Overview

After the Holocaust: The Nuclear Devastation of America — Recovery and Reunification is a hypothetical-simulation wargame published by SPI in 1977 as part of the “Power Politics” series. It simulates the economic, military, and political struggle that might follow the devastation and political dissolution of the United States after a nuclear war. Players control factions competing to rebuild and dominate post-apocalyptic America through resource management, military force, and political maneuvering.

Components

• Game board (map of post-nuclear United States divided into areas)
• Counters (military units, labor, resources)
• Charts and tables (production, combat, victory point calculation)
• Dice
• Rules booklet

Setup

1. Place the map board between the players.
2. Each player selects a faction and takes control of designated areas.
3. Distribute starting military units, labor points, and resources according to the scenario.
4. Place production markers on controlled areas.
5. Determine first player.

Turn Structure

The game lasts 10 turns (unless using the optional domination rule). Each turn consists of:

1. Production phase: Generate agricultural, mineral, and fuel resources from controlled areas.
2. Economic phase: Allocate labor, manage mechanization, conduct trade, and handle transportation and taxation.
3. Consumer goods phase: Produce consumer goods to maintain the social state of your population.
4. Military phase: Build armies, recruit units, and maintain existing forces.
5. Combat phase: Attack other players’ territories using military units.
6. Political phase: Manage taxation, social state, and civilian morale.

Actions

Resource Production

• Controlled areas produce agricultural, mineral, and fuel resources based on their capacity and remaining infrastructure.
• Labor points represent the workforce; they are allocated to production, military, or consumer goods.
• Mechanization improves production efficiency.

Trade and Transportation

• Resources can be traded between areas and with other players.
• Transportation networks (damaged by the nuclear war) limit trade and resource movement.

Military Operations

• Build armies using resources and labor.
• Attack enemy territories in the combat phase.
• Military units consume resources for maintenance.

Social State Management

• Consumer goods must be produced to maintain the social state of the population.
• Higher social state means more stable governance and better victory point multipliers.
• Starving labor points severely reduce victory points.

Scoring / Victory Conditions

After 10 turns, each player calculates victory points:

1. Raw Victory Points = Number of controlled areas x Social State
2. Adjusted Victory Points = Raw VP - [(Military units + Unemployed labor points) x Social State] - (Starving Labor Points x Social State x 3)
3. The player with the highest Adjusted Victory Point Total wins.

Optional rule: Instead of a 10-turn limit, play continues until one player completely dominates all others.

Special Rules & Edge Cases

• Nuclear devastation: The starting conditions reflect a devastated landscape — infrastructure is damaged, populations are reduced, and resources are scarce.
• Starvation penalty: Starving labor points carry a triple penalty (x3 multiplier), making food production critical.
• Military vs. economy tradeoff: Military units and unemployed labor reduce victory points, creating tension between military expansion and economic efficiency.
• Social state: Acts as a multiplier for both positive and negative VP calculations — a high social state amplifies both gains and losses.
• Solitaire compatible: The game can be played solo with certain adjustments.

Player Reference

Resource	Use
Agricultural	Feed population; avoid starvation penalties
Mineral	Build infrastructure and military
Fuel	Power transportation and mechanization
Labor	Workforce for all production; unemployment reduces VP
Consumer goods	Maintain social state

VP formula: (Areas x Social State) - (Military + Unemployed) x Social State - (Starving x Social State x 3)