Games people find controversial
Joshua OConnor
United States
Washington
Dist of Columbia
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Thought of this from an entry on Battle Cry in another geeklist:
wakela wrote: I tried this with my wife, but she kept remembering that people really died in these battles, so she won't play it again. She is not otherwise overly sensitive. Has anyone else run into this kind of thing?
My wife won't play that game because she's a black southerner, and it ends either with the victory of slavery or the defeat of the South!
I thought it might be interesting to look at games that people have found controversial, maybe in ways even the designers didn't expect. Can anyone think of any? [Note: the game doesn't have to be controversial, as long as some people *think* it is]
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Beau Bailey
United States
Missoula
Montana
Why don't you believe me?
Seriously, I'm a weasel.
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Mr. Jack has been found controversial because of the light tone that it takes with its rather gruesome subject matter. Usually, most games involving murder feature characters trying to solve it, where in this case one of the players is trying to get Jack to escape. It has sparked some interesting discussions over what makes an acceptable theme for a game.
Example:
http://www.boardgamegeek.com/thread/218991
Personally, I love the game and don't mind the theme. I guess I don't really connect it to the real murders because of the game's tone.
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Aaron Gelb
United States
El Segundo
California
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I guess in the same light as Battlecry...perhaps someone would not enjoy the game playing as Nazi Germany, or having his/her friend win as Nazi Germany.
Obviously its a touchy subject for developers of games involving Nazis....do you print the swastika that Hitler used for his regime or do they use some Generic cross or other similar shape to get the point across.
I figure if the game is really a historical lesson in its own right, then the printing of the swastika isn't offensive, however, as a game that is used for enjoyment and entertainment, why keep the Nazi symbol "alive" and in print. (and yes I know native americans as well as other civilizations used the symbol far before Hitler.)
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Dave L.
United States
Portland
Oregon
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This is not a surprising addition, since this game is another one of the more often-cited games when this topic comes up on its regular basis. I am surprised though, that more people seem to be vexed about the ahistorical and genericized use of "colonists" in Puerto Rico than the actual use of the slave trade as a victory strategy in Struggle of Empires. I don't want to rehash the arguments, because they've all been said, and I know many people disagree with my take, which is fine.
Like Joshua, my significant other is black and I tried to decide what she would think of me bringing home a game with slave trading as a positive strategy and a black man in irons on the front cover. Would she be pissed? Or say, "whatever, it's just a game"? I finally concluded (after having been very interested in getting the game initially, before I clued in on the problem) that she would not like it. And later I described the game and asked her what she thought. Her exact words were "I'd kick that game down the street".
I would like to play it once - so I can understand the theme/mechanics completely and make a more informed decision. And, for the record, a lot of the games that others find distasteful, like playing serial killers, having children punch each other, or simulating war, don't bother me in most cases.
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Jaroslaw Kuczynski
Poland
Warsaw
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The colonist/slave matter...
The same controversy was present when the Polish edition was being prepared. The publishers decided on colonists.
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Richard Rutten
Netherlands
Nijmegen
the spunk plus the bomb plus the pump plus the torture instrument times frankie equalling the bang is an exclusive piece of ZTT exploitation
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People find it very hard to see sarcasm when it is used in relation to a very delicate topic in todays political environment. So this one stirred up quite some comments when it was published.
I see the sarcasm and can appreciate the game very much. And besides that, the game is not that bad if you give it a chance.
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Richard Rutten
Netherlands
Nijmegen
the spunk plus the bomb plus the pump plus the torture instrument times frankie equalling the bang is an exclusive piece of ZTT exploitation
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What's so wrong about children being beaten up for their lunch money? It prepares them for the harsh reality we live in. Besides that the dark imagery and the fast gameplay make this a fun game of violence.
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Chris Ferejohn
United States
San Francisco
California
Pitying fools as hard as I can...
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...for obvious reasons...
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Pete Belli
United States
Florida
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The Nazis (with help from the Japanese) conquer America during WWII.
Originally proposed during the zenith of the SPI era in the 1970s, this game concept was shelved for 10+ years in spite of strong customer demand.
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Pete Belli
United States
Florida
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Future conflict in Central America and Mexico.
In the next 10 years the United States will become weak and divided while a ruthless socialist leader places much of South America under his totalitarian rule?
Never happen! 
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10.
Board Game: Emira
[Average Rating:6.07 Overall Rank:2200]
Neil Cook
United Kingdom
Burton on Trent
Staffs
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You only interested in her looks, and your potential harem is interested in the size of your castle, wallet or anything else you care to brag about. One thing's for sure - don't for a second assume you're interested ineach others personality, sense of humour, etc....
Who said size isn't important? 
Personally, I don't attach themes to games (although I do like a theme that presents a tangible aim), but have no problem not playing games whose subject matter offends others.
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John Earles
Canada
Toronto
Ontario
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79 A.D. - Pompeii vs. Mount Vesuvius - The Volcano wins
I've yet to find anyone who actually has a problem with the theme of the game - as a matter of fact most like the dark humor of dropping your opponents into the volcano - but I occasionally will get a comment on how the passing of time can make any event a target for entertainment.
