Overview

Calamity is a board game released by Games Workshop in 1983, co-designed by Andrew Lloyd Webber, Ian Livingstone, and Derek Carver. Set in the world of high-risk insurance, players navigate a Monopoly-style track, insuring against and causing various disasters. Unlike Monopoly, players complete the track only once, creating a finite game with a clear end point.

Components

• Game board (Monopoly-style single-loop track)
• Player pawns
• Insurance policy cards
• Calamity cards (disaster events)
• Money
• Dice
• Property/location cards

Setup

1. Place the board in the center of the table.
2. Each player selects a pawn and places it on the start space.
3. Distribute starting money to all players.
4. Shuffle and place insurance policy and calamity card decks.
5. Determine starting player by rolling dice.

Turn Structure

On each turn:

1. Roll the dice and move your pawn along the track.
2. Resolve the space you land on:
   • Property space: Buy insurance or pay premiums.
   • Calamity space: Draw a calamity card — a disaster strikes.
   • Event space: Follow special instructions.
3. Collect or pay money as required.
4. Play passes clockwise.

Actions

Buy Insurance:

• When landing on certain spaces, you may purchase insurance policies to protect against specific types of disasters.

Trigger Calamities:

• Calamity cards describe disasters (fires, floods, earthquakes, etc.).
• If you are insured against the calamity, you receive a payout.
• If you are uninsured, you lose money or assets.

Make Claims:

• When a disaster matches an insurance policy you hold, claim the payout from the bank.

Pay Premiums:

• Insurance policies require ongoing premium payments to remain active.

Scoring / Victory Conditions

Players complete one loop around the track. At the end of the game, the player with the most money (cash plus insurance policy values minus debts) wins.

Special Rules & Edge Cases

• Single Loop: Unlike Monopoly, players go around the board only once, making the game finite and predictable in length.
• Insurance Theme: The game satirizes the insurance industry, with the tension between paying premiums and risking going uninsured.
• Andrew Lloyd Webber: The game is notable for being co-designed by the famous musical theatre composer.
• Games Workshop Origin: Published before Games Workshop became primarily known for miniatures wargaming (Warhammer).
• Calamity Variety: The calamity cards include a range of disasters, both common and absurd.

Player Reference

Action	Effect
Buy insurance	Protection against specific calamities
Pay premium	Keep insurance active
Calamity strikes	Lose money (uninsured) or collect payout (insured)

Win condition: Most money after completing one loop of the board Players: 2-6 Key decision: Which insurance policies to buy versus risk going uninsured