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{{Short description|2017 board game by Cole Wehrle}}
{{About|the board game|the historical joint-stock trading company|East India Company}}
{{Italic title}}
{{Infobox game
| name = John Company
| years = 2017 (first edition), 2022 (second edition)
| genre = Economic
| players = 1–6
| playing_time = 90 minutes–4 hours
| random_chance = High
| skills = Strategy, negotiation
}}

'''''John Company''''' is a board game designed by Cole Wehrle, originally released in 2017 with a second edition in 2022. The game concerns the fortunes of the [[British East India Company]] (EIC), nicknamed "John Company", as it trades with India and China, raises armies, and influences [[Parliament of the United Kingdom|Parliament]]. 1–6 players take the role of families who co-operatively run the company for profit, while competing against each other to acquire the most prestige.

''John Company'' was well reviewed and ''[[Smithsonian (magazine)|Smithsonian]]'' magazine put the second edition on their list of the best board games of 2022.

== Gameplay ==
[[File: Warren Hastings by Tilly Kettle.jpg |thumb |alt=Portrait of Warren Hastings, EIC governor. |[[Warren Hastings]] was the [[List of governors of Bengal Presidency|governor of the Bengal Presidency]] and commander-in-chief of the EIC's army. A detail from this portrait is used on the game's ''President of Bengal'' card.]]
''John Company'' is played on a board displaying a map of India, rewards for employees who retire, and information about the company and the game state. Each player represents a family owning shares in, or having members working for, the [[East India Company]]. During setup, players receive random bonuses such as money, positions in the company, having influence on the Prime Minister, and a set of five promise cards, which they may use when negotiating; if another player uses a promise card, the player whose card it is must fulfill the promise if they can. Promises include small loans and consent for [[nepotism]] during hiring.

Each turn, players may take a single action for the family, such as sending members to work in India, buying shares in the company, purchasing luxuries, or setting up their own factories and shipyards. Then, the Company fills empty positions. Not all Company employees may be hired for every role; for instance, only army commanders are eligible to become the new Director of Military Affairs. Apart from this, any player's family member can be appointed to any position as long as players controlling a majority of shares in the company agree and there is no nepotism (hiring members of one's own family) without unanimous agreement.

After family members are appointed to the Company offices, they may act. Some of these jobs affect the company's workings; for instance, the chairman may issue debt and the Manager of Shipping may buy new ships. Other positions, such as Presidents and army commanders, affect India. They are allowed to hire regiments and mercenaries to invade regions of the map or put down unrest. Each area also has a number of empty spaces for ''orders'', which simulate trade. If the players invade a region of India, they may gain loot and prestige but run the risk of family members being killed or disgraced; if they trade, both the player and the company will profit. If the players have appointed a Superintendent of Trade in China, they may also harvest [[opium]] from India and sell it in China. All these actions are carried out by die rolling; although it is possible to buy more dice, there is always a risk of failure.

India is not passive; each turn, a number of events occur. Indian kingdoms may invade each other or rebel against the company, a leader may become stronger, or the players may receive an unexpected windfall. Storms may also damage or destroy ships.

At the end of each turn, [[Parliament of the United Kingdom|Parliament]] meets. Firstly, the [[Prime Minister of the United Kingdom|Prime Minister]] player selects a law to vote on. Laws may benefit all players by offering extra actions, help some at the expense of others, or be generally harmful. Players are allowed to discuss which law to choose and then negotiate for support. If the law passes, it takes effect immediately and the Prime Minister player gains prestige; if not, the player who voted against the law becomes the new Prime Minister.

=== The London Season ===
The first phase of every turn represents the [[London Season]], in which prominent members of British society gather in London. First, players roll to see which of their office holders age or retire to Britain, becoming pensioners. Then, each player may use their family's accumulated wealth to buy country houses for their pensioners to retire to. In addition, there is a row of prestige cards available. A players whose pensioner retired this turn may take one; these provide bonuses and occasional restrictions. For instance, control of a [[rotten borough]] provides the player with extra votes in Parliament, and blackmail cards have strong negative effects if used on other players; spouses offer various benefits, but a player may only marry once.

Retiring to more valuable properties gains players more victory points. Players also gain victory points for achievements such as passing laws or conquering Indian kingdoms, and for having the most power, which takes different forms and may be manipulated throughout the game. Usually, shares in the company are also worth points; however, if the Company goes bankrupt, shares are worth negative victory points and a card is drawn to see what negative consequence the players suffer.

