Die Macher

About this board game

Die Macher is a political strategy game for 3–5 players that takes about 240 minutes, with players guiding national parties through seven sequential regional elections in Germany. First released in 1986, it challenges players to manage limited resources while building a path to the highest final score.

Each regional race offers a different opportunity to gain victory points, based on the region’s size and how well your party performs there. Winning an election is important, but success also depends on the wider political picture, including media influence, party membership, and—in some editions—the relationship between your platform and national opinions.

• Regional election points: Each race can provide between one and eighty victory points.
• Media-control points: A winning party with media influence in the region can gain additional points.
• National membership: Party membership grows during the game and contributes a substantial score.
• Platform alignment: Some editions award points when a party platform matches national opinions at the end.

The game unfolds over a sequence of seven races, making timing and resource management central to every campaign. Players must pursue immediate regional gains while developing their party’s national strength for the final tally.

The original 1986 Hans im Glück edition featured four parties from the former West Germany and supported 3–4 players. The 1997 Moskito Spiele edition expanded support to five players in reunited Germany and updated several rules. The 2006 Valley Games edition added a shorter five-round variant, while the 2019 Indie Game Studios/Spielworxx Kickstarter edition simplified the game and introduced a four-round option.

With its extended campaign structure and multiple scoring routes, Die Macher offers a detailed contest in which regional victories are only part of the road to national success.