Kurt Vonnegut's Unpublished Board Game Returns to Shelves After 70 Years
The long-lost board game GHQ, originally designed by Kurt Vonnegut, is now available again after a recent restock and was previously sold out following its launch.
Kurt Vonnegut’s Unpublished Board Game Returns to Shelves After 70 Years
GHQ is a wargame of sorts.
Board game enthusiast and NYU Game Center teacher Geoff Engelstein made a fascinating discovery while searching through the archives of the celebrated author Kurt Vonnegut at Indiana University. He found evidence that Vonnegut created and attempted to pitch a board wargame back in 1956.
Engelstein uncovered a complete set of original rules for GHQ: General Headquarters, which, despite its creator’s fame—especially due to his famous novel Slaughterhouse-Five—was never published.
With the permission of the Vonnegut estate, Engelstein refined GHQ into a publishable state, enhancing its design before it was released after 70 years of obscurity. The game quickly sold out upon launch.
Now, it is back in stock at retailers like Barnes & Noble, available in a beautifully crafted edition that features simple wooden pieces, along with a 24-page booklet showcasing Vonnegut’s design notes. This offers an insightful glimpse into his game design process.
GHQ is a fast-paced strategy game played on an 8x8 checkerboard grid, where players strategically position and move units like infantry and armored vehicles to capture the opponent’s headquarters. It emphasizes real-world combined arms tactics, ensuring that no single unit can claim victory alone.
On BoardGameGeek, GHQ has received a solid rating of 7.9, with many reviewers applauding the quality of its components. This game stands out in the historical context of wargames, emerging from an era that introduced many foundational strategy games like Risk and Diplomacy.
You can purchase Kurt Vonnegut’s GHQ: The Lost Board Game exclusively through Barnes & Noble.
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