Votes for Women
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You organize rallies, lobby Congress, hold public speeches. Some states ratify immediately, others resist until the very end. In the end, only one thing matters: thirty-six states, or thirteen saying no.
WHAT IT IS ABOUT
Seventy-two years of struggle for the right to vote
Designed by Tory Brown and illustrated by Brigette Indelicato and Marc Rodrigue, Votes for Women covers the American suffrage movement from 1848 (Seneca Falls Convention) to 1920, the year of the ratification of the 19th Amendment. The game offers competitive, cooperative, and solo modes: in the latter two, you face the Oppobot, a card-driven opponent that simulates political and social resistance.
At the table, you conduct state-by-state campaigns, organize supporters, lobby Congress, and convince legislators. Each turn is marked by historical event cards: you play a card to activate its effect or discard it to organize, lobby, or launch a campaign. Six turns to reach the Congressional proposal, then the final race: thirty-six states must ratify before thirteen reject it.
What they say abroad
"Votes for Women is a card-driven game covering the American women's suffrage movement from 1848-1920, culminating with the ratification (or rejection) of the Nineteenth Amendment."
— Fort Circle Games
This game puts you in the shoes of those who truly changed the world, turn after turn, state after state.
— FroGames
Votes for Women
The Oppobot uses a dedicated deck and clear rules to simulate the opponent. The experience is complete and strategically challenging, with scalable difficulty. Only the psychological interaction of face-to-face play is missing, but the system maintains high tension until the final ratification.
FrogScore · FroGames editorial rating · based on rules, international reviews, and play sessionsYour Weapons
Four pillars of the campaign
Strategy Cards
At the start of the turn, you blind-bid for strategy cards: each gives unique advantages (extra campaigns, influence in Congress, free movements). The player who bids the most cubes wins the card but spends precious resources.
Event Decks
Suffragist and Opposition draw from separate decks full of real historical events. Each card can be played for its effect (powerful but one-time) or discarded to perform basic actions. Choosing which to sacrifice is the heart of the game.
State Map
Each state has a ratification value and can be organized, neutralized, or won. Some key states (like New York or Tennessee) are worth a lot, others are easier to convince. Geography matters: a bloc of neighboring states changes the game.
Congress
Before reaching ratification, you must pass the amendment through Congress. You accumulate influence with lobbying actions, events, and public support. If you don't reach the threshold by the sixth turn, you've lost before even starting the final battle.
Come si gioca
Video dimostrativo di gameplay.
🎲How to playThe rules in four steps▼
How to play
The flow of each turn
Six identical turns in structure, vastly different in choices. Each turn brings new cards, new pressures, new opportunities.
Both of you draw cards from your decks, then the turn's strategy cards are revealed. Conduct a blind auction with cubes: the highest bidder wins the card, but burns valuable resources for subsequent actions.
Take turns playing a card from your hand. You can activate it for the historical event (powerful, but the card leaves play) or discard it to perform basic actions: campaigning in a state, organizing supporters, lobbying Congress. Six rounds, twelve total choices.
Check progress: which states have been organized, which have switched to your side, how much influence you've accumulated in Congress. Some event cards only activate in this phase.
Discard remaining cards (or keep some, depending on special rules), prepare strategy cards for the next turn. If it's the sixth turn and Congress has approved, it goes to Final Voting: the final state count.
⏱️Your first gameThe chronicle, moment by moment▼
A game in five moments
What happens at the table
Not the rules. The experience.
The first turn: few cards, too many priorities
You draw six cards and immediately realize it's not enough. You need to organize Wisconsin, pressure Congress, and prepare for the strategy card auction. Something will have to wait. Choose what to sacrifice.
The auction that changes everything
The strategy cards are on the table. Your opponent bids heavily on the one you needed. You bid on another, but you spend three cubes and now you're short. The first campaign starts badly: a key state remains gray.
Congress is one vote away
It's the fourth turn. The amendment needs one last push in Congress, but your opponent plays a devastating Opposition card that removes influence. You must decide: push for Congress or give up and strengthen the states? Time is ticking.
