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Rogue State

Designer: Mike Mollineaux
BGG: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/225166/rogue-state
Rules: https://boardgamegeek.com/filepage/146014/rules
(also included in game)

Rogue State is a solitaire geo-political conflict simulation where the player assumes the role of the Supreme Leader of North Korea. As Supreme Leader, you will make all decisions on behalf of your nation to include:

Appointing and removing cabinet ministers
Accepting foreign financing
Investing resources into governmental sectors (Public Services, Industrial, Military, and Nuclear Weapons)
Complying or disregarding UN mandates
Applying oppression
Maintaining diplomatic relations with historical allies
Applying bribery to cabinet ministers
Analyzing intelligence to make risk-based decisions
Issuing threats against the West
The primary objective will be for the player's regime to survive from 1953 through the year 2030. The secondary objective will be to maximize adherence to the Juche ideology by progressively achieving national self-reliance and global influence. Juche points are earned by advancing North Korean Nationalism, Military Strength, Industrial Development, and Nuclear Weapons Development, and making threats toward the West while minimizing lingering foreign debt.

The game is played over a series of 12 turns, each representing seven years of history. Each turn consists of a series of steps which include:

Appoint New Cabinet Ministers:
There are four major cabinet positions that will serve under your leadership: Public Services Minister, Industry Minister, Defense Minister, and Atomic Development Minister. Each minister is represented by one six-sided die which is rolled every four turns and assigned to an office. The roll indicates the minister's skill level. The higher a minister’s skill level, the greater their level of performance (as well as their level of ambition to become the new Supreme Leader).

Event cards may be drawn and resolved based on historical events and decisions made by the regime.

Gain Resources:
Resource cubes are earned from three sources: Industrial Production, Foreign Support, and by obtaining foreign loans.

Resolve Sanctions:
Dice rolls are used to determine if the UN places (or increases) economic sanctions on the DPRK based on the DPRK's level of Nuclear Development. The player must choose to either comply with the mandates by dismantling your nuclear program or ignore the mandates and have sanctions tightened.

Gather Intelligence--Determine High-Risk Events:
The player gathers intelligence by rolling dice to determine which threat events are high risk in the current turn. The probability of meeting a triggering condition grows as the severity of the situation increases. Threat events include: Coalition Offensives, Coup d'etats, Tactical Strikes, Famines, and Revolutions.

Budget Resources:
The player now applies resources acquired in the Gain Resources phase to a number of investment areas: Social economy investments; Industrial & infrastructure investments; Defense investments; Research, Development, & Testing investments; Diplomacy; Bribery; Purges; Oppression; and Foreign Debt repayment. The Supreme Leader must choose wisely regarding how to best invest DPRK's limited resources. Short-term decisions may have no long-term value other than to enhance your regime's chances of survival through the next turn. Proper decision-making will require keen insight into the complex interaction of events that seek to defeat you.

Purge Appointees:
The player has the option of purging one or more cabinet appointees. This is done by re-rolling their die with the hope of gaining a minister with greater skill (if poor performance was an issue) or less skill (since too many highly skilled ministers pose a threat to your authority).

Run Economy:
The combination of cabinet minister skill, resources applied, and die rolls are then used to resolve the effects of your decisions on your nation's economy. This will result in adjustments to the primary governmental indicators. Increasing development in each sector will reward you with related economic and strategic advantages. A struggling economy will introduce added risks.

Issue Threat:
If Nuclear Weapons Development is sufficiently advanced, the player may issue threats to the West and its allies which may result in certain strategic advantages. Concessions (resources) may be gained from other countries in an effort to quell your sabre-rattling. Your threats may impress and embolden your military leadership (mitigating the risk of a Coup d'etat). Your brinkmanship could discourage the West from considering an immediate Tactical Strike.

Adjust Regional Tensions:
Regional tensions are adjusted based upon decisions made earlier in the turn and are increased due to major incidents, successful advances in your nuclear weapons program, or Threats being issued.

Check/Resolve Foreign Relations:
Resources applied to Diplomacy, the current level of Regional Tensions, and a die roll are used to resolve possible improvements (or further deterioration) in relations with Russia and China. Ensuring strong ties will provide strategic advantages such as increased economic support and military protection.

Resolve High-Risk Events:
Any threat events determined from the Intelligence phase to be "high risk" are now resolved. Effects could range from a foreign attack that diminishes the player's economic standing to the forceful removal of the player from power (ending the game).

Reset the Board:
Assuming the regime has survived all high-risk event resolutions the board is reset for the next turn starting with the Appoint New Cabinet Ministers phase. If the player's regime remains intact by the end of the final turn, the final Juche score is calculated from all economic indicators to determine your effectiveness as the Supreme Leader.

The Kraken Table Used: https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1222553243&searchtext=kraken