1960: Making of the President Review

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(More customer reviews)My 2 kids were constantly whining that they don't have any interesting games to play so I let them choose one game each. My older (11 almost 12) son picked "1960: The Making of The President". It was rated pretty high on boardgamegeek.com. So I took the plunge.
Game's box is bigger than a typical board game (50% longer than the box of "Settlers of Catan") creating potential problems with storage. Neatly packed inside are the rule book, big board representing the US Map, huge pile of red and blue wooden cubes, two wooden pawns for candidates, two white wooden markers to track turns and phases of a turn, big deck of playing cards of two sorts, two cards for candidates, and cardboard markers for states, momentum, and endorsements.
Setting up the board is relatively time consuming but the board is big and despite number of things on the board there is plenty of space to put everything.
Rules need to be read a few times but in the end end of the day they are relatively simple. There are a few issues we didn't resolve and I wish they were explained better in the rule book (does lowest possible place refer to a lowest number as I say or the worst place as my kid and wife think? I used my authority to make it the former but who knows if it's right).
The goal of the game is to win the election. For those unfamiliar with American election system it mean to get more electoral college votes than other player. Each state has a certain number of votes which need to go one way or another. In game terms you need to have wooden markers of your color representing state support on the state marker in the end of the game to get this state's votes. You have multiple means to gain support - campaigning, advertising, playing "events", etc. with one goal to get more points in the end of the game. Some actions have immediate results and some shift momentum or give you advantage later. Remembering what happens during each state of the game is essential to make good choices.
The game is well balanced and choices are very close in value and hard to make but after first play I'd question relative value of different actions and game events but probably we'll figure it out better after playing a few more games. The game is interesting but probably not for young kids because of the theme. I assume if you read text on a card it'll be a good history education for teens and even if you don't it's very good tool for understanding of American political system. The game represents very well flow of presidential campaign, you really feel like a candidate making tough choices.
Overall it's probably not as entertaining and fast paced as Settlers of Catan. But it's faster than Risk, deeper than most games, and it should be a good choice for two (and only two) players.

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All elections are turning points, but the presidential election of 1960 holds a special place in American history. The 1950s had been a period of unparalleled economic growth and US global power. Richard Nixon served as President Eisenhower's Vice President through most of the period. Nixon's humble origins gave him a common touch that appealed to the small town, idyllic America encompassed by the spirit of the 1950s. John F. Kennedy, was Nixon's mirror image: charming, Harvard educated and the scion of an American political dynasty. Kennedy challenged Americans to confront the uncertainties and tumult that were already emerging in 1960. He set his vision not in the past, but on new frontiers.

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