City of the Great Machine is an asymmetrical strategic board game with a strong steampunk flair, placing players in a conflict between a totalitarian artificial intelligence and a group of revolutionary heroes. It is a tense game of hidden movement, manipulation, and tactical positioning set in a floating city of the future.
The story is set at the end of the 19th century in an alternative history where humanity’s greatest minds have created the perfect city—the City of the Great Machine—a floating metropolis governed by an advanced artificial intelligence. Designed to bring happiness to humankind, it instead results in surveillance, repression, and the loss of freedom.
- The Great Machine seeks to complete its Master Plan, intended to “improve humanity.”
- The Revolutionaries (Heroes) aim to spark an uprising and stop the plan before it is too late.
One player takes on the role of the Great Machine, while the others control the Heroes (Revolutionaries). The Heroes secretly plan their movements between different districts of the floating city, while the Great Machine attempts to intercept them using its mechanical guards.
Victory conditions:
- The Great Machine wins by successfully completing its Master Plan (advancing along a special track).
- The Revolutionaries win by triggering three successful riots in different districts.
The city is made up of multiple floating platforms (Districts) that can be moved and rearranged, adding significant tactical depth. In addition to the classic one-vs-many mode, the game also includes solo and cooperative modes, in which the Great Machine is controlled by an automated system.
If you’re drawn to games with strong narrative foundations, deep tactical thinking, and a dramatic clash between control and freedom, City of the Great Machine is an excellent choice. Prepare for rebellion in a city where floating platforms hide more than just technology—they conceal the future of humanity. ⚙️