=== Advanced scenarios ===
The basic scenario, which begins in 1710, is five turns long. Advanced scenarios begin in 1758, 1813, and 1710 (a version simulating the EIC's entire history). These are longer, have different setup to simulate history at that time, and have advanced rules, including the ability for players to deregulate the company and set up and buy shares in rival companies. There is also a mode with an automated opponent, in which 1–2 players compete against the Crown's interest in the company.

== Theme ==
In the rulebook, Wehrle describes the game as "a frank portrait of an institution that was as dysfunctional as it was influential", discussing imperialism, globalization, and how these affected Britain.<ref name="rulebook1">{{cite book |last1=Wehrle |first1=Cole |title=John Company Second Edition Rules of Play |page=1|date=2022 |publisher=Wehrlegig Games }}</ref> He also states that it "attempts to tell on small part of the origin story of the British Empire" and show how "decent people can do some truly evil things to advance their own prospects".<ref name="rulebook48">{{cite book |last1=Wehrle |first1=Cole |title=John Company Second Edition Rules of Play |page=48|date=2022 |publisher=Wehrlegig Games }}</ref>

In an essay published ahead of the second edition Kickstarter, he described it as concerned with the imperial imaginary – how people and institutions view themselves – and influenced by [[Frantz Fanon]]'s description of how empire changed not only geopolitical facts but relationships between people.<ref name="GoingIntoEmpire">{{cite web| url = https://wehrlegig.com/blogs/essays/going-into-empire| title = Going into Empire| last = Wehrle| first = Cole| date = March 24, 2021| website = wehrlegig.com| publisher = Wehrlegig Games| access-date = August 20, 2023}}</ref>

Other influences on the game design included [[John Keay]]'s ''The Honourable Company'', [[Sashi Tharoor]]'s ''[[Inglorious Empire]]'', and ''[[The Anarchy (book)|The Anarchy]]'' by [[William Dalrymple (historian)|William Dalrymple]], as well as history books by Barbara Harlow, Mia Carter, [[Margot Finn]], Kate Smith, Jean Sutton, [[Kirti N. Chaudhuri]], [[Christopher Bayly]], Philip J. Stern, and [[Lucy Sutherland]]. Wehrle also cites the theoretical works [[Benedict Anderson]]'s ''[[Imagined Communities]]'', [[Saree Makdisi]]'s ''Making England Western'', and [[Edward Said]]'s ''[[Culture and Imperialism]]'' in the rulebook.<ref name="rulebook48"/> Wehrle has described ''John Company'' as a meditation on ''Culture and Imperialism''{{'}}s remarks on ''[[Mansfield Park]]'' and as an attempt to popularize the history of imperialism as a challenge to historical amnesia.<ref name="GoingIntoEmpire"/>

== Historical background ==
Players of ''John Company'' will consider some of the issues that affected the historical EIC between 1710 and the 1860s. For instance, players must decide whether or not to try and conquer the Indian kingdoms; if they do, they may install a Governor-General, and [[History of opium in China#Growth of the opium trade|traffic the opium they control to China]]. Players may hire Indians to assist them; these include Sikhs, the [[Jagat Seth family]], [[Awadh]], [[Arcot]], [[Orissa]], the [[Nizam]] of [[Hyderabad]], and a [[Rajput]] prince. Meanwhile, Indians may revolt against the company; in the real world, this led to the EIC's downfall, due to the [[Indian Revolt of 1857]].

The exact setup rules depend on the scenario the players choose, reflecting the historical fortunes of India and the EIC. For the 1710 or long 1710 scenarios, the company has no debt, weak armies, and no ships. If the game starts in 1758, the [[Calico Acts]] will already have been passed, there is a governor in [[Bengal]], the company is already in debt, and Mysore and Bombay are stronger than in 1710. For an 1813 scenario, the company has larger armies and more ships, while Bombay is weaker but the [[Punjab]] stronger.

