There was a time, fair chilÂdren of the late 20th cenÂtuÂry, when every movie and teleÂviÂsion show had itself a board game. Most were bad. But we bought them, and then tried our best to make it work. You can see a colÂlecÂtion here. Few ever recreÂatÂed the spirÂit of the origÂiÂnal work, but instead coastÂed by on a cynÂic’s heart hopÂing to harÂvest your pop culÂture memÂoÂries.
HowÂevÂer, the board game verÂsion of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, creÂatÂed by designÂer, proÂgramÂmer, and artist J.R. BaldÂwin, is very much in the spirÂit of Hunter S. Thompson’s book and well-loved film adapÂtaÂtion by TerÂry Gilliam. It is also very danÂgerÂous to play, and is probÂaÂbly not surÂvivÂable unless you are Hunter S. ThompÂson and you have travÂeled in time to 2009. That’s the year of our clip above, when Alana Joy interÂviewed BaldÂwin for a web chanÂnel called Life on Blast.

The game comes in a briefÂcase modÂeled after Thompson’s travÂelÂing apotheÂcary, and uses a board, game pieces, and cards. The board is designed to look like a psyÂcheÂdelÂic trip, with the spaces and indeed the whole board modÂeled after peyÂote butÂtons, which were also part of Thompson’s Gonzo logo. The startÂing space quotes the famous first lines of the book (“We were someÂwhere around Barstow on the edge of the desert when the drugs began to take hold”) and the goal space uses the quote “All enerÂgy flows accordÂing to the whims of the great magÂnet” writÂten around a brain.

But it’s the othÂer conÂtents of the case that make the game speÂcial: drugs and alcoÂhol, to be takÂen dependÂing on what cirÂcle you land on the game board. Three difÂferÂent card groups dicÂtate actions to take durÂing the game. YelÂlow cards mean the playÂer must meaÂsure out an amount of drugs (includÂing stimÂuÂlants, inhalants, or halÂluÂcinoÂgens) or a shot of booze or absinthe and ingest. (The game helpÂfulÂly comes with a scale.) Blue cards send the playÂer on an advenÂture or activÂiÂty. Red cards are chalÂlenges to be takÂen while under the influÂence of the subÂstances.

So, okay, Baldwin’s game is not to be takÂen seriously…or takÂen oralÂly. It’s actuÂalÂly a one-of-its-kind piece of art that can be purÂchased for $3,500. Drugs, like batÂterÂies, are not includÂed. You must supÂply your own, posÂsiÂbly through your attorÂney.
“You could, theÂoÂretÂiÂcalÂly, surÂvive the entire game, on all these difÂferÂent subÂstances” BaldÂwin says. “So why not?”
You can get a sense of the game from the images above. They come from BaldÂwin’s webÂsite, where you can see yet more visuÂals.
RelatÂed ConÂtent:
Hunter S. Thompson’s HarÂrowÂing, ChemÂiÂcal-Filled DaiÂly RouÂtine
Ted Mills is a freeÂlance writer on the arts who curÂrentÂly hosts the FunkZone PodÂcast. You can also folÂlow him on TwitÂter at @tedmills, read his othÂer arts writÂing at tedmills.com and/or watch his films here.

