[1] It concerns the Russian, British, and Durrani empires struggling for dominance in Afghanistan, with players assuming the role of local leaders.

[9] Wehrle designed the game to interest players in the topic of empire,[10] and to express a postcolonial viewpoint centered on Afghans.

The first paragraph of the rulebook states: "Western histories often call this period "The Great Game" because of the role played by the Europeans who attempted to use Central Asia as a theater for their own rivalries.

[12] Wehrle began developing the game in 2012, influenced by Pax Porfirina, which concerned the rule of Porfirio Díaz in Mexico.

[13] The first edition was published in 2015 by Sierra Madre Games, co-designed by Phil Eklund, the company's owner and one of the designers of Pax Porfiriana.

The cover used an 1878 cartoon by John Tenniel for the satirical magazine Punch, showing Amir Sher Ali Khan standing between a lion and bear symbolizing Britain and Russia, with the caption "Save Me From My Friends!

[16] A Vice article about the cancelled GMT wargame Scramble for Africa mentioned it as a game that took history as a theme while acknowledging the complexity of colonialism and its impact on the modern world.

[17] A short essay written by Eklund that was included in the box, titled "A Defense of British Colonialism", was criticised and removed in subsequent printings.

[15] Reviewers described the second edition as fast-moving and simple to learn, but with a high degree of player interaction and complexity, allowing clever tactics.

[23] Adam Factor of Sprites and Dice stated that the game presents a view of history as fluid and conditional rather than a series of grand events.