We’re not sure we’d like to be the Prime Minister of Britain. Oh, the pay is a major plus, but is it worth the universal hatred? Fortunately GMT Games’ upcoming strategy board game Prime Minister – currently in the art and final development stage, and expected to release some time in 2023 – will give us a risk free chance to try it out.
The board game is set, not in the modern year, where PMs only last about two weeks on average, but in the halcyon, smog-filled days of the Victorian era. According to developer blogs covering the game, Prime Minister will see one to four players competing as “talented politicians vying for power and prestige”, and just generally trying to get shit done, while dealing with humdrum issues of the day, such as famine and attempts to assassinate Queen Victoria.
Meanwhile, you’ll get to rub shoulders with all the best Victorian celebs, from Florence Nightingale to Charles Dickens. There’s even a ‘hobnob’ action.
According to the devs, the events in Prime Minister are all based on real scenarios. If you’re a Victorian British politics buff, you’ll probably leap at the chance to explore alt history, passing a home rule bill for Ireland, or diving into the intricacies of the Second Reform Act.
It’s at this stage we should probably warn, in case you’ve never seen a GMT game before, that the publisher, founded in 1990, and these days probably best known for Twilight Struggle, makes proper grognardy wargames, in the classical style. This strategy board game likely won’t be everyone’s cup of tea.
Still, games like Prime Minister are one of those things that, even if they’re not for you, are always fun to hear about – like Dwarf Fortress, or orgies.