New Bedford Becomes a Board Game

People are about the experience New Bedford in a completely new way!

The Whaling City is being turned into a board game! Yes, you read that correctly, a board game.

The game is called "New Bedford: A Game of History, Whaling and Town Building" and is based on the whaling industry and the historical rise of New Bedford in the mid-19th century, around the same time Herman Melville penned "Moby Dick".

Created by Pennsylvania resident, Nat Levan says it all started while he was watching a PBS special about the whaling industry, after reading "Moby Dick" and the idea grew from there.

Players will have to manage New Bedford's rapid growth as a city while also managing the whaling ships in order to try and win the game. Levan aimed to make New Bedford a major character by putting detailed art into this game and by featuring many familiar buildings.

This idea was first tested out in 2013, when Dice Hate Me Games, a board game designing company put the idea out on Kickstarter.com, a crowdfunding website. After not receiving many donations, they withdrew the appeal. They tried again this summer and about 2,316 supporters pledged a total of $109, 343 to help build the game.

Several people from the Southcoast have already signed up for their copy! With just a few minor kinks to work out, the game is set to be released early next year.

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