It is a truth universally acknowledged that a Nazi in possession of a face must be in want of a good punching. For those who dream of a world without fascism (hopefully that’s all of you), roleplaying a battle against Nazis can be cathartic or even educational. There happen to be many, many tabletop RPGs that let you simulate the experience – all while mulling on what a good idea it is to stand up to far-right bastards who get too big for their shiny, expensive boots.
As an entertainment journalist, you can usually find me mulling over the technical limitations of DnD classes and DnD races, not calling for readers to assault fictional bigots. However, it’s important to move with the times – and, for some reason, these very enjoyable tabletop RPGs feel especially relevant right now.
Eat the Reich
Vampires are commonly used as metaphors for fascists in fiction, but Eat the Reich turns the tables on this. You’ll play as a supernatural blood-sucker in the service of the Allies, who are about to drop you on Nazi-occupied Paris. The mission is this: devour every Nazi you come across, and make your way to the Eiffel tower to drink Hitler’s blood.
“This game is not, in and of itself, an act of resistance”, Eat the Reich says in its opening pages. “It is an act of creativity which reflects our frustration with the real world’s ongoing Nazi problem.” This is evident in the fast-paced, narrative-heavy, and extremely simple rules. Blood (both sucking and spilling) rules the day, and Eat the Reich rewards particularly creative and silly approaches to ultra-violence.
It’s a delightful way to get some fictional aggression out of your system, and we’d recommend it even if you’re not feeling riled up by real-world politics. We actually have an Eat the Reich review if you want to learn more.
Achtung! Cthulhu
Continuing the pulp-y feel is Achtung! Cthulhu, which sees undead and Lovecraftian monsters fighting on the side of the Axis in its kind-of-historical setting. You’ll play as a member of a covert organization fighting in the Secret War, a supernatural battle going on under the hood of regular World War 2.
Fast-paced and relatively easy-to-learn rules make Achtung! Cthulhu a quick and easy way to punch fictional Nazis (though these ones often have more than a few tentacles). For some, it’ll be a bit too hand-wavey when it comes to the real historical horrors at play, as it chooses to focus hard on how heroic and action-packed your side of the fight is. But it does offer a silly kind of fun that makes a soothing distraction from current events.
Night Witches
On the complete opposite end of the spectrum is Night Witches, which has you roleplaying the Soviet Union’s famous 588th Night Bomber Regiment. This very real, woman-only air force unit took what planes they could muster on nightly flights to bomb and disrupt the forces of the Third Reich.
The Nazi-punching in this game is indirect. Your actions against facism take place under cover of night in tense flight sessions, where only the most dramatic and dangerous parts are narrated. Most of your roleplay will focus on who these pilots are during the day, when they build (sometimes romantic) relationships with each other, as well as fight sexism, low resources, and political issues.
Night Witches is a sincere RPG that looks at the human stories (and cost) of war. It’s intense and emotional, with a gravity that few other games can replicate. It’s a different kind of catharsis entirely from games that let you attack cartoonish Nazis in over-the-top ways, but it’s just as – if not more – necessary to explore.
Sigmata: This Signal Kills Fascists
Fascism can be found in settings and periods beyond World War 2, so it’s important that fictional games about the subject reflect this. Sigmata: This Signal Kills Fascists is set in a dystopian alternate universe where, by the 1980s, the United States is under the control of a fascist regime. “It could never happen here”, one chapter title says, dripping with sarcasm.
You’ll play as a Receiver, a human-turned-superhero who gains unusual powers from The Signal, a mysterious radio wave that gives people the ability to rebel. However, when The Signal is not broadcast, you’re a regular Joe who must flee the pursuit of the fascist government and Neo-Nazis you wish to overthrow.
This is a political RPG that wears its stance on its sleeve. Play is meant to help you understand what fascism looks like in the modern world and what a complex affair it is to fight against it. The mechanics of the game itself are a little over-engineered, but if you can get on board with its mix of complexity and narrative, it’s a rewarding system on an important subject.
Kill Him Faster
When time travel is finally invented, the first thing it’s used for is comically obvious – someone goes back and kills Hitler. In fact, several people go back to take out the Third Reich’s leader, and people begin to speedrun the affair. This then gets turned into a hit sports game show – and in Kill Him Faster, you’ll roleplay one of the competitors.
If you couldn’t tell by the premise, this isn’t a particularly serious contemplation of morals, fascism, or the idea of violence against Nazis. However, an ultra-violent, ultra-silly roleplaying game can be an excellent way to distract yourself from real-world anxieties.
Moon Punk
Moon Punk is an approachable Powered-By-The-Apocalypse RPG where you play a punk fighting fascists on the moon. The concept sounds schlock-y, but the game is a surprisingly thought-provoking take on anti-fascist activism. You can roleplay the creation of labor unions, protest marches, or more traditional Nazi-punching. Just, you know, all of it’s happening in a society based on the moon.
Moon Punk stands out for its easy-to-learn rules and thematic moves it adds to the RPG system (like “Seize the Means” or “There Ain’t No Such Thing As A Free Lunch”). Perhaps its most unique offering is an included guide filled with advice on taking real-world actions against fascism – something that goes far beyond the catharsis of imagining yourself as an activist.
For more tabletop recommendations, here are the best DnD campaigns we’ve tried. Plus, here are the next books coming up on the DnD release schedule.
Source: Wargamer
