| Title | The Myth of Innocent Play: Colonialism and Board Games Purchase / Wish List |
| Game Code | TRD24ND267416 |
| Start Date | Wednesday July 31, 2024 - 4:00 pm |
| End Date | Wednesday July 31, 2024 - 5:00 pm |
| Cost | $0 |
| Tickets Available | 62/80 |
| Short Description | Using games from different historical periods, this talk considers how colonial myths are at play in representation, theme, goals and mechanics. |
| Long Description | Board games have long held socio-cultural importance, and only in recent years has the community begun to unpack what were once considered neutral or “innocent” playthings. Increasingly, our innocent playthings reveal a darker side of play where a tendency towards colonial rationales, nationalistic fervor, and white supremacism have passed through the design of games. Revealing years of research that culminated in the 2023 book Playing Oppression, his talk will show how games have long acted as a form of enculturation—the process by which people learn the traditional dynamics, behaviors, worldviews, and values of a given society. Covering a four hundred year span, this talk will shed light on how enculturation in the West has operated in board games through representation, theme, mechanics, player positioning, and game goals, and will offer hopeful strategies on ways to avoid them. |
| Event Type | TRD - Trade Day Event |
| Game System | |
| Rules Edition | |
| Group/Company | |
| Minimum Players | 4 |
| Maximum Players | 80 |
| Age Required | Everyone (6+) |
| Experience Required | None (You've never played before - rules will be taught) |
| Location | JW |
| Room | 103 |
| Table | |
| GM Names | Trade Day |
| Web Address | www.maryflanagan.com |
| Email Contact | |
| Tournament | 0 |
