Bismarck: The Unification of Germany

Bismarck: The Unification of Germany is a historic social deduction game for 6-9 players of ages 12+.

It is a time of instability in Europe late 19th century. The fate of Germany has come to a tipping point. War looms in the horizon for Austria and Prussia over the German question. Tensions with France are growing. Alone, the small German states are weak. They have united under a German Confederation, but not everyone thinks this is best for Germany. Some believe that uniting all German-speaking peoples under Austrian leadership is the only way to survive. Yet some think that the multicultural Austrian Empire is weak - these Unificationists advocate the creation of a German nation.

So here you are, the leader of one of the more influential provinces of Germany. You have your own idea on how to guide Germany to a prosperous future. You have an agenda, but so does everyone else. Anyone can be a friend or a foe. You must thread carefully amidst all this political intrigue. Try to figure out your opponents’ game while keeping your intentions in the dark. Mislead your foes, persuade others and subtly manipulate votes - do whatever it takes to win!

Bismarck - Unification of Germany brings new depth and mechanics in the genre of social deduction games. We wanted to keep the good parts found in classics like Resistance - the exciting tension between players, the weighty moments when the votes are cast and revealed and so on. But we also wanted to add never-before-seen depth into the game. The game is asymmetric, featuring 4 different agendas that each play out very differently. The asymmetry also affects rules - for example, Bismarck chooses how to react to Incidents, but whenever there’s a vote or call to arms, it’s all the other player’s making the decision. The game increases its depth by giving multiple ways to win/lose the game. There are also two big war events to which players prepare from the start of the game. The importance of these wars is that both of them can end the game immediately, causing immediate victory or defeat.

Players are each dealt with two secret roles, which they choose one to keep. This ensures that no two games play the same. The factions strengths’ ebbs and flows from one play to another, but everyone no matter what, has a shot for victory. The gameplay proceeds with Bismarck starting Incidents and German States (other players) responding to them.

There are four different roles you can take in the game - Austrian Advocate, Confederationist, Unificationist or Bismarck himself. The gameplay is asymmetric and revolves around deciphering your opponents’ intentions and using this information to outplay them. You need to figure out other players’ agendas, so you can manipulate votes in your favor. But that’s not all, for there are two upcoming wars. Use your military power to ensure a desirable outcome in these conflicts.