A new board game titled “Storm the Capitol — TrueAnon Edition” is set for release this weekend, coinciding with the third anniversary of the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol.
The limited-edition game, designed for four to seven adult players and priced at $64.99, is based on the events of that deadly day and claims to allow players to “relive one of the funniest days in American history!”
Players can take on the roles of one of the six “Patriots,” navigating the Capitol, collecting ballots, taking hostages and clashing with the police. Alternatively, players can play as the Capitol Police, using every means possible to prevent the “Patriots” from reaching the roof with enough ballots to “Stop the Steal,” according to the game’s website.
TrueAnon, a political podcast with hosts Brace Belden, Liz Franczak and Yung Chomsky, created the contentious board game. According to Newsweek, the podcast currently ranks ninth on Patreon. On a recent episode titled “MAGA-log,” the hosts promoted the game, recalling the Capitol riot. Belden called it “the best day of watching things on TV,” while Franczak described it as “a slice of life.”
The violent incident at the United States Capitol unfolded as a joint session of Congress attempted to certify the electoral college results of the 2020 presidential election, confirming the victory of Joe Biden. A large crowd of supporters of Trump gathered at the Capitol, protesting the election results.
The situation escalated, leading to a breach of the Capitol building by some protesters. Rioters broke windows, vandalized offices, and clashed with law enforcement officers. Authorities placed the Capitol on lockdown, and lawmakers were evacuated or took shelter. The chaos resulted in the deaths of five individuals, including Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick, who succumbed to injuries sustained during the violence.
Insurrectionists had expressed resentment and anger over the election results because of the false allegations of widespread voter fraud that Trump and his allies spread. The attack was widely condemned as an attack on democracy and the rule of law.
More than 1,000 individuals were arrested and subsequently convicted on charges related to their involvement in the riot. Charges ranged from trespassing and disorderly conduct to more serious offenses such as assaulting law enforcement officers, conspiring to obstruct the certification of the electoral college results, and seditious conspiracy. Trump currently faces 91 felony charges stemming from his false claims of election fraud and his actions that sparked the insurrection.
The board game hosts claimed the game is meant for all Americans, regardless of political affiliation. If players choose to be “Patriots,” or the supremacist Trump supporters who caused mayhem that day, they move from room to room, drawing “event” cards or ballots — the game’s equivalent of points. The objective is to accumulate 100 ballots and reach the final room, where the twice-impeached and now four-times-indicted former President Donald Trump awaits to fly players in his helicopter and change the results of the 2020 election to his favor, or to ratify the actual results.
One player assumes the role of the Capitol Police, aiming to prevent the “Patriots” from reaching 100 ballots before the 10th turn, at which point the police character would win and certify Joe Biden’s victory.
The TrueAnon account provocatively wrote on social media, “January 6 was about having fun with your friends—and this January 6, that amazing feeling is coming back.”
