A board game retelling one of Ireland's most defining - and devastating - historical events is now funding on Kickstarter. Published by Compass Games, The Great Hunger promises to be an "easy-to-learn, card-driven game, rich with historical detail". The two-to-five-player game explores the potato blight and famine that occurred in the 19th century, including the mass deaths and emigrations that followed.
The Great Hunger began in 1845, when a blight decimated Ireland's potato crops. After a rapid population increase in prior years, the country had become dependent on potatoes for food and nutrition. It took two years of mass starvation for the British government to provide aid, and during the famine, it continued to export other sources of food from Ireland to England. Around one million Irish people died, and over one million more left the country.
The factors that led to and sustained the famine are complex, but the rules for The Great Hunger are relatively simple. The first half of the game plays out Ireland's prosperity after the 'wonder crop', the potato, was first introduced. On your turn, you'll place population blocks on empty counties of Ireland, and you'll play the top half of useful cards from your hand.
And then the Blight arrives. When a player draws the 'The Blight Arrives' card, they must immediately reveal it, then remove it from play. Half of the remaining deck is also cut from the game, and a 'The Blight Abates' card is shuffled into the new, depleted deck. Unplayed population blocks on your player mats are now out of play - the rest of the game is about preserving what people you already have.
Now, turns consist of moving population blocks to adjacent, empty counties or to emigrant ships. The bottom half of cards from your hand are resolved instead. Expect to see many population blocks head to the graveyard printed on the Blight side of your player mat. Play ends when 'The Blight Abates' is drawn, and the player with the largest population (in both Ireland and America) wins.
In the rulebook, the designers acknowledge that they are approaching a difficult subject with their board game. "This story is an important part of Irish and American history", it says. "Yes, it is dark, but it deserves to be remembered." "It is ultimately a tale of human perseverance in the face of extreme challenges."
A copy of The Great Hunger retails for $69, but Kickstarter backers can grab it for $54. According to the Kickstarter page, pledges are expected to arrive in June 2026.
Want to talk more about the best board games? Join us in the Wargamer Discord.