Welcome to Agora!

Agora is a nomic - a game of rule change, debate, ever-changing gameplay, and schemes - played by email. The rules of the game are part of the game, and ALL of them are subject to potential change. This makes it difficult to describe Agora, but it also means that gameplay stays fresh based on what players are interested in at the time.

Playing to Win?

When a player wins, it’s recorded in the ever-growing Scroll of Agora and the game continues. Winning is usually tied to a “sub-game”, an activity played within Agora. In the past this has included variants of Diplomacy, Go, and Mao - as well as many games of our own design.

Crafty and mischievous players may enjoy the time-honored tradition of 'scamming'. Since rules change frequently, loopholes often appear. Clever scammers use these loopholes to secure wins for themselves. There is, however, an art to this: it’s considered impolite to do so in a way that prevents others from having fun. The most elegant scams secure a win and then quickly clean up the mess.

A Historic Game

At 29 years old, Agora is the longest running nomic. It has also seen around 200 players come and go, with an average of 15-20 at any given time. Some players have been playing for more than a decade. Agora has been around for a long time, and plans to stay.

Despite this age, there is no fundamental difference between new and experienced players. Long participation and notable achievement is rewarded with official recognition, not special privilege. Players can participate as soon as they join, experienced players will help you learn, and all voices are appreciated in all conversations.

A Community

History aside, Agora is a game, and we try to have fun together. It’s also a warm and supportive community. If this sounds like your idea of a good time, please come join us!