# Hegemony: Lead Your Class to Victory – Extended Edition

## General Info
- **Year Published**: 2023
- **BGG Rating**: 8.8
- **BGG Rank**: —
- **Players**: 1-4 (Best with: 4)
- **Duration**: 90-180 min
- **Weight**: 4.26 / 5
- **Designers**: Vangelis Bagiartakis, Varnavas Timotheou
- **Artists**: Jakub Skop
- **Publishers**: Hegemonic Project Games, BoardM Factory, Bumble3ee Interactive, CMON Global Limited, Don't Panic Games, Engames, Fox in the Box, Galápagos Jogos, Ghenos Games, Giant Roc, MINDOK, Ігромаг
- **Categories**: Economic, Educational, Negotiation, Political
- **Mechanics**: Action / Event, Hand Management, Roles with Asymmetric Information, Simulation, Variable Player Powers, Voting, Worker Placement, Different Worker Types

## Verdict
Perfect for political and economic buffs who don't mind heavy games; the simulation is phenomenal.Absurdly realistic socio-economic simulationAsymmetry that completely changes the experienceIntense and dynamic negotiationsMassive content in the Extended EditionVery steep learning curveLong games that can exhaust newcomersFOR GENRE FANS

## Description
Imagine yourself as the leader of a social class in a country on the brink of collapse. In Hegemony, you aren't just playing a board game; you are attempting to shape the entire socio-economic structure of a nation. The Extended Edition is the definitive package, merging the base game with the 'Crisis & Control' content, delivering everything from the original Kickstarter, including hundreds of additional cards and tokens.

The game is deeply asymmetric. If you lead the Working Class, you'll fight for social reforms and better living conditions. As a Capitalist, your focus is on profit and free-market efficiency. The Middle Class tries to balance their role as employees with the ambition of starting their own small businesses, while the State attempts to avoid total bankruptcy, balancing taxes and subsidies to maintain social peace.

The heart of the game lies in political tension. You don't play in isolation; all your actions are shaped by public policies. Want to change taxation? Want to alter labor market laws? You'll need influence and, above all, negotiation. The game simulates real-world concepts like Neoliberalism and Social-Democracy, turning academic theory into strategic maneuvers. With the addition of 'Crisis & Control', the experience gains new layers with hidden agendas and crisis responses that test your governance skills. This is a heavy game where every political decision can either lift your class to the top or plunge the country into chaos. Can you enforce your agenda and achieve hegemony?

## How to Play
Game Objective
In Hegemony, each player takes on the role of a different social class (Working Class, Middle Class, Capitalist Class, or State) with unique objectives:

  Working Class: Fulfill basic needs (food, health, education, and leisure) to increase the Prosperity of workers.
  Capitalist Class: Maximize profits by managing Businesses.
  Middle Class: Balance production, sales, and consumption to sustain their workers.
  State: Maintain balance between the classes and handle social issues to increase their Legitimacy.

The game ends after 5 rounds. The player with the most Victory Points (VP), calculated according to each class's specific objectives, wins.

Setup

  Assemble the central board:
    
      Place the initial Businesses in the Private Sector (Capitalist and Middle) and Public Sector (State-owned).
      Place cubes on the N2 Salaries of the Businesses.
      Prepare decks for Export, Immigration, and Trade Agreements.
    
  
  Class-specific setup:
    
      Working Class: Receives 30, 1 Influence cube, and 7 Action cards. Places Workers in the initial Businesses.
      Capitalist Class: Receives 120, initial Stocks, and the Free Trade Zone.
      State (4 players): Sets up Incidents, Political Agendas, and Legitimacy markers.
      Middle Class (3+ players): Receives 40, 1 Influence cube, and allocates Workers to Businesses.
    
  

Consult the manual for details on the exact placement of components.

Game Flow
Each round has 5 phases:

  Preparation Phase: Advance the round marker, players receive cards and new Workers (via Immigration).
  Action Phase: Alternating turns (Working → Middle → Capitalist → State). Each player performs 5 actions (playing cards or basic actions).
  Production Phase:
    
      Businesses produce goods/services and pay Salaries.
      Classes fulfill basic needs (consumption of Food).
      Check for IMF intervention if the State has too many loans.
      Pay taxes according to Policy 3.
    
  
  Election Phase: Voting to approve Bills (PL) proposed in the Action Phase, using Voting cubes and Influence.
  Scoring Phase: Players gain VP based on progress (e.g., Prosperity of the Working Class, Capital of the Capitalist Class).


Actions and How to Play
Working Class Actions

  Propose PL: Suggests changing a Public Policy to an adjacent segment. Can spend Influence for immediate voting.
  Allocate Workers: Places up to 3 Workers in Businesses (vacancies must be fully filled). Dedicated Workers lie down until the Production Phase.
  Purchase Goods/Services: Acquires resources from up to 2 sources (limit = Population). Prices vary by origin (State, External Market, etc.).
  Strike: Places tokens in Businesses to pressure for higher wages (except Salary N3).

Free Actions: Include forming Unions (requires 4+ Workers in the same sector) to gain Influence and VP.
Consult the manual for actions of the other classes.

End of Game and Scoring
After 5 rounds:

  Loan Penalty:
    
      Capitalist loses 5 VP per loan.
      Other players can pay debts (55 per loan) or lose VP.
    
  
  Final Scoring:
    
      Working Class: VP based on Prosperity and Unions.
      Capitalist Class: VP according to accumulated Capital.
      Tiebreaker: Number of Public Policies aligned with each class.
    
  


Tips to Win

  Working Class: Focus on creating Unions to gain passive Influence and VP.
  Capitalist Class: Use the Free Trade Zone to sell goods to the External Market without tariffs.
  State: Keep Legitimacy balanced between classes to maximize VP in the Scoring Phase.

## FAQ
### Is the game hard to learn?
Yes, it's a heavy game (4.26 BGG weight). It's not something you learn in 5 minutes; it requires careful reading and ideally someone at the table who knows the rules.

### What's the difference with the Extended Edition?
It includes everything: the base game and the Crisis & Control expansion, which adds new event cards, hidden agendas, and automas for lower player counts.

### Can I play solo or with fewer players?
Yes! The Extended Edition includes automas, allowing you to experience all roles regardless of the player count.

### How long does a game last?
Expect between 90 to 180 minutes, though games with heavy negotiation can go longer.

### Do I need a background in economics to play?
It's not mandatory, but it helps. The game teaches the concepts during gameplay, making the experience almost educational.

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