Erich & Walter

Walter Ulbricht and Erich Honecker were involved in a quiet but decisive power struggle within the Socialist Unity Party of Germany (SED) that defined East German leadership in the late 1960s and early 1970s. It wasn’t a “public” fight in the typical Western political sense; rather, it was very much a controlled internal succession conflict, centered on generational change, ideological tensions and Soviet favor. The card game Erich & Walter (2025) explores this muted political rivalry between Erich Honecker and Walter Ulbricht, as they struggle for control and leadership of the SED and the East Democratic Republic (GDR). Players navigate the shifting domains of the GDR’s public, the Party’s Politburo, and Soviet favor, balancing ideology, influence, and intrigue to outmaneuver each other and seize leadership of East Germany. The game supports two primary modes of play, each offering a distinct approach to strategy and tension. Before starting, players must agree on which mode to use. The two game modes are fundamentally similar, with the only difference being how players acquire cards—either by purchasing from the Intershop market in Normal Mode, or by drawing directly from the deck in the Stasi-Variant. Normal mode offers more open strategic planning and transparency, while the Stasi-Variant introduces greater secrecy and unpredictability, favoring hidden tactics and bluffing. —description from the designer