In designing Borderlands, the Future Pastimes team at Eon Productions wanted to create a simpler and shorter version of Diplomacy, without the need for written orders or the need to leave the table for negotiations. The game is set on an abstract continent, and players represent barbaric tribes who conquer territories, trade gathered resources, and construct cities, boats and weapons. The first player to conquer or build three cities is the winner. The game components are:
a 20" x 24" map divided into 36 irregular-shaped territories
16 counters representing available resources. Each resource token can be "broken" into a number of smaller tokens to be used for trading.
80 army counters
Other counters representing horses, river boats, cities, and weapons.
The first step is to distribute the 16 resource tokens randomly across the map. Players then place their army counters on the map with regard to capturing resources, offensive and defensive operations. After set-up, each turn is divided into five phases:
For Phases 2, 3 and 4, a 6-sided die is rolled; on a 1–4, the phase occurs, on a 5–6, that phase is skipped. Each player can participate in each phase. Although the game is designed for four players, there are rules for 2- and 3-player games. Games generally last 45–60 minutes.
In the December 1982 edition of The Space Gamer, Allen Varney commented that "If you like Diplomacy, but you've always had trouble getting that fifth or sixth player, you must have Borderlands at any cost. If you're a more conventional wargamer, you'll still find it exceptionally fun and challenging, though the price is a bit stiff." In the August 1983 edition of Dragon, although Tony Watson had issues with the high price, he called it "a very good game. Its combination of simple rules, engrossing strategy, and attractive graphics make it a sure winner. Its simplicity and short playing time make it a fine choice for an evening’s play." Ten years later, in a retrospective article in the December 1993 edition of Dragon, Allen Varney called Borderlands "a gripping contest of strategy, diplomacy and resource management... Intense and suspenseful."
