Fight for America!

Created by Neal Wilkinson and Christopher McElroen, with game design by Alessio Cavatore (Warhammer 40k) and developed with the insight of former U.S. Capitol Police Officers, the work is conceived as an art object brought fully to life through gameplay.

About FFA!

Produced by the american vicarious, a Brooklyn-based non-profit arts organization, Fight for America! is a large-scale participatory art installation and tactical tabletop wargame exploring the events of January 6, 2021.

The installation features a 1:64 scale model of the U.S. Capitol, 10,000 hand-painted 28mm miniatures, and integrated video and sound drawn from January 6.

Once daily, up to 20 players command opposing factions — RED vs. BLUE — on a sprawling 30’ x 30’ board, guided by a Game Master in the persona of Uncle Sam. Observers watch as the game unfolds in real time.

When not in play, Fight for America! stands as a sculptural tableau — a detailed, living snapshot of a nation on the edge — inviting visitors to move through the space, study its details, and reflect on the unresolved tensions of January 6th.

Fight for America! has garnered widespread national and international attention, with syndicated features in NPR and The Washington Post, alongside CNN, Slate, and The Observer.

All Photos © EllieKurttz

Production History

WORLD PREMIERE: Stone Nest, London, UK | June 11 - July 7, 2025

WORKSHOPS:

  • the american vicarious, Brooklyn, NY | January 24 - 26, 2025

  • River Horse, Nottingham, UK | August 23 - 26, 2024

  • Serious Play Conference, Toronto, CA | August 13, 202

  • the american vicarious, Brooklyn, NY | August 7, 2024

  • Marist College, Poughkeepsie, NY | April 15 & 17, 2024

  • the american vicarious, Brooklyn, NY | April 13 & 14, 2024

  • the american vicarious, Brooklyn, NY | December 7, 2023

Creative Team

Co-created by Neal Wilkinson & Christopher McElroen
Production Management by Corps Liminis
Lead Artist: Neal Wilkinson, Writer & Director: Christopher McElroen, Game Designer: Alessio Cavatore, Game Master: Dana Watkins, Co-Lighting Design: Christina Tang & Jess Shen, Sound Design: Daniel Dobson, Video Design: Austin Switser

Capitol Design Team

3D Printing Design: Emerson Rosa, Capitol Printing: 3D Printing Room, Miniature Design: Stephen May, Scenic Painters: Moe Angelos, Samantha Pagnotta, QLab Programmer: Adrian Cameron

  • “Thought-provoking political experiment... The goal, McElroen said, is to spark self-reflection about political polarization and the importance of an ‘infinite game’ approach to democracy, in which the goal is not victory but shared values...”

    —The Washington Post

  • “OK, so we’ve been joking around today and having some fun, but democracy is not a game. Or is it? There’s a question at the heart there for a new interactive game based off the events of January 6th. It’s called ‘Fight for America!’”

    — CNN This Morning

  • “In Fight for America!, it’s a twisted form of catharsis for disaffected liberals. I’ll admit, it’s fun to be on the winning team for a change.”

    — The Observer

  • “Genre-defying... A way of making sense of the world right now... By channelling our competitive instincts into this very well-guided giant board game about the events of January 6, 2021... we became all the more humanised for it.”

    — LondonTheatre1

  • “This is a really interesting and unusual event, maybe a historic first of some kind.”

    — NPR

  • “It is the hottest day of the year and I am standing in a converted chapel in central London chugging a can of Budweiser, for freedom... The goal of this project... to ask participants the question: ‘What about America is worth fighting for?’”

    — Slate

  • “...An unusual and eye-catching immersive theatre show called Fight for America! seeks to recreate the most infamous day in recent American history as a gigantic tabletop board game with over 10,000 hand-painted miniatures.”

    — Time Out London

  • “Drawing on the mechanics of large-scale tactical wargames, the experience places the audience inside a high-stakes simulation loosely inspired by the events of January 6, 2021, and the political fault lines surrounding it.”

    — BroadwayWorld

  • “Theatregoers in London are reenacting the January 6 riot, in what’s described as ‘part tabletop strategy game, part thought-provoking political experiment... The production is coming to Washington, D.C. next year.’”

    — Pod Save America

  • “A metaphor for political polarisation... A unique and inventive protest against America’s march towards outright fascism... Animated conversations break out between players as we reflect on the real-world implications of our in-game choices.”

    — The Stage