Engines of Mischief explores the day-to-day labor, economic, political, and social climate at the dawn of the Industrial Revolution in Manchester, England, between 1817 and 1818. Using new economic theories of the time, parliamentary commissions, and news reports, students will engage with crucial issues of the day, debating factory conditions and child labor; the role of the government in the economy, taxation, workers’ unions; and the extension of political rights down the social hierarchy.

In the game, by assuming the roles of historical actors from various classes of society, students are faced with choices about how to live and prosper during this period of great technological, economic, and social transformation. Will the working class violently resist new technology in factories, form unions, or join radical political clubs to improve their working conditions and protect their rights? How best will middle-class entrepreneurs run their enterprises; will they provide fair treatment to their workers or simply maximize their profit? How will the aristocrats maintain their power in government and society? Will they support the middle or the working classes?