RPGs that riffed on the nuclear age during the Cold War are sadly absent from most historical studies of the period from 1945 to 1989. Since the 1980s, historians have explored the cultural significance of contemporary films, television programmes, novels and comics which reveal the history and impact of different forms of ‘nuclear culture’ that emerged after 1945. RPGs are deserving of the same level of attention, as a form of popular culture that demands genuine participation and engagement. So, are you ready for a trip into the mushroom cloud? 5, 4, 3, 2, 1…
This talk and Q&A will be delivered by Dr Malcolm Craig, Senior Lecturer in American History at Liverpool John Moores University. Malcolm is a historian of the ‘nuclear age’ and is currently writing a book on post-apocalyptic RPGs and the Cold War in the 1970s and 1980s. He has also designed several RPGs, including the dystopian science fiction game a|state (Contested Ground Studios, 2004), the Cold War meets the occult Cold City (Contested Ground Studios, 2006), and the post-apocalyptic Hot War (Contested Ground Studios, 2008), and a|state 2nd edition (Handiwork Games, 2022).
If you like this then you might be interested in the Playing the Cold War (Sunday 15:30 – 16:30, Theatre) and Contested crisis wargame from the Fast Stream Crisis Simulation Network (Sunday 10:15 – 12:45, Munro)