Bull Moose

About this board game

Bull Moose is a 3–5 player U.S. presidential election game about the dramatic five-way race of 1912, with a playing time of approximately 90 minutes.

The game is based on an election reshaped by division within the Republican Party. Teddy Roosevelt launched the Progressive Party, while the Socialists, led by Eugene Debs, achieved their best showing to that point. The Prohibitionists also entered the contest with Eugene Chaffin, running seven years before the passage of the 18th Amendment.

These events created an unusual presidential race in which the Democrats won and the third-party Progressives finished second. Bull Moose presents this historical contest through a straightforward, card-driven system with a geographic focus.

• Players: 3–5
• Playing time: 90 minutes
• Core format: Card-driven and geographically based
• State results: Winners are decided by lot

Rather than reproducing the electoral college exactly, the game’s victory and election conditions are loosely based on the popular vote. This gives the 1912 contest its own distinct framework while keeping the central focus on competing campaigns across the United States.

With its combination of historical context, competing parties, geographic play, and chance-based state outcomes, Bull Moose offers a focused interpretation of one of the most unusual presidential elections in U.S. history. Released in 2015, it places players in the middle of a race defined by party division and strong third-party performances.