Supremacy (board game)

Lore & Background

Supremacy was released in 1984 by Supremacy Games, designed by Robert J. Simpson. The game uses an area map with land zones divided into active superpower territories and neutral/warlord zones, and sea zones split into deep water (dark blue) and coastal (light blue) areas. Players choose one of six superpowers: Confederacy of South America, Federation of African States, League of European Nations, People's Republic of China, United States of America, or USSR. Expansion sets added the Confederation of Antarctica and Commonwealth of Australasia as additional powers.

Resources—oil, minerals, and grain—are drawn from a deck during the prospect stage, and players can only control resources in enemy territories through invasion and occupation. Each superpower may hold up to twelve units of each resource, or up to 24 if they occupy an enemy supply center. Military units originally consisted of land and sea forces, with later expansions adding main battle tanks, ballistic missile subs, and other units. Nuclear weapons are developed during the research and development phase, and if 12 mushroom clouds are on the board, the 13th triggers a die roll that may end the game in nuclear winter.

A new edition, Supremacy 2020, was released in 2013 by Command Post Games, along with the Rising Crescent expansion adding the Islamic Caliphate as a playable power. The game received mixed to positive reviews, with Tony Watson in Space Gamer No. 76 noting its potential but criticizing the rules, while Martyn Tetlow in Adventurer magazine called it thoroughly enjoyable.

Reader's Guide

Supremacy holds a notable place in board game history as a Cold War-era wargame that combined economic, political, and military strategy with a nuclear escalation mechanic. Its resource-driven conflict and area control map echoed Risk but introduced more complex resource management and a nuclear winter endgame condition. The game's influence extended to later designs, most directly cited by Ananda Gupta for Twilight Struggle. Despite criticisms of its rulebook, Supremacy maintained a dedicated following, supported by numerous expansion sets that added tanks, submarines, satellites, and even a Fortuna deck of random events. The 2013 re-release by Command Post Games as Supremacy 2020 and the Rising Crescent expansion demonstrate its enduring appeal. The game's legacy lies in its ambitious attempt to model superpower rivalry and the delicate balance between conventional and nuclear warfare, a theme that resonated with players during the late Cold War and continues to be relevant.

Did You Know?

• The game includes a nuclear winter mechanic: when 12 mushroom clouds are on the board, the 13th triggers a die roll that may end the game, and at 13 clouds everyone loses.
• L-Stars (laser satellites) were introduced as a means to prevent nuclear war from being the easiest way to win.
• The Fortuna expansion added 164 cards with 328 headlines of news, rumors, and acts of God, including meteor strikes that can wipe out entire territories.