GI faculty members, Drs. Lai-Tze Fan (Sociology and Legal Studies), Kishonna Grey (University of Kentucky), and Aynur Kadir (University of British Columbia) have recently published “How to Design Games that Promote Racial Equality” in Electronic Book Review.
The article includes a transcript of the detailed Q&A during the “Racial Equity Board Games Panel” hosted by the Games Institute (GI), the Council for Responsible Innovation and Technology (CRIT) and the Research Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (REDI) Council, that took place on October 21, 2020.
This conversation is accompanied by what they call a “how to not” guide for “avoiding worst practices” that covers the many common mistakes made around race when designing games, especially so-called “critical” or “serious” games.
The authors wanted to create something different from typical “best practices” lists and guides. It was vital for them to “avoid the use of didactic checklists that, upon completion, may grant permission to designers to feel as if their ethical and equitable work has been accomplished and does not require further contemplation or consultation.”
This discussion and “how to not” guide cover several topics, including the use of other people’s personal stories, role play, and the issues with designing misguided games to “fix” racism.