There is a series of games I am quite enamored of, known as Pax games. They are, for the most part, a production of Sierra Madre Games, and designed and/or devoloped by one Phil Eklund. At one point they were described in contrast to wargames. In wargames, typically, the players are the great generals or factions moving their pawns on the map to achieve victory. Whereas in a Pax game, "the players are the pawns." Meaning your goal is to leach on to the strong faction of the moment and hopefully come out ahead when the power structure tumbles. More or less.
Pax Porfiriana The first of this line. It takes place during the final years of Porfiro Diaz's leadership of Mexico. Players are Hacendados (powerful landowners of the time) building their own wealth while destroying others, dealing in extortion, lawsuits, banditry, revolution. Victory comes in several guises; being named Porfiro's successor, staging a military coup, leading the revolution, or becoming the governor of Mexico under U.S. control.
Pax Pamir Afghanistan circa 1830-1885, aka the Great Game. Britain is worried Russia is seeking access to its interests in India. Russia is maybe just concerned about encroaching British imperialism. Afghani nationals are seeking cohesion after the fall of the Durrani Empire. Players are vague tribal leaders currying favor with one of the three factions, building armies, constructing roads. And also spying, betraying, taxing, holding hostage whenever it's beneficial. And changing loyalties when things start to go south, of course. There is a recent second edition of this, that is easier to learn/play than the original.
Pax Renaissance This is my favorite. It covers the full scope of the Renaissance. Players are financial powers using their economic influence to drive the powers of the region. Complete with coronations, peasant revolts, conspiracies, trade fairs, piracy, religious wars (Reformation, Crusades, Jihads). Victory is had any number of ways. Having the most influence in royal courts, supporting a sufficiency of exploration and trade, religious influence (if some religion comes to enough power of the region), amassing legal power in free states, or just plaing supporting the arts. It's a wild sandbox of a game, but oddly, can be played in about an hour, once you wrap your head around it. This one also has a second edition being made, but looks like it mostly just cleans up some of the artwork and layout.
Pax Emancipation Easily the largest in scope, it covers the global attempt to end slavery from 1776 to 1917 (or something like that). It is kind of a pseudo-cooperative game. It can be played fully cooperative, or even solo. The game takes as its conceit that the driving force behind this global emancipation arose from Enlightenment ideas. As such, players are all Western entities (British Parliament, Evangelical Missionaries, and Philanthropists), but the game gives plenty of credit to Eastern leaders and ideas as well. So you are all working towards ending slavery, but in the end, you want the world to be bent towards your particular idea of what that actually means. Slaves are freed, slave ships are sunk, laws are passed, revolutions abound.
Pax Transhumanity This is the only one that is not historical. It is the near future, and players are funding and commercializing various scientific and social breakthroughs to bring humanity to a new era. Your goal is to bring about the future of humanity as you wish to see it, be it transbiological, computing, space-faring, etc.
There is also a Pax Viking that is currently getting made, but all I know about it is that it has to do with the Vikings and Sweden.
