Prelude to Revolution: Russia’s Descent into Anarchy 1905 – 1917

About this board game

Prelude to Revolution: Russia’s Descent into Anarchy 1905–1917 is a two-player card-driven game with an approximately 180-minute play time, covering the turbulent years before the Russian Revolutions of 1917.

One player takes the role of the Revolutionary, while the other represents the Government. Both sides must attempt to address the urgent and competing social, political, and military issues that shaped Russia’s descent into anarchy.

Play unfolds through three historical eras, creating a dramatic progression from early unrest to wartime pressure and eventual collapse:

• The Years of Turmoil (1905–1913)
• The Great War (1914–1916)
• The Collapse (1917)

Building upon the system introduced in Prelude to Rebellion from Compass Games, this 2023 release expands the experience with a multi-party Duma, Russia’s parliament, along with Key Personalities and the influence of the Tsar.

These additions place the struggle within a broader political and historical framework as the opposing players contend with the pressures of a society approaching revolution. The game’s setting brings together political conflict, military concerns, and social tensions in a focused two-player contest.

For players interested in historical conflict, revolutionary politics, and card-driven strategy, Prelude to Revolution offers a concentrated portrayal of the forces that led from the upheaval of 1905 through the Great War and into the Russian Revolutions of February and October 1917.