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Russ Williams
Poland
Wrocław
Dolny Śląsk
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Similar to Mr. Jack, Guillotine has caused comments about the light-hearted cartoonish character art for a grisly theme. Indeed, Guillotine's theme is grislier than Mr. Jack's:
No killing occurs in Mr. Jack - it is only the search to capture Jack the Ripper.
In Guillotine, the players are all rival executioners competing to see who can cut off the most and best heads of (often quite innocent) prisoners caught up in the French Revolution.
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Carol Jones
United States
Maryland
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Oh come on people. I read the entire list waiting for this post. Couldn't believe no one had picked this gem out yet.
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Vetrhus of Rogaland
United States
Milwaukee
Wisconsin
West over water I fared bearing poetry's waves to the shore of the war-god's heart; my course was set. I launched my oaken craft at the breaking of ice, loaded my cargo of praise aboard my longboat aft.
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Any game where you make change from the "dead pool" is controversial. My wife will not sit at the table with this one--but most of my guy friends think that a whimsical look at nuclear anihlation is fun.
And don't forget the political fodder of the sequel, complete with Sadman Insane in a foxhole...
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W M Shubert
United States
Portland
Oregon
KGS is the #1 web site for playing go over the internet. Visit now!
Yes, I really am that awesome.
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There was a pretty big thread in the forums for this game, warning family gamers about the risqué artwork. This thread also had a (predictable?) backlash of people who thought it was ridiculous to hide women's bodies from gamer families.
I wasn't part of the backlash, but to be honest, I think I'd have to toss out all magazines and newspapers first...I've seen underwear ads that are way more risqué than these cards.
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16.
Board Game: Vinci
[Average Rating:7.24 Overall Rank:217]
Lo Ma
United States
Oakland
California
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Vinci doesn't just happen to have slavery as part of the game, but rather, it has you CHOOSE or not choose slavery as an attribute of your civilization. Not surprisingly, slavery is a powerful attribute for a civ.
But who would CHOOSE slavery? Our circle of gamers find it psychologically appalling. So we made replacement attributes - defection, which has the same power as slavery, and fits in well with other available attributes such as espionage and rebellion.
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17.
Board Game: Agricola
[Average Rating:8.25 Overall Rank:2]
Philip Thomas
United Kingdom
London
London
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There was a big 'ole controversy about this, way back in 2007. Still raises its ugly head in threads today...
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♪ Isaäc Bickërstaff ♫
United States
Greer
South Carolina
Entropy Seminar:
The results of a five yeer studee ntu the sekund lw uf thurmodynamiks aand itz inevibl fxt hon shewb rt nslpn raq liot.
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Maybe not controversial, so much as uncomfortable, but one player has to take on the role of the white supremacists, who use many of the known historical methods to keep the Civil Rights movement down. It might make for a good educational tool for someone to (somewhat) experience that side of things, but it can't be an easy role to assume in the game.
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Robert Rossney
United States
San Francisco
California
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I wouldn't say that this rises to the level of "controversy," because in order for something to be a controversy people have to be aware of it, but a whole lot of elements of Origins are based on anthropological ideas which are not quite as accepted as fact as they were when Phil Eklund was in school.
The Sabine mechanism, for instance, which embodies a bunch of ideas about cultural interchange that don't really seem to have much foundation. My anthropologist girlfriend's take on that was a lot like Wolfgang Pauli's famous observation: "That isn't right. That isn't even wrong." Only she hates Levi-Strauss with a white-hot passion, so she didn't put it quite so nicely.
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Naughty pics, courtesy of those wacky Spanish and Asian artists.
Oh, and if your kids have been playing RPG games on a PC or console, they've already seen more pseudo-nudity. GO YOU!!!
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I keep wondering how often being offended means a refusal to confront something -- often something that's real and *does* have an impact on our lives. Alternately, most non-gamers perceive games as trivial pursuits that *cannot* be allowed to take on a serious subject.
"The holocaust never happened."
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I've never really understood why this game is never mention when discussing controversial subjects. I mean, a major part of the game is buying serfs, and putting them to work for you, the more serfs you own, the higher your income.
Then there is the issue of the Tax Collector noble, whose adds to your income based on, once again, how many serfs you own. Again, a little unpleasant.
Then you can deign to train a serf; then he provides you with income AND other benefits.
I enjoy the game and certainly wouldn't allow this to keep me from playing it, but I guess that distance, both geographical and temporal, allows for some things to pass without comment.
Chad
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A godless universe of hopelessness and despair? Nope.
Hideous monsters of ichor? Nope.
You fellow man going insane? Nope.
The necessity of violence to survive? Nope.
How about the purely arbitrary Terror track counter art, of a screaming woman with blood streaming down her eyes?
 Someone please add a close-up pic to the database.
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Seth Owen
United States
Norwich
Connecticut
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Well, rather obviously playing wargames doesn't bother me. It doesn't even bother me to play the "bad guys."
But I do have to admit that I do find the rule allowing the execution of prisoners to be a little much for me and I won't do it even if it's a tactical disadvantage in the game I'm playing in.
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Sebastian Sohn
United States
culver city
CA
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Game everyone loves to hate...
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Everyone just keeps on laughing at the nicely drawn pictures of doomed people!
