Quantified Brings Neoliberal Politics To The Tabletop

December 14, 2018 by cassn

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Quantified is a game about a world consumed by inequality and injustice. Players must take on the role of one of four asymmetrical characters and attempt to gain access to all their available rights. However, not all people are equal, and one player may be a happily employed citizen while the other is a refugee without any rights.

During a turn, players can move around the city, network with non-player characters, solve rally cards (cards which attempt to support human equality), work an official or illegal job, and prevent threat cards. These threat cards can be invasive amendments to the current laws, correction camps for non-conformers, or the implementation of totalitarian laws. If three totalitarian laws come into effect before all players gain equal human rights, the players collectively lose.

quantified
Of course, not all players have access to all turn options, and it is only through the gaining of rights that a player can gain more freedom on their turn. For example, those who do not have the right to free speech cannot share rally cards with others who do.

Furthermore, every time an action is taken, personal data is leaked to the government. If too much personal data is leaked, the players may face behaviour analysis, which can impact their current position in the game.

I can see why Quantified may not be everyone’s board game choice - political games, even fictional ones, always have the potential to divide opinion. However, I think Quality Beast have put a lot of effort into creating a dystopian game which borders precariously on our own reality, and I live for tabletop games like this.

Players loved it when it featured at PAX Unplugged earlier this year, and I personally am super excited by this game concept. Quantified is still in the design phase at the moment, and interested gamers can sign up to be possible playtesters here.

Do you think political games are a good idea or do they divide tabletops?

"A dystopian game which borders precariously on our own reality!"

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