“titan fairy“”Slaughterhouse 5The author is known for his works such asKurt VonnegutA board game invented byGHQ” was released on the market in August 2024. Polygon, an overseas media, explains how “GHQ” was developed.
Kurt Vonnegut’s lost board game finally published | Polygon
https://www.polygon.com/board-games/467103/kurt-vonnegut-ghq-lost-board-game-publisher-interview
Vonnegut was born in Indianapolis, Indiana in 1922. He entered Cornell University in 1940 and studied biochemistry, but while still a student he was drafted into the U.S. Army and participated in the European front of World War II in 1944. It is said that this experience is reflected in “Slaughterhouse 5”.
After being discharged from the military in 1945, Vonnegut worked as a reporter for a local newspaper in Chicago, writing articles and columns.He moved to New York in 1947 and began writing novels while working as a publicist for General Electric, publishing his first novel in 1952.player piano” will be announced.
However, this “Player Piano” was not well received at the time, and Vonnegut was left in poverty. Under such circumstances, Vonnegut devised a board game called “GHQ” as a way to make money.
“GHQ” is a strategic tactics game for two players. It is a game in which players aim to win by moving pieces alternately on an 8×8 board and capturing the opponent’s HQ (command center). The following movie is a rule explanation video of “GHQ”, and you can see the design of the board and pieces.
According to a letter discovered by New York University professor Jeff Engelstein, who is also a game designer, in the Indiana University archives, Vonnegut was pitching GHQ to various publishers. Also included in the letter was the original rules manual typed by Vonnegut himself on a typewriter.
Below is the rule manual that was discovered. Vonnegut’s handwritten notes are written in the margins.
A handwritten memo with the design of the pieces used in the game drawn on it. There are also doodles by Vonnegut in the margins.
Vonnegut says,cat’s cradle” and “Slaughterhouse-5,” Vonnegut wrote a letter promoting GHQ, saying, “It will be an excellent training material for future military leaders, including cadets.” ” was written. In response to Polygon’s question, “How would modern readers interpret the words of the same person who wrote Cat’s Cradle?” Professor Engelstein answered, “There is no clear answer. No one asked about it while he was alive, so we’ll never know.”
Vonnegut invented and promoted “GHQ” around 1956. Unfortunately, “GHQ” never saw the light of day, but two years later, in 1958, “GHQ” was released, which is said to be the world’s first board war game.TACTICS II” was released, and one year later, “risk“”diplomacy‘ will be released. Professor Engelstein predicts that history might have been different if Vonnegut had promoted GHQ a little later.
“GHQ” was released under the title “Kurt Vonnegut’s GHQ: The Lost Board Game” after Mr. Engelstein organized the original rules with permission from the Vonnegut Foundation and made some modifications.
Vonnegut’s son, Mark Vonnegut, told Engelstein: “The success of Slaughterhouse Five and other novels is great enough, but my father, who is probably still watching from somewhere, I truly believe that he is overjoyed by the success of “GHQ.”At a time when I was feeling discouraged about my writing career, my father had an unwavering belief that “GHQ” would definitely be a success.” I’m talking.
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