John F. Kennedy - 1960: The Making of the President

When he ran for president in 1960, John F. Kennedy was a member of the U.S. Senate. Prior to that, he served in the House of Representatives. By winning the election, he became the youngest person ever elected as President of the United States.

I asked game designers Christian Leonhard and Jason Matthews why they chose to focus on a general election, rather than a primary election which could handle additional players. You can read more of their logic in this interview, but here's a part of the reason.

Leonhard: "With regard to our desire for historical authenticity, the pre-nomination wrangling would not have made for a particularly balanced multi-player game in the case of this particular election. The Republican convention would have been a non-starter, for example, as Rockefeller's withdrawal left Nixon without a serious opponent for the nomination, and the Democratic primaries were essentially a two-player affair between Kennedy and Humphrey, with Johnson and Stevenson not entering the ring until the convention, where they were clearly overmatched."

Published by Z-Man Games and designed by Christian Leonhard and Jason Matthews, 1960: The Making of the President is for 2 players, ages 12 and up. It takes about 90 minutes per game. The suggested retail price is $49.99.