The Nuclear Energy Game

About this game

"Own, Operate, or Meltdown Your Own Plant." The Nuclear Energy game is one of several to come out in the wake of the incident at Three Mile Island. Players attempt to acquire operating licenses for nuclear power plants, which serve as a source of income. Similarly, they try to avoid meltdowns or other mishaps at those same plants. Licensed sites serve as a source of income from other players who land on them as well as producing contract fees in their own right. After a pre-determined amount of time (the designer suggests 90 minutes), players tally assets and the person with the highest total wins. There are humorous touches in both the instructions and on the game board, ranging from the disclaimer that any small errors "were incorporated intentionally in order to confuse the foreign intelligence community," to a sign pointing away from the power plant marked "fallout shelter" and another pointing straight down marked "China". The back page gives a line-item account of the actual events at Three Mile Island leading to the release of radioactive gas.

What it feels like