A Game of War

Guy Debord is best known as the prime mover of the Situationist International (1957-1972), as a filmmaker, and as the author of The Society of the Spectacle (1967). Alice Becker-Ho (Alice Debord) and Debord’s A Game of War originally appeared in 1987. This is the first edition in English, and the first to be accompanied by a game-board and counters allowing readers to play “at home” according to the rules given.

So I have studied the logic of war. Indeed I succeeded long ago in representing its essential movements on a rather simple game-board… I played this game, and in the often difficult conduct of my life drew a few lessons from it — setting rules for my life, and abiding by them. The surprises vouchsafed by this Kriegspiel of mine seem endless; I rather fear it may turn out to be the only one of my works to which people will venture to accord any value. As to whether I have made good use of its lessons, I shall leave that for others to judge. (Guy Debord, Panegyric, 1989)