check out what we’re working on next
painkillers
In the 1990s, American pharmaceutical companies introduced opioid-based pain medications into the wider market, which led to a decades-long national epidemic that has killed nearly 1,000,000 people. Painkillers explores the systemic failures across the government, pharmaceutical industry, and medical community that led to this tragedy. In the game, players act as executives of the pharmaceutical companies as they try to maximize their profits. They must avoid the attention of the federal government, the public’s outrage, and letting the human consequences of the epidemic itself get out of hand. This game is bleak, and it asks a lot of those who engage with it because this story is an important one. Painkillers is still under development, but will be available via crowdfunding in 2027.
We’re pleased to announce our very first game, Painkillers, a design by Brooks Barber - crowdfunding Spring 2027
Image by Gavin Pouliot
el pulpo
Our second game is El Pulpo, designed by Dan Bullock and coming to crowdfunding in Fall 2027
This game explores the widely unknown and deeply sordid history of the United Fruit Company’s exploitation of and interference in various Latin American nations throughout the first half of the twentieth century. During this time, the company became so intertwined with the social, economic, and political structures of the region that local workers, journalists, and leftist groups nicknamed it “El Pulpo”.
In the game, players pursue three hidden interests by shifting the state of a shared map to serve your own ends. Every action could be working toward your goals or sabotaging your opponents’, but you never quite know who else at the table shares your interests. At the end of five decades, you reveal your interests and evaluate all objectives to see who maneuvered most effectively within the constantly shifting economic and political situation.
Read more about why we think El Pulpo fits so well with Hawk & Dove’s vision.
Check out some detail from Dan Thurot about an earlier version of the game.
Small Steps to Fight Fascism
Our third game is Small Steps to Fight Fascism, designed by Kyle Cushman and Joe Kell. Crowdfunding Spring 2028!
Image by Fibonacci Blue, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Small Steps to Fight Fascism asks what everyday people can do in the face of an ongoing and sometimes violent rise of authoritarian government rule. Specifically, it covers the year or so leading up to Operation Metro Surge, the invasion and occupation of Minneapolis, Minnesota by the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency.
In the game, players manage their money, energy, and joy using asymmetric hands of cards and character abilities. They try to build community connection and resilience by participating in local events designed to relieve authoritarian social and political pressures and bring neighbors into the struggle. Once Operation Metro Surge starts, players must weather a series of events together, hoping they’ve built enough connections across the community to do so effectively.
Ultimately, this game confronts a daily reality faced in many places - the rising encroachment of far right governance on our social liberties.
Read more about why Small Steps to Fight Fascism is such an intriguing design for Hawk & Dove.
