Class Wargames, a review

Class Wargames, a review

I read Richard Barbrook’s “Class Wargames” having played his referendum game. I was unprepared for two chapters on the history of the Situationist International. The book has been inspired by Guy Debord’s Game of War; I had assumed that Richard was fascinated by games for the same reason that managements are, that one learns quicker by doing than by listening but his enthusim and praxis comes from the tactics of the Situationist Intentional. He categorises the tactics as provocation, détournement, urbanism & participatory creativity and while it’s a bit difficult to see how war games is a tactic of urbanism, it’s clear to me how the others fit in by challenging the states monopoly of military knowledge and strategy, the revisiting of military history and the liberation effects of personal participation. Anyway everyone, or nearly everyone enjoys a good board or table top game.

The “Game of War” is simple, some might argue overly so and would seem a bit too like chess although Debord argued that it was good enough, or better than that.  …

Work and Games

Back to my desk in the City after 10 days off, spent with family and friends. I am looking forward to work, but also getting back in touch with friends I havn’t seen in a while. After Xmas we went to the Aldershot Games Store and bought a couple of board games which we have been trying out over the last week. These include “Touch of Evil“, evil monster hunting in the American colonies, “Pirates Cove“, aarrr! and “the War on Terror“, which we havn’t played yet, described as Risk for cynics by the store people, who have always been really helpful. …

Betrayal at the House on the Hill

For various reasons, the other month we went into Aldershot and visited “The Games Shop”. This is, as you’d guess, a shop that sells board games, games books, jigsaws and other games accessories; but not computer games, which is maybe why it has no web site. At our first visit, last year, we picked up “Murder at the Abbey” also here…, and this time bought “Betrayal at the House on the Hill”. Its fantastic – collaborative, re-playable, and with strong varied stories, our first night was Buffy’s Hell’s Gate, a deeply dramatic story. …