Cultural Consulting for Tabletop Games – Stonemaier Games

Cultural Consulting for Tabletop Games

In February, we were wrapping up the design to the second Tapestry expansion, and I decided to send the files to a cultural consultant. There was no particular reason I did this for Tapestry, as it’s a civ game where you create your own history–it’s not tied to real-world places, events, or people.

Cultural awareness and sensitivity is a major lens through which we view our products at Stonemaier Games, but here’s the tricky thing: You don’t know what you don’t know. No matter how hard we may try to accomplish our mission of bringing joy to tabletops worldwide, we are not experts in every culture, and there might be elements of our game that unintentionally exclude, harm, or offend people. Fortunately, there are experts in this field.

What Exactly Is Cultural Consulting?

The amount of collaboration between the consulting and the publisher may depend on the amount of worldbuilding involved. In his excellent Frosthaven project update about cultural consultation, race, and agency, Isaac Childress said this about working with another consultant, James Mendez Hodes:

“In a nutshell, he is looking through all the narrative of Frosthaven and at all of the different cultures depicted within, and he is making sure everything is internally consistent and that it isn’t co-opting any real-world terms or ideas that may be harmful to players or any real-world cultures. It’s not just about pointing out problems, but also collaboratively coming up with solutions that expand and strengthen the narrative. It has been an enjoyable process that not only makes the game more ethical and welcoming to a wider audience, but also simply just makes it better.”

Does This Apply to Fictional Worlds?

As I mentioned, Tapestry isn’t tied to the real world, nor is the unannounced game. Isaac sums up a similar evolution of mentalities to mine in these regards:

“First of all, you may be thinking, “What does real-world cultural sensitivity have to do with a made-up fantasy world?” Well, back when I first sat down to create the world of Gloomhaven, my naïve self was right there with you. My general thought process was, “I am creating my own fantasy world completely divorced from reality, and so I can do whatever I want with the peoples in this world. There’s no risk of harming anyone, because it’s not real.”

This is a big problem, however, because nothing is created in a vacuum. Everything we do is stamped with our own biases and influences. And while the intent may be to not harm, our biases have a tendency to cause harm anyway.”

There’s also a great episode of the Ludology podcast that delves into this topic.

***

I think Isaac’s final line above sums it up so well: The goal is less harm and more joy