From the introduction: Patriots, Loyalists, and Revolution in New York City, 1775–1776 draws students into the political and social chaos of a revolutionary New York City, where Patriot and Loyalist forces argued and fought for advantage among a divided populace. The goal of this game is for students not only to understand and utilize the political arguments of the time but also to realize the chaos, disruption, loss of privacy, and fear of victimization that come with any violent revolution. The game also teaches the role of contingency in history: the decisions students make in combination with the game’s built-in “surprises” (reflecting actual historical events) shift the short-term and long-term outcomes. Students learn the complexities, strengths, and weaknesses of the arguments on both sides, and how the social circumstances in which the revolution occurred changed those arguments’ impact and power.