The British Mandate got drawn up by the great colonial empires, when ordinary people caught between them had to make impossible calculations about their futures. Most failed, but some prevailed. This is their story—and yours to set right.
Mandate is a solo-native, 3-player game covering 1914 through 1950, when incompatible visions for the same land collided repeatedly. You control one of three asymmetric sides: Allied factions pursuing Zionist ambitions, Axis factions representing Ottoman and Arab interests, or Proxy factions wielding colonial British, French, and American influence. History resists permanent teams—and Mandate rewards players who understand why.
Two resources drive every decision: Funds let you act, while Influentials measure your position. But Influentials can be spent to survive the current crisis—converting civilians into militias, blocking an opponent's critical advance. Every expenditure closes doors. Every gamble you've been building toward either pays off spectacularly or collapses because you had to burn it for survival. Event cards representing actual historical events serve as campaign turns, with low-severity situations escalating if you lose ground on key issues. New factions and leaders emerge across twelve Events; others fall into exile.
Victory flows through eighteen Political Issues, drawing inspiration from GMT's Churchill and Dune: Imperium. Advance issues for bonus Influentials, Table them to remove distractions, or Challenge opponents at a cost. But Wedge Issues—real intrigues that operated in the background—can't be resolved. They drain resources, handing victory to whomever survives despite their impacts. Sometimes the distractions shaped history as much as the main events.
Why "Mandate"? When the League of Nations handed Britain this region in 1920, this geopolitical framework tried to satisfy three incompatible promises yet satisfied none of them. Mandate's campaign features over 100 leaders—from military figures to future heads of state—across 64 events spanning 32 difficult years. At its core, eighteen separate issues have to be resolved across three sides, forcing difficult priorities and demanding intelligent strategies. Looming Wedge Issues and Intrigues stymie progress for everyone—just as they did in the interwar period and beyond. It's up to you to turn Britain's colonial past into thriving modern nation-states. Can you do it? Or will you fall asunder?
—description from the designer
Political, Wargame · Area Movement, Campaign / Battle Card Driven, Die Icon Resolution, Force Commitment, Multi-Use Cards, Solo / Solitaire Game, Worker Placement with Dice Workers
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