The 1960's make a great backdrop for a boardgame. There is something about that era that always gives me a twinge of nostalgia, even though I wasn't around til the 70's. Roadside diners, black vinyl records, cars with tailfins, the space race and televisions with huge V-shaped antennae... Sure, we've moved ahead in history, but we left behind the optimism that characterized the 60's. Despite the looming shadow of the Cold War with its rows of ballistic missiles, there was a feeling that the world was moving to a bright future (if it wasn't vaporized first). That optimism has been dampened with our concerns about global warming, over-population, shortage of food, rising fuel costs, and economic downturns. Like I said, I like the 60's.

1960, Making of the President, has a good dose of 60's flavour. There's old cars (the Adlai Stevenson card), trains (Whistle Stop card), families that sit together to watch the television, with the kids wearing ties and the dads wearing those thick, clunky glasses frames (Prime-Time television card). There's huge microphones (Southern revolt card), guys with hats (Joe Kennedy card), dial-up telephones (Gallup Poll card), and the space race (Sputnik V card). I have no trouble getting into the background of this game.

Then there's the theme. Politics. An election race no less. Bombarded as we are lately by Clinton vs Obama and Obama vs McCain, 1960 provides an outlet for that election fever. Here's your chance to tap into the excitement and run the show your way. Kennedy vs Nixon, two men who wanted to lead the nation into that bright new future. Whenever I open the box and pull out that map, I have to sit on my hands to keep myself from rubbing them together as I plot my strategy for winning over the country. The map is great. As you look at it you can already start to feel like a general managing his campaign. At the beginning you put down a token with the state seal on each territory. Later, when the campaign is over, you will harvest the seals and count up the votes. I love this mechanic, as it makes the game feel concrete. I get something for all my hard work, even if I fall short. And since it is impossible for anyone but a dedicated math whiz to keep track of the running total, I won't know in a close game who is winning until the last count is made. If you doubt the ability of the game to bring life to the theme, then consider this point: in a close game there will always be a recount to make sure that yes in fact you did lose!

Background and theme aside, who is going to play if the gameplay is dull and uninspired? Fortunately that is not the case with 1960, Making of the President. Each camp has been provided with blue or red cubes to be placed on the board, marking support in the various states. Over the course of 9 rounds, the players will put down their cubes, and the country will swing back and forth between Republican and Democrat. It is great fun to watch the waves of red and blue sweep across the states, back and forth. In the first five rounds, you will do your campaigning, moving your Kennedy or Nixon token across the states, gaining support and at the same time preparing for the debates. Round 6 is the debates, where the candidates vie for a win in the issues of defense, economy or civil rights. Rounds 7 and 8 have more campaigning, and the presidential hopefuls will try to store up a few extra surprise votes for round 9 when everything is totalled up.

1960, Making of the President is a card driven game. Each round the players are dealt a hand of 6 or 7 cards. Five are played and 1 or 2 are kept for the debates (round 6) or for election day (round 9). The cards have a point value that can be spent on campaigning (4 pts equals 4 cubes on the board). Alternatively, the card can be used for its event, which will help your campaign or hinder your opponent. The card will have either the Republican or the Democratic symbol on it to indicate who is helped by the event. If you have to play a card with an even that helps the opponent (using it for the Campaign points instead), he can trigger the event by using a special token, which can be gained by having support on the issues track next to the map. Part of the tactical fun of the game is limiting the damage of cards you hold which could potentially be very helpful to your opponent. How true to reality! Many a times a candidate is helped more by his opponent's mistakes than by his own charisma or money. There is a definite flavour of damage control in this game, while you are busy trying to build up your own support. One way to get rid of potentially bad cards is to save them for the debate, but that is only postponing the damage, since if the card has the opponents symbol, then it will lend weight to his side of the debate, causing him to win more cubes to put on the board, building his support or wiping out yours.

Political campaigns have many aspects to them, and this is reflected in the game as well. Besides going for direct support in the states, players can try to get endorsements, media support and control of vital issues. These things can be crucial to pulling out a win, but they can also be a distraction from the real thing that you need to do, which is get support on the board. A person who spends too much time cosying up to the media and drumming up endorsements or standing on the issues soap-box will find that his opponent has won the election by being closer to the people.

1960 is not a difficult game to play. My first two games were with a newbie who has not had much experience with gaming (that is rapidly changing). The first game was a blow-out in my favour, but my friend wasn't discouraged. He came back for a second try at it and earned himself a narrow victory on just his second play. The debates are the most difficult part of the game to manage, and my least favourite mechanic. But the game is just so tense and so much fun that one little flaw can easily be overlooked. There are a variety of strategies to pursue, and nobody will be able to claim and hold the whole board. There is always some place you can go on the offensive, but you never know when your plans will be de-railed by a well played card from your opponent. And the tension when you count up your scores is awesome. I had a game where I nervously totalled up my votes, coming up with a score of 263, only to see a great big Cheshire cat sized smile spread across my opponents face when he announced his score of 264. After a recount the score stood.

1960, Making of the President provides a great gaming experience, wrapped in a fun and relevant theme. I love the 60's background, and it is fun to run your own campaign, imagining how you would do it if you had the charisma and the money (lots of it!) to make a run for President. 1960 is always a satisfying experience for me, as I tap into the 60's milieu and scheme my way into the White House.