The school year is wrapping up, and we're getting ready for our annual Summer Institute and GDC! As you are preparing to enjoy your summer vacation and thinking about what games you might use in your classes next year, we hope you will consider these new and updated Reacting titles.

NEW GAMES

Oklahoma Revolution: Radicalism vs. Racism

In the early 20th century, three things were true about Oklahoma: it had the highest American Indian population in the nation; it was the most socialist state in the country; and (after 1917) it had the highest Ku Klux Klan membership per capita. In the 1920s, the so-called second Klan was a major force throughout the United States, and it was much more catholic in its hatred than its Reconstruction predecessor. In the 46th state, things came to a head in 1922 when socialists elected their candidate for governor, determined to break the Klan’s hold on the state. Will they succeed, or will the racists triumph? This game is additionally being featured at the 2026 Summer Institute! So if it peaks your curiosity, make sure to sign up. 

Seeking Justice: Colombia, 2012

For over five decades, Colombia was torn apart by conflict between the government and the FARC, leaving hundreds of thousands dead and millions displaced. Seeking Justice puts students at the heart of the 2012–2016 peace negotiations, where diplomats, international mediators, and civil society members must navigate the delicate balance between justice and reconciliation.

As negotiators, students will engage in confidential talks, weighing demands for land reform, disarmament, and political participation while facing pressure from both the public and international actors. Meanwhile, members of the public forum—victims, activists, and former combatants—will debate the future of their country, influencing the peace process through advocacy, polling, and direct testimony.

This simulation challenges students to grapple with real-world dilemmas of transitional justice: How do you end a civil war without granting impunity? What compromises are necessary for lasting peace? And what happens when the people must vote on a treaty shaped behind closed doors?

With roles ranging from high-level diplomats to impassioned citizens, Seeking Justice immerses students in the complexities of peacebuilding. Will they broker a deal that leads to a stable future, or will history repeat itself?

A Crisis of Faith: Byzantine Iconoclasm and the Search for Holiness in the Medieval World

It's 787, and the Byzantine Empire is tearing itself apart over images. Empress Irene has called a council in Nicaea to settle the question once and for all: are religious icons sacred objects worthy of veneration, or dangerous idols that must be destroyed? Students play bishops, monks, courtiers, and foreign diplomats, each armed with their own reading of scripture and their own political agenda. They'll debate whether art can depict God, whether icons can be holy, and who has the authority to decide — all while jockeying for power on issues from papal primacy to imperial succession. The game asks what happens when theology becomes politics, and politics becomes theology.

Japan's Strategic Dilemma, 1945: Surrender and Survival 

Should Japan surrender under the terms of the Potsdam Declaration, requiring fundamental changes to its government and perhaps more, or insist on other arrangements to end the war? The game is set in August 1945. Japan has seen its cities fire-bombed for a year, and Hiroshima has just been incinerated by an atomic bomb. Players take the roles of top army, navy and civilian leaders to decide on a reply to the Allies' "Potsdam Declaration." Should they accept, even if it results in the end of their institutions and fundamental change in Japan? Or should they demand compromise, or even fight on?

UPDATED GAMES

Europe on the Brink, 1914: The July Crisis

• Role sheets, supplemental documents, and handouts all revised to integrate new documents into the game. 

Food or Famine: The Debate Over Genetically Modified Crops in Southern Africa

• New debrief PowerPoint added.