying underground (similar to active/sleeper in Labyrinth?)
• Personal cards: the members of the R.A.F. would have different personal motivations.
• The German State player would have to find terrorists, and then submit them to trial. The trial aspect can be an interesting addition to the game.