Kurt Vonnegut’s Rediscovered Board Game Hits the Market: Own a Piece of History!

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    <p><img fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-1119911 native-lazyload-js-fallback" alt="Kurt Vonnegut Board Game" width="750" height="717" loading="lazy" src="https://cdn8.openculture.com/2024/10/08204609/vonnegutboardgame.webp" srcset="https://cdn8.openculture.com/2024/10/08204609/vonnegutboardgame.webp 750w, https://cdn8.openculture.com/2024/10/08204609/vonnegutboardgame-360x344.webp 360w, https://cdn8.openculture.com/2024/10/08204609/vonnegutboardgame-240x229.webp 240w" data-sizes="(max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px" /></p>

    <h2>The Surprising Tale of Kurt Vonnegut’s Forgotten Board Game</h2>

    <p>In a peculiar twist of fate, famed writer Kurt Vonnegut, who descended from German immigrants and served during World War II, spent part of his life conceived in the chains of irony. Captured and confined in Dresden's slaughterhouse when the metropolis was infamously bombarded, it is little shock his literary works resound with anti-war sentiments. But, unexpectedly, Vonnegut once delved into the world of military-themed board games.</p>

    <p>After releasing his debut novel, <em>Player Piano</em>, in 1952, Vonnegut faced lukewarm sales despite critical acclaim. As explored by Julia Carmel in the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/10/03/crosswords/kurt-vonnegut-board-game-ghq.html?smid=url-share">New York Times</a>, Vonnegut ventured into multiple pursuits — from PR to running a car dealership — in an endeavor to support his growing family. Yet the project that ignited his passion was a board game named <em>General Headquarters</em> (GHQ).</p>

    <p>Far from a philosophical critique on war’s futility, <em>GHQ</em> emerges as a dynamic strategy game for two, where players command military units to capture their opponent’s base. Though never commercially produced during Vonnegut's lifetime, the game is now available at Barnes &amp; Noble, brought to life by tabletop designer Geoff Engelstein. Engelstein, intrigued by a mere mention of GHQ, worked with Vonnegut's estate to resurrect the long-forgotten game from a 40-page trove of detailed notes.</p>

    <p>While it may not yet join the curriculum at West Point, <em>GHQ</em> is poised to be a coveted collector's item among Vonnegut enthusiasts. Boasting deluxe wooden pieces and a comprehensive 24-page booklet of Vonnegut's design insights, the game stands as a testament to his clever flair for entertainment—even devoid of his notorious sardonic humor.</p>

    <p>For those eager to explore this facet of Vonnegut's legacy, head to <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/10/03/crosswords/kurt-vonnegut-board-game-ghq.html?smid=url-share">The New York Times</a>.</p>

    <h3>Related Reads:</h3>

    <ul>
        <li>Kurt Vonnegut Diagrams the Shape of All Stories in a Master’s Thesis Rejected by University of Chicago</li>
        <li>22-Year-Old P.O.W. Kurt Vonnegut Writes Home from World War II: "I’ll Be Damned If It Was Worth It"</li>
        <li>A New Kurt Vonnegut Museum Opens in Indianapolis … Just in Time for Banned Books Week</li>
        <li>The Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas Board Game, Inspired by Hunter S. Thompson’s Novel</li>
        <li>Jack Kerouac Was a Secret, Obsessed Fan of Fantasy Baseball</li>
        <li>The Fiendishly Complicated Board Game That Takes 1,500 Hours to Play: Discover <em>The Campaign for North Africa</em></li>
    </ul>

    <p><em>Based in Seoul, <a href="http://blog.colinmarshall.org/">Colin Marshall</a> writes and broadcasts on cities, language, and culture. Connect with him through his Substack newsletter, <a href="https://colinmarshall.substack.com/">Books on Cities</a>, or dive into his book, <em>The Stateless City: A Walk through 21st-Century Los Angeles</em>. Follow him on Twitter at <a href="https://twitter.com/#%21/colinmarshall">@colinmarshall</a> or on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/colinmarshallessayist">Facebook</a>.</em></p>
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