What it is about
J6: A Game About Radicalization and January 6th On January 6, 2026—exactly five years after the Capitol attack—this solo journaling RPG lets you experience the psychological journey that led ordinary Americans to storm the U.S. Capitol, lose everything in the aftermath, and remain radicalized despite pardons and personal catastrophe. Based on New York Times reporting. Designed to educate, not celebrate. Five Years After January 6th, 2021 On this day in 2021, approximately 2,000 people entered the U.S. Capitol building. 140 officers were injured. Five people died. Hundreds faced federal charges. Many lost jobs, families, and freedom. In January 2025, President Trump pardoned nearly 1,600 participants. But according to the New York Times reporting (January 5, 2026): many remain "consumed by conspiracy theories," families are "barely holding on mentally, emotionally, and financially," and they're "looking for the next thing to mobilize for." What happened? How do ordinary people become radicalized? ABOUT THE GAME J6 is a solo journaling RPG that mechanizes the psychology of radicalization. Over five phases spanning November 2020 to January 2025, you'll: • Roll dice to make decisions as conspiracy theories surround you • Track your Radicalization (0-12) as beliefs harden into certainty • Watch Consequences (0-10) accumulate as your life falls apart • Feel Reality Points (5→0) deplete as fact-checking becomes impossible • Journal your character's thoughts as they descend deeper What makes this different: This isn't a power fantasy. There's no way to "win." You'll experience finding your tribe in online echo chambers, dismissing courts and media as "corrupt," entering the Capitol on January 6th, federal charges, imprisonment, divorce, unemployment, and the pardon that somehow makes it worse. At Radicalization 12/12, you cannot distinguish reality from conspiracy. Even after losing everything. WHY PLAY THIS? Because understanding ≠ excusing. By experiencing radicalization from the inside, you'll understand: • How helplessness drives extremism • How feelings override facts when identity is threatened • How moral certainty blinds to consequences • How echo chambers reinforce beliefs • Why consequences alone don't deradicalize This game creates empathy while maintaining critical distance. HISTORICAL ACCURACY Every mechanic is grounded in documented behavior and reporting from The New York Times (January 5, 2026), congressional investigations, Justice Department findings, and court records. All facts are cited. CONTENT WARNINGS This game addresses political extremism, legal consequences, financial ruin, family separation, mental health crisis, and real events from January 6, 2021. This is serious educational content. WHAT YOU NEED • Two six-sided dice (2d6) • Paper and pen for journaling • 60-90 minutes • Willingness to examine difficult truths GAME STRUCTURE Phase 1: November 2020 - Election doubts, finding online communities Phase 2: December 2020 - Courts reject fraud claims, belief hardens Phase 3: January 2021 - The Capitol, participation levels, rationalization Phase 4: 2021-2024 - Arrests, trials, imprisonment, consequences Phase 5: January 2025 - The pardon, new conspiracies, the cycle continues ON THIS 5TH ANNIVERSARY Five years after January 6th, 2021, questions remain: How did this happen? Could it happen again? What breaks the cycle? This game doesn't answer those questions. But by showing HOW radicalization works, it helps us ask better questions about how to prevent it. DOWNLOAD INCLUDES • Print-and-play tri-fold game (2 pages) • Full rules document (PDF) • Historical record and fact-checking • Reflection prompts and discussion questions • Facilitator's guide for educational use Released on January 6, 2026—the 5th anniversary of the Capitol attack—as a tool for understanding, reflection, and education. "How can everyone not see this?" Because they're looking at the facts. You're looking at your feelings. If you found this game educational, please rate it! Reviews help educators find this resource.
