Bay of Pigs (game)

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Bay of Pigs is a two‑player board wargame designed by Jim Bumpas and published in 1976. It recreates the CIA‑backed 1961 invasion of Cuba aimed at overthrowing Fidel Castro. The game's backdrop notes that in 1958 Castro’s forces overthrew the Cuban dictator Carlos Prio, Castro nationalized American businesses, severed ties with the United States, and aligned with the Soviet Union. Anti‑Castro Cuban exiles, aided by the United States, attempted to invade Cuba at the Bay of Pigs.

In Bay of Pigs, one player takes the part of the invading anti‑Castro forces and the other controls the pro‑Castro F.A.R. defenders. The rules cover sea transport, amphibious and airborne landings, supply issues, and air and naval bombardment. The map uses a hex grid with each hex representing 1 kilometer, and one game turn equals six hours of real time.

Jim Bumpas had previously designed Schutztruppe and Jerusalem! in 1975. To mark the 15th anniversary of the Bay of Pigs invasion, he self‑published this game in 1976, dedicating it to “the successful Cuban defence” and noting that the invaders “have no chance to defeat the forces of the F.A.R.”

Scholarly and hobbyist reactions were mixed. Nicholas Palmer, in The Comprehensive Guide to Board Wargaming (1977), called it fairly easy to play and fast‑moving. Richard Berg, writing in Moves (Issue 28), praised the new ideas but wondered if some belonged in a game, found the play fairly well done and attractive, and noted the game plays smoothly yet is highly unbalanced, giving the invaders little chance to win. Martin Campion, in The Guide to Simulations/Games for Education and Training, warned teachers that the rules are sketchy and that classroom use may require improvisation.