Compass Games The Great Hunger: Ireland's Tragedy in the 19th Century

Step back into one of history's most harrowing chapters with The Great Hunger: Ireland's Tragedy in the 19th Century, a gripping strategy board game from Compass Games. Designed by Kevin McPartland and Jerry Shiles, this 2-5 player game begins in the early 1800s, when Ireland's population flourished thanks to the potato. But when the blight strikes in 1845, players must navigate famine, disease, and desperate choices — finding aid, seeking employment, or booking passage on dangerous "coffin ships" to distant shores. Players represent families of tenant farmers and itinerant field hands, using dual-purpose event cards to first grow their population, then scramble to survive the catastrophe. With a 17" x 22" mounted map of Ireland, 147 wooden pieces, 65 cards, 5 player mats, a rules booklet, and a six-sided die, the game offers a deeply immersive experience. Rated low in complexity (3 out of 10), it plays in 60-90 minutes. For adults ages 18 and up. Not a toy — contains small parts.