Culture War: The Game
A satirical strategy card game that evolved from a personal prototype into a manufactured release
Culture War began as a satirical card-game prototype I created in response to the political and cultural conflicts of the early 2020s. The earliest complete version used Magic: The Gathering as a structural point of departure and contained approximately 350 original cards based on contemporary events, ideological archetypes, public discourse, institutions, and social trends.
The prototype was initially developed as a game to play with friends. As interest in the project grew, I started collaborating with Carlo Schefter to develop it into a distinct game. Over time, we revised its terminology, mechanics, factions, and presentation, gradually moving it away from its original inspiration and toward a distinct physical product.
Original Prototype
My principal contribution was the original concept and its initial body of content. I developed approximately 350 cards based on political events, rhetoric, public figures, institutions, ideological archetypes, and cultural trends of the early 2020s.
The earliest version was built in Magic Set Editor, which allowed me to produce, revise, and print a large playable set quickly. I initially used a Magic: The Gathering–style structure as a familiar prototyping scaffold. This made it possible to concentrate first on the satirical premise, game mechanics, and card interactions, rather than designing every foundational convention from scratch.
Repeated informal play sessions gradually introduced new cards and rules, and the turbulent news cycle of the early 2020s provided a rich source of content. During later collaborative development, the game’s mechanics, terminology, factions, and presentation were further revised.
The project required translating contemporary political and cultural material into working game mechanics. Cards needed to be recognizable and satirical while also producing meaningful strategic relationships during play. This required identifying recurring themes, balancing individual effects, and considering how unexpected card combinations could generate new narratives.
From Prototype to Released Product
What began as a private parody game eventually attracted enough enthusiasm to support continued development as a standalone product. Its rules and terminology were progressively separated from their original reference point.
I later stepped away from active development, while Carlo assembled a team to continue the project, revising the mechanics, terminology, visual system, manufacturing, and ultimately releasing it through their own company. The completed edition represents substantial additional work by the full team, while retaining its origin in the earlier prototype. The finished first edition contains more than 400 cards across five playable factions.
