Perpetual Anarchy is a game for the "2019 Two-Player PnP Design Contest". OVERVIEW Perpetual Anarchy is a strategic 2-player game using a standard 52-card deck. Players are states in a world of international anarchy, attempting to impose their supremacy on the other state. Choose the money allocation between immediate benefit with armaments and wealth and long-lasting benefit with military and civil technologies. Finally, establish the state policy: focus on producing, defensing or attacking. Perpetual Anarchy features bluff, push-your-luck and simultaneous action selection. GAME THEORY Perpetual Anarchy was inspired by game theory researches, especially by the PhD student in political science Nathan Alexander Sears' article: Simulating War and Peace in IR Theory with a Classroom Game COMPONENTS 1 scoring board 1 technology board 28 cards (from an ordinary 52-card deck) 6 tokens SETUP Each player has 3 personal tokens (one for the scoring board and two for the technology board) and 14 cards in hand: 11 numbered cards: two 0s (10s), two 1s, two 2s, two 3s, one 4s, one 5, one 6. 3 action cards: attack (King), defense (Jack), production (Queen). GAMEPLAY The game is divided in multiple rounds. In each round, there are three phases. At the end of a round, players pick up all of their played cards back into their hands ready for immediate re-use. Phase 1: Card Playing Players place 5 face-down card in a row on the table simultaneously. From left to right: 1. the action card (attack, defense or production); 2. it is a numbered card representing wealth allocation; 3. it is a numbered card representing armament allocation; 4. it is a numbered card representing civil tech allocation; 5. it is a numbered card representing military tech allocation. There are some restrictions on playing numbered cards: Each state has a budget of 7 billion per round, so they have to choose how to allocate it: the sum of number of the player s cards has to be 7 or less. Unused budget is lost. The maximum military tech allocation is 2, so it is possible to play only 0, 1 or 2 for military tech The maximum civil tech allocation is 2, so it is possible to play only 0, 1 or 2 for civil tech When both players have placed their cards, every card is turned face-up. If a player wrongly played cards exceeding the sum limit of 7, the opponent decides which card or cards to decrease in order to be within 7. If both players make a mistake in the same round, the round is considered null and void. Phase 2: Peace/War Scoring If a state attacks the other one or both states attack, a war begins. Otherwise, states are at peace. Based on the cards played and the tech levels, states score points as explained below. Phase 3: Tech Increasing If a state didn t lose the war in the round, it can increase its tech levels based on its tech allocations. PEACE If a state at peace chooses the production action, he scores as many points as the value on its played wealth card + civil tech level. If a state at peace chooses the defense action, he scores as many points as the value on its played wealth card -1 (reputation cost). WAR A state s firepower is the sum of its armament allocation, military tech level and action bonus: Production: +0 action bonus. Attack: +1 action bonus. Defense: +2 action bonus. If states are at war, whoever has the higher firepower wins the war. If production or defense wins the war: it scores its own wealth allocation + the opponent s one. If attack wins the war: it scores its own wealth allocation + the opponent s one - 1 (reputation cost). When production or defense lose the war, it scores nothing and it loses its tech allocations. When attack loses the war, it scores -1 and it loses its tech allocations. ARMISTICE In case of equal firepower, the war ends with an armistice: attack scores its own wealth allocation – 1; production and defense score their own wealth allocation. Tech allocations

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