World's first board game features Vijayanagara Empire

Bengaluru: It is that time of the year when Karnataka goes all out to celebrate Vijayanagara Empire (Hampi Utsav 2024 was held between February 2 and 5). But this year's biggest tribute to the medieval Hindu empire, which at its peak, ruled most of the south, stretching its boundaries to Odisha and Maharashtra even, comes from the far-off America.

A mathematics professor at University of Wisconsin-Madison, Saverio E Spagnolie, has designed a board game based on the early strategic growth of the empire, along with three other designers – Mathieu Johnson, Cory Graham and Aman Matthews – and developer Joe Dewhurst. 'Vijayanagara: The Deccan Empires of Medieval India, 1290-1398,' published by GMT Games, is the first game in its new Irregular Conflicts Series, which explore complex interactions than counter insurgencies or COIN games.

Spagnolie said the team got together to participate in the first Consim Game Jam, a contest for designers to produce a game prototype in three days. "I began to sift through periods with the potential for being modelled. When I hit upon the political developments in the 14th century, it jumped off the page with its epic, sweeping scope – the rise and fall of powerful kingdoms, their beneficial and detrimental interactions, large personalities," said Spagnolie in an email interaction with the PTI. When they won the contest, they were approached by GMT to publish a refined version of the game, he said. "Little did we know at the time that the polishing would take about three years of hard work," added Spagnolie.

Vijayanagara, states the publisher note, lets players take on the roles of Delhi Sultanate, the Bahmani Kingdom and the Vijayanagara Empire – and rally local amirs and rajas to their cause, construct temples, forts and qasbahs – as they battle for supremacy over the Deccan Plateau. In little over two weeks, the game has already sold 1,020 copies and has piqued the curiosity of India's popular historians.

"Our research was through books, articles, and conversations with South Asia historians. We had a consultant, Prof Aparna Kapadia from Williams College (in Massachusetts). Among the books that complements Vijayanagara most directly is 'India in the Persianate Age' by Prof Richard Eaton of the University of Arizona," said Spagnolie.

Interestingly, cheeky references in Vijayanagara do not stop with famous Indian historians. Included as part of the game is an ancient Indian board game – Aadu Huli Aata (as known in Karnataka). Vijayanagara, said Spagnolie, has much in common with not just 'Aadu Huli' or its variants played in India, but with other such asymmetric 'hunting games' of the distant past – such as 'Rimau-Rimau' (Malaysia), 'Bagh-Chal' (Nepal), 'Halatafl' (Scandinavia), 'Komikan' (Chile/Argentina), 'Catch the Hare' (Spain), and 'Hare and Hounds' (France).

" Even so, Spagnolie is aware that Vijayanagara treads a territory that is not familiar to most, including many Indians. "I interact with many people who are from India, and almost none of them know anything about the Vijayanagara Empire. Of course, we learn almost nothing in school about the history of India in the US. But then that's part of what makes it so interesting. There are already some instructors at US institutions who have voiced an interest in using the game in their courses," said Spagnolie.