Final Voting: the count
Congress has approved. Now each state ratifies or rejects, one by one. You have thirty-two sure states, three uncertain, the Opposition has eleven. Tennessee is on the fence. You play the last event card, roll the die. It's a 5. Rejected. Now you have to win all the others.
Thirty-six or thirteen
The final votes are counted state by state. Nevada ratifies. South Dakota rejects. New Mexico ratifies. In the end, you're two states short. Or you have thirty-six. The game ends with a precise number and the table remains silent for a few seconds.
🐸What to know beforehandThree honest things, from friends▼
What to know beforehand
Three things to keep in mind
Truly Asymmetrical
Suffragist and Opposition play with different decks and objectives. It's not just a mirror match: strategies are radically different, and in the first games, the Opposition is easier to pilot. If you play competitively, whoever knows the game better has a clear advantage.
Steep learning curve
The rules can be explained in twenty minutes, but managing the three areas (states, Congress, hand of cards) requires at least two games to become fluid. The first game will be slow and full of doubts. The third will really start to click.
Declared time optimistic
The box says 60-75 minutes. In reality, the first game approaches two hours, especially with four players or with the Oppobot. The game speeds up after the second turn, but if you're looking for a filler, this isn't the right choice.
🏆Victory and defeatWhat the ending rewards▼
How it ends
Victory or defeat: two paths
The Suffragist must get the amendment approved by Congress AND obtain ratification from 36 states. The Opposition can win by blocking either phase.
Suffragist Victory
- Congress approves the amendment by the sixth turn
- At least 36 states (out of 48) ratify during Final Voting
- In cooperative mode: shared victory against the Oppobot if both objectives are achieved
Opposition Victory
- Congress does not approve the amendment by the sixth turn
- At least 13 states reject during Final Voting (blocking ratification)
- In cooperative mode: the Oppobot wins if it prevents either of the two goals
An asymmetrical and historical card-driven game that lets you experience a real political battle, turn after turn, vote after vote. With a functional Oppobot.
💬Frequently asked questionsQuick answers before checkout▼
Frequently asked questions
FAQ about Votes for Women
What mechanics does Votes for Women use?
It's an asymmetrical card-driven game with area majority. You play cards for events or discard them for actions (campaign, organize, lobby). It includes blind auction for strategy cards, hand management, optional dice in some actions. Cooperative and solo mode with automa (Oppobot).
Does it play well solo?
Yes, the Oppobot is specifically designed for solo play and has a dedicated deck with clear rules. The experience is complete, strategically challenging, and the difficulty is scalable. Only the psychological interaction is missing, but the tension of the final ratification remains intact.
How difficult is it to learn?
The rules can be explained in twenty minutes, but the curve is noticeable. Managing states, Congress, and hand of cards together requires practice. The first game will be slow (almost two hours), but by the third, it starts to flow smoothly. It's not a gateway game, but not a pure heavy game either.
Is the game balanced between Suffragist and Opposition?
Yes, but the Opposition is easier to pilot for a beginner. If one of the players knows the strategies better, they have a clear advantage. In cooperative mode against the Oppobot, the balance is excellent, and you can adjust the difficulty.
Is it available in Italian?
No, this edition is in English. The text on the cards is present and important (historical events with game effects), so a good command of the language is required. There is currently no official Italian edition.
The people behind the game
Who invented it, who designed it, who publishes it — and what else they've done.
Votes for Women is a strategic board game for 1-4 players (60-75 minutes playtime, recommended age 12+) that recreates the political battle for American women's suffrage from 1848 to 1920. Designed by Tory Brown and published by Fort Circle Games, it offers competitive, cooperative, and solo modes with the Oppobot automa. The asymmetrical card-driven system puts players in the shoes of either the suffragist movement or the opposition: state-by-state campaigns, lobbying Congress, managing historical events. Victory requires the approval of the 19th amendment and the ratification of 36 out of 48 states. Available on FroGames.it.
Frequently Asked Questions
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