Alt text: Box art for the game "Balance of Power", featuring a collage of historical military scenes, with prominent images of three characters in period costumes: a man in a top hat, another in a naval officer's uniform, and a third wearing a crown. The text reads "a Brothers Knudson game", "The game of strategy, influence and elegant warfare", and "A Game For 2 to 6 Players" with the Catalyst company logo on the bottom.
| | | | | | | | | |

Balance of Power (2015)

ByMichail

Balance of Power is a geopolitical strategy board game designed by Chris Crawford and published by Mindgames in 1989. The game simulates global diplomacy during the Cold War era.The game became popular because it was one of the first board games to incorporate computer AI, speech recognition, and natural language processing to allow gameplay against a virtual opponent. This innovative use of technology helped bring more realism and challenge to the gameplay.

Game Components of Balance of Power:

Mounted mapboard of the world5 superpower pawns (US, USSR, China, Europe, Japan)100 wooden cubes representing armies and naviesDeck of 150 event cardsRulebookComputer for AI opponent

Setup:

Mapboard is placed between playersSuperpower pawns placed on map in starting positionsCubes placed on map matching superpower positionsShuffle event card deck and place facedown

Gameplay Mechanics

Players take actions like moving superpower pawns, placing/removing cubes, and playing event cardsVirtual opponent acts as an additional playerTalking to computer via speech recognition to give commandsGoal is to spread influence without causing nuclear war

Objective:

Have most global influence in terms of army/navy units when final scoring happens.

We are supported by our audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission, at no extra cost for you. Learn more. 

Michail, a seasoned tabletop enthusiast, dives headfirst into worlds of fantasy and strategy. Whether commanding a party of adventurers through perilous dungeons or engaging in tactical showdowns on the board, Michail is the maestro of the tabletop realm. Michail's gaming table is a realm where the clatter of dice and the shuffle of cards create a symphony of strategic chaos.

Hobby: Miniature painting guru, turning pewter into masterpieces
Preferred Game: Dungeons & Dragons, but always up for a board game brawl