Tabletop Game Review: Filibuster

Filibuster

Biplane Games

3-5 Players

Playtime: 30-45 Minutes

We are living in a time where political news is actually more exciting than all of the other news. As someone who studied politics in college, these times are both interesting and terrifying. Still, despite all of the turmoil most developed nations are facing politically, it’s nice to find a game that is able to make light of everything.

Filibuster is here to make politics fun! In FIlibuster, 3-5 players act as members in Congress working together to stop the opposition party from passing awful legislation. How do they do it? Through filibuster of course! It’s in the name of the game after all! It’s a semi-cooperative game where players need to shoot down at four of seven policies through various actions across a couple of phases.

Every round reveals a new policy that players need to shoot down. A player is named Senate Minority Leader and begins play by revealing a time card. These cards give a state of what is going on and typically have effects on the players’ filibuster. Some allow for cards to be drawn, some do nothing. Some time cards end the filibuster immediately, which can potentially be devastating. After revealing the time card, the leader will play an action card, which typically adds to the time-tracker. The time-tracker counts up, and players need to accumulate enough time to veto the policy.

Other players have actions too, but their turns are slightly different than the Senate Minority Leader’s. Instead of drawing a time card, they simply draw an action card. They can then play a card that will help stall out the session for the team or play an action that only benefits them by giving them influence (Basically just money). Play will continue until the filibuster phase ends.

The influence system is what makes the game competitive. Mirroring real-life politics, players will want to not only pass their party’s agenda but also gather influence. At the end of the game, if the group of players strikes down enough legislation, the player with the most influence (Again, it’s really money) wins. Of course, if the team fails to stop four policies everyone loses. The balance of teamwork and competition leads to an interesting blend of beneficial and selfish plays. Our team often hurt itself through selfish motivations.

There are also various things players can vote on. The majority leader is decided in between rounds by a vote. Players can also prematurely end a session via vote as well. The majority leader gains influence by adding time to clock. Players may want to end the filibuster when enough time has been accumulated to prevent the leader from gaining too much influence. The voting mechanism isn’t overly complex, but it does contribute to the game’s theme, which is presented in a lovely manner. Players can buy each other’s votes too, adding to the immersion.

Overall the theme is excellently executed and while the policies are ridiculous, they are humorous parodies of some recent politics. The art of filibuster is simple and lighthearted and I found myself laughing at the amount of charm that the game has. Despite the humor, Filibuster is a fine educational game that mirrors real life. It can teach children about the processes of passing a bill. Players won’t learn anything in-depth, but the basics can be gathered.

I had a fun time with Filibuster. It’s a fine educational experience that captures the essence of modern politics without feeling too grim. It’s a fine semi-cooperative experience that can be enjoyed by just about anyone. If you have any interest in politics, be sure to pick this one up.

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