Groundswell 2026

They said it couldn’t happen here… but the threat of fascism is at your doorstep. A would-be authoritarian has won the presidency. Now he and his regime are methodically taking control.

But all is not lost: a groundswell of determined, hopeful resistance is rising. Can your group of activists join with others to bring down the regime before they consolidate power?

Groundswell is a cooperative game about noncooperation.

The game plays out over four rounds. Round 4 ends with an election. Your goal is to win the election decisively – and to successfully defend that victory through mass noncooperation when the regime refuses to accept the results.

During the four rounds, players work together to build capacity, develop power structures, and attempt acts of nonviolent resistance. By doing so, you mobilize the population and move the pillars of society from complicity to active defiance.

Your group of activists includes five roles. Each role takes one turn per round. Each turn is followed by two events.

This downloadable print-and-play game features a physical board and a companion app for drawing event cards.

—description from the designer