There at the Founding: Indiana

The year is 1763. The Seven Years’ War has ended and a new frontier community is taking shape. What happens next is up to you.

Be among the very first to experience Indiana: There at the Founding, an all-new interactive historical strategy game developed by the Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site.

Across seven rounds spanning more than 50 years of history, you and your fellow players will build a town from the ground up, collect and spend precious resources, and decide how your community responds to challenges inspired by real events in Indiana and American history. You’ll face everything from the Stamp Act and Revolutionary War to the passage of the Northwest Ordinance, as well as the illnesses, crime, natural disasters, and everyday challenges that confronted communities on the early frontier.

Every decision has consequences.

Together, you’ll balance four measures of your community’s success – Population, Order, Morale, and Education – while deciding what kind of town you want to build. Invest your resources wisely, work together, and prepare for the unexpected.

By the end of the seventh round, the year is 1816 and Indiana is preparing for statehood. If your community has what it takes, Indiana will become the 19th state.

This special Sneak Peek is the first public playthrough of Indiana: There at the Founding. After the game, stick around for a short conversation about the choices your group made, how real Hoosiers faced some of the same challenges, and your impressions as we put the finishing touches on the experience.

Whether you’re a board game fan, history enthusiast, educator, or just looking for something completely different to do, no previous gaming experience—or Indiana history expertise—is required.

Think you can build a community that makes it to statehood?

This program has been made possible through a grant from the Indiana Humanities and the National Endowment for the Humanities.