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SHASN - The Political Strategy Board Game

Created by Zain Memon

An epic game of politics, ethics, and strategy for 3-5 players. Capture, gerrymander, and maybe even betray your morals to win.

Latest Updates from Our Project:

AWARDS AHOY! Also, Urgent Advice Needed.
about 4 years ago – Sat, Jan 18, 2020 at 02:27:21 AM

Hey politicos!

I’m thrilled to announce that SHASN has won the Tentaccolade Award 2019 for Best Campaign Video!

Directed by the superbly talented György Pálfi (Taxidermia, Hukkle), our campaign video was an incredibly ambitious film in and of itself. You can check it out here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IGEalc0_EWg

We’ve also been nominated for The Silverbacker Awards 2019, presented by Tabletop Backer Party! Intended to “honor crowdfunding campaigns which went above and beyond in creativity, inclusivity, and service to backers”, one of the Silverbackers is determined by a popular vote.

We’ve always maintained that participating in democratic elections is a good thing. You can exercise your civic right by following the link below and voting for your favorite game (it’s SHASN, isn’t it?):

https://bit.ly/370RTKO

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One more thing:

We want to change The Showman’s name to make it less gendered and more inclusive. However, it’s been a particularly tough nut to crack. We continue to brainstorm better alternatives but any suggestions are welcome!

Help us name this Ideological renegade, whose currency is outrage, and modus operandi is shock and awe.

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We will also be uploading finalised SHASN artwork on our Instagram and Board Game Geek pages. If you love beautiful art, you know where to follow us. Thank you all for the continued support. See you in the next update!

HAPPY NEW UPDATE!
about 4 years ago – Wed, Jan 08, 2020 at 12:02:57 AM

Greetings from 2020!

A very Happy New Year to all of you! I hope that your resolutions unfold more steadily than our current geopolitics.

A general update about the status of the game: we’re nearly done!

We’ve spent the last couple of months tinkering with so many fun new mechanics, and they have all been ironed out to ensure maximum political intrigue. With the Edge of Chaos, Elites, Two-Player Mode, Home Turfs game modes locked and loaded, you have so many unique SHASN experiences coming your way.

Meanwhile, the visual design of the game is almost complete! We’re just wrapping up a couple of the heavier design projects - The SHASN Graphic Novel and the Cost of Victory Cards - and Soumik is applying finishing touches on the rest. It’s going to be glorious, I promise.

Here’s a sneak peak from Soumik’s workstation -

Hope this marks the start of an enriching decade for all of us. As always, I’ll see you in the next update!

SHASN IS AT PAX UNPLUGGED!
over 4 years ago – Fri, Dec 06, 2019 at 08:49:18 PM

Friends in Philadelphia!

Starting today, SHASN will be at PAX Unplugged in Philadelphia, PA, between 6th - 8th December.

Accompanying me is Soumik Lahiri, the groundbreaking visual designer of SHASN, who refined the chaos of politics into the aesthetic that all of you have appreciated. Come find us at Booth 3307, right across our friends from Lay Waste Games.

Don’t miss it, because we come bearing gifts! Backers of the game can drop by to get a limited edition promo card, and a special signed poster.

Do join us for an unimpeachably fun game of SHASN. See you there!

BUILD YOUR OWN SHASN DECKS!
over 4 years ago – Wed, Nov 27, 2019 at 02:30:50 AM

Hi Backers and Deck Builders!

Apart from betraying friends and seizing power, the most fun to be had in SHASN is through its diverse campaign decks. But why stop at just a few, when the SHASN engine can accommodate a whole universe of political arenas? Today, I’m happy to share the anatomy of a SHASN campaign. You can use this template to create your own decks, and bring SHASN alive in any socio-political world of your choosing. Go crazy!
You can find the deck balance sheet here: bit.ly/DeckBalanceSheet

Every answer yields 3 resources. 2 have already been allotted for every answer as per Ideology. Take the remaining two resources for each Ideology Question and assign the most relevant one on each side. Ensure that there is an overall balance in the deck’s resource distribution. In case you need to refer to the Ideologues, here’s a refresher:

1. The Capitalist represents business interests, industry over individual, supports growth, and progress at all costs.

2. The Supremo uses identity to divide and rule. There is always an enemy, and what is pure must be protected.

3. The Showman is outrageous, hilarious, and impossible to ignore. How’s it matter what you say as long as you’re relevant?

4. The Idealist pursues a free and fair world for all. If the status quo must be destroyed in the pursuit of justice, so be it.

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We’re also delighted to share an unofficial SHASN drinking game, made by one of our enterprising backers - Sarang Sheth. It’s hilarious, a lot of fun, and may inspire you to make your own. A fair warning though - don’t drink and policy in real life.
You can find the game here: bit.ly/SHASNDrinkingGame

We hope to create a platform of SHASN creators, who can build decks on topics they find relevant. I’m really excited to experience the decks you all come up with!

It must be noted that creators of custom decks are not authorised to sell the decks as SHASN add ons.
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PLEASE NOTE

While we had previously mentioned that we would be locking orders on 1st December and charging cards on the 3rd, please note that we are now pushing this to a later date. Apologies for the premature information - after better understanding the standard BackerKit procedure, we have decided to charge much closer to shipping.

Finally, I want to thank all of you for the suggestions on our rulebook. Your feedback has been invaluable, and we have taken the rulebook offline, while we go back to the drawing board with it.

Have fun deck building, and as always, see you in the next update!

HELP US IMPROVE THE SHASN RULEBOOK!
over 4 years ago – Wed, Nov 13, 2019 at 09:09:12 PM

Hi gamers and lawmakers!

Modern politics may be without rules, but fortunately SHASN isn't. We have a draft of the SHASN rulebook with us, and now we need your help. We've put this in-progress rulebook on a collaborative Google Document. You can find it here: bit.ly/shasnrulebookwip

Please go through this rulebook and share your thoughts with us! You can add comments on the rulebook document to help us identify problem areas and formulate solutions.

From structure to rule clarity and comprehension, do give this rulebook your closest inspection. Please also feel free to share this with fellow gamers, as the more scrutiny we put the rulebook under, the clearer it will be. We will address all comments right away, so that together we may streamline one of the occasionally tedious parts of board gaming - learning the damn game.

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AN IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT

The pledge manager for SHASN is closing on 1st December at 11:00 AM EST. Please make sure you finalise your order by this time, as after this date, you will not be able to make any changes. The payment for your order will be deducted on 3rd December.

We’re looking forward to reading all your thoughts on the rulebook. Until then, see you in the next update!