The laws players consider voting on also reflect historical fact. One card in the deck represents the Calico Acts; historically, these banned imports of cotton (as the EIC had been doing) and helped the rise and industrialization of the British cotton industry. If passed, the game card simulates this by reducing Company profits and allowing players to buy extra workshops while rewarding those who already have them; it also has support in Parliament, which reflects how [[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)|MP]]s represented local economies dependent on textiles, while the rents of many [[House of Lords|Lords]] were connected to the wool industry.<ref>{{cite journal | last1 = O'Brien| first1 = Patrick| last2 = Griffiths| first2 = Trevor| last3 = Hunt| first3 = Philip| date = August 1991| title = Political Components of the Industrial Revolution: Parliament and the English Cotton Textile Industry, 1660-1774| url = https://www.jstor.org/stable/2597536| journal = The Economic History Review (New Series)| volume = 44| number = 3| at = 395–423| doi = 10.2307/2597536| access-date = August 21, 2023| quote = Parliamentary support, p397; rise of cotton industry, p423 and throughout.}}</ref> The ''Writer Privileges'' law, on the other hand, has less support in Parliament, but allows the players to gain extra money from trading in India, and makes future votes to deregulate the company easier; a historical note on the card explains that reducing restrictions led to cheaper prices for Indian goods in Britain, which led to more support for deregulation. Players may also debate whether to recruit [[sepoy]]s (Indian soldiers), extend the [[suffrage|franchise]] (reducing the value of rotten boroughs and making it more expensive to buy votes), or provide relief for famines in India. These reflect issues Britain and the EIC faced in the 18th and 19th centuries, such as the [[Reform Act 1832]], [[Chartism]], and [[Famine in India#British rule|several famines which affected India]].

One of the game's topics is the relationship between the EIC's actions in India and British culture then and now, and how reliant Britain was on [[British empire|its empire]].<ref name="GoingIntoEmpire"/> For example, if the company is successful, players will have more money and votes with which to influence Parliament; but whether it is or not, its violent actions will inevitably affect on its own culture.<ref name="AnarchyComesHome">{{cite web| url = https://spacebiff.com/2022/11/23/john-company-3/| title = The Anarchy Comes Home| last = Thurot| first = Dan| date = November 23, 2022| website = Space-Biff! | access-date = August 21, 2023}}</ref>

=== Art ===
[[File:Thomas Rowlandson, A Gambling Table at Devonshire House (1791, detail).jpg |thumb |alt=Caricature of wealthy Georgians gambling at a table. |A detail from [[Thomas Rowlandson]]'s ''A Gaming Table at Devonshire House'' (1791). A detail of this picture is used as part of the box design.]]

[[File:Thomas Daniell, Sir Charles Warre Malet, Concluding a Treaty in 1790 in Durbar with the Peshwa of the Maratha Empire.jpg |thumb |alt=Painting of East India Company employees and an Indian ruler signing a treaty in his palace. |''Thomas Daniell, Sir Charles Warre Malet, Concluding a Treaty in 1790 in Durbar with the Peshwa of the Maratha Empire'' by [[Thomas Daniell]] decorates the interior of the box top.]]
Another way in which ''John Company'' articulates its theme is through its art. Like ''[[Pax Pamir]]'', it uses period paintings and illustrations in several places. The office holder cards are illustrated with portraits of people who held the particular post, such as [[Warren Hastings]] on the ''President of Bengal card'' and [[Robert Abercromby of Airthrey|Robert Abercromby]] on the ''President of Bombay'' card and the first edition box cover.

Blackmail and spouse cards are illustrated by caricatures, as is a dial used by the Prime Minister player, and incidental art throughout. The rulebook is illustrated with cartoons, including two by [[James Gillray]] commenting on the impeachment trial of Warren Hastings in the [[House of Commons of the United Kingdom|House of Commons]] for his actions while [[List of governors of Bengal Presidency|governor of Bengal]].<ref name="rulebook1021">{{cite book |last1=Wehrle |first1=Cole |title=John Company Second Edition Rules of Play |pages=10, 21|date=2022 |publisher=Wehrlegig Games }}</ref> Meanwhile, one of the ''Company Failure'' cards depicts ''New Crowns for Old'', a ''[[Punch (magazine)|Punch]]'' cartoon by [[John Tenniel]] depicting the Prime Minister, [[Benjamin Disraeli]], as the evil Abanazar from ''[[Aladdin]]''. The card text notes that although the cartoon criticizes Disraeli's ambitions, it also shows how racism was present throughout Victorian society, even in anti-imperialist contexts.

The box art is mainly red. The bottom half depicts a [[Factory (trading post)|factory]] in India,<ref name="AnarchyComesHome"/> while the top half shows a detail from Thomas Rowlandson's ''A Gaming Table at Devonshire House'' (1791), in which wealthy Georgians including [[Henrietta Ponsonby, Countess of Bessborough]], her sister [[Georgiana Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire]], and the young [[George IV]] play the dice game [[hazard (game)|hazard]], likely at [[Devonshire House]] on [[Piccadilly]] in [[City of Westminster|Westminster]].<ref>{{cite web |title=A Gaming Table at Devonshire House |url=https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/358676 |website=The Met |access-date=22 August 2023}}</ref> Although the two pictures are very different in topic and style, the juxtaposition implies that they are two faces of a single historical reality.<ref name="AnarchyComesHome"/> The art on the inside of the box lid shows the signing of an alliance between the EIC and [[Madhavrao II]], [[peshwa]] of the [[Maratha Empire]], against the [[Tipu Sultan]].<ref>{{cite web| url = https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/daniell-sir-charles-warre-malet-concluding-a-treaty-in-1790-in-durbar-with-the-peshwa-of-t12511| title = Sir Charles Warre Malet, Concluding a Treaty in 1790 in Durbar with the Peshwa of the Maratha Empire| last = Ritchie| first = Caroline Anjali| date = March 2022| website = Tate| access-date = August 20, 2023}}</ref>

However, not all of the art is Western. The rulebook includes a painting by the Indian artist Venkatchellum depicting Indian and EIC troops marching together {{circa}}1790,<ref name="rulebook30">{{cite book |last1=Wehrle |first1=Cole |title=John Company Second Edition Rules of Play |page=30|date=2022 |publisher=Wehrlegig Games }}</ref> and the tiles used to determine events in India are designed to resemble [[ganjifa]] tiles.

=== The game as historical fiction ===
Wehrle attempted to present the game from a satirical point of view.<ref name="GoingIntoEmpire"/> He describes the game as "essentially… historical fiction", manipulating the historical record for aesthetic effect, and in the rulebook he recommends the novels ''[[Dombey and Son]]'' by [[Charles Dickens]] and ''[[Vanity Fair (novel)|Vanity Fair]]'' and ''[[The Newcomes]]'' by [[William Makepeace Thackeray]] to help players understand the game's milieu.<ref name="rulebook48"/> In addition, the spouses are all drawn from 19th century British literature, similar to the inclusion of the [[Harry Flashman]] card in ''Pax Pamir''. They include [[Mr Rochester]] of ''[[Jane Eyre]]'', [[Becky Sharp]] and Joseph Sedley of ''Vanity Fair'', Lady Newcome of ''The Newcomes'', [[Esther Summerson]] of ''[[Bleak House]]'', Lady Glencora and Violet Effingham of the [[Palliser novels]] by [[Anthony Trollope]], John Thorpe of ''[[Northanger Abbey]]'', and [[Mr William Collins|Mr Collins]] of ''[[Pride and Prejudice]]''. In addition, one of the ship tokens shows the ''[[Return of the Obra Dinn|Obra Dinn]]''.

== Release history ==
[[File: George Romney - Colonel Robert Abercrombie - Google Art Project.jpg |thumb|Portrait of [[Robert Abercromby of Airthrey|Robert Abercromby]], [[List of governors of Bombay Presidency|Governor of Bombay]] and [[Commander-in-Chief, India]]. Details from this portrait by [[George Romney (painter)|George Romney]] were used as the cover image for the first edition box, and in both editions' ''President of Bombay'' cards. |alt=Painting of Robert Abercrombie, an EIC employee, used in the game.]]

Wehrle began developing the game in 2009, inspired by playing the [[Avalon Hill]] game ''[[Republic of Rome (game)|Republic of Rome]]'' and a wish for more games about institutional history. However, this design did not work. After further attempts failed in 2011 and 2013, he tried again in 2016 and succeeded.<ref name="rulebook47">{{cite book |last1=Wehrle |first1=Cole |title=John Company Second Edition Rules of Play |page=47|date=2022 |publisher=Wehrlegig Games }}</ref> The first edition was published in 2017 by Sierra Madre Games, who had published the first edition of his first game, ''Pax Pamir'', and its expansion ''Khyber Knives''. This edition had a portrait of [[Robert Abercromby of Airthrey|Robert Abercromby]] on the front.

After finishing the second edition of ''Pax Pamir'', Wehrle and his brother Drew began revising it for re-release by their own company, Wehrlegig Games. Originally, the planned changes were small, but as development continued they grew to affect the core of the design. The game made its public debut at the 2020 San Diego Historical Games Convention. On March 30, 2021, Wehrlegig launched a [[Kickstarter]] for the second edition (and a reprint of ''Pax Pamir'' Second Edition), with a target of US$50,000; by March 31, more than $330,000 had been pledged;<ref name="dicebreaker">{{cite web| url = https://www.dicebreaker.com/games/john-company-2e/news/john-company-second-edition-kickstarter-wehrle-effect| title = John Company 2E Kickstarter demolishes its crowdfunding goal on the first day | last = Carter| first = Chase| date = March 31, 2021| website = Dicebreaker| access-date = August 21, 2023}}</ref> ultimately, the Kickstarter raised nearly $800,000.<ref name="rulebook47"/> The game was released in 2022<ref name="rulebook48"/> in a larger box to accommodate all the components.

== Reception ==
The first edition of ''John Company'' was nominated for the Golden Elephant Award, given by the Heavy Cardboard podcast.<ref>{{cite web| url = https://www.heavycardboard.com/golden-elephant| title = Golden Elephant Award| website = Heavycardboard| access-date = August 21, 2023}}</ref>

''[[Hong Kong Economic Journal#EJ Insight|EJ Insight]]'' described the second edition as "not an easy game to understand or play" and stated that the rulebook could have been better written, but also called it "unique", "exciting", and "highly educational".<ref>{{cite web| url = https://www.ejinsight.com/eji/article/id/2361181/20200124-john-company-a-board-game-inspired-by-the-age-of-colonization| title = John Company: a board game inspired by the age of colonization| last = Hiew| first = Chok Sien| date = January 23, 2023| website = EJInsight| access-date = August 21, 2023}}</ref> Dan Thurot noted that the emphasis on negotiation makes the company's dealings harder to ignore and discussed how the excitement of dice throwing helps players understand the game's darker themes. He also compared it to what [[Robert Southey]] called [[oikophobia]], a drive to expand, and contrasted ''John Company''{{'}}s examination of the past with [[Roger Scruton]]'s distaste for self-examination and cultural critique. He concluded that it was "audacious" and "marvelous and multilayered".<ref name="AnarchyComesHome"/> Charlie Theel called it "magnificence" and the best game of 2022, with emotional complexity and a rich strategic puzzle. He noted Wehrle's emphasis on distancing the players from the events of the game so they could better appreciate it, and likened his approach to that of a historical wargame designer.<ref>{{cite web| url = https://playerelimination.com/2022/11/28/on-cole-wehrle-and-john-company/| title = On Cole Wehrle and John Company| last = Theel| first = Charlie| date = November 28, 2022| website = Player Elimination| access-date = August 21, 2023}}</ref>

''[[Smithsonian (magazine)]]'' magazine named it one of their best games of 2022, describing it as not for "beginners—or anyone uncomfortable with mixing play with dark historical themes", but "beautifully crafted". It also noted that although many board games have been faulted for glorifying colonialism, ''John Company'' engaged with this criticism; it compared the game to ''[[Spirit Island (board game)|Spirit Island]]''.<ref>{{cite web| url = https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/the-best-board-games-of-2022-180981339/| title = The Best Board Games of 2022| last = Palmer| first = James| date = December 20, 2022| website = Smithsonian Magazine| access-date = August 20, 2023}}</ref>

It was nominated for Best Early Modern Wargame in the 2022 [[Charles S. Roberts Awards]]<ref>{{cite web| url = https://charlessrobertsawards.com/2022-charles-s-roberts-awards-winners-announced/| title = 2022 Charles S. Roberts Awards Winners Announced| website = Charles S. Roberts Awards| access-date = August 20, 2023}}</ref> and for four awards in the 2022 Golden Geek Awards, organized by [[BoardGameGeek]], in the categories Most Innovative, Heavy Board Game, Thematic Board Game, and Best Artwork & Presentation.<ref>{{cite web| url = https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/332686/john-company-second-edition| title = John Company: Second Edition| website = BoardGameGeek| access-date = August 20, 2023}}</ref>

== See also ==
''[[Pax Pamir]]'', ''[[Root (board game)|Root]]'', and ''[[Oath: Chronicles of Empire and Exile]]'' – other games designed by Wehrle

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
*[https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/211716/john-company BoardGameGeek page for the first edition]
*[https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/332686/john-company-second-edition BoardGameGeek page for the second edition]
*[https://wehrlegig.com/ Wehrlegig Games website]

[[Category:Board games about history]]
[[Category:Board games introduced in 2017]]
[[Category:Economic simulation board games]]
[[Category:Negotiation tabletop games]]
[[Category:British East India Company]]

John Company (board game) - Revision history

Ajay Kumar: Creating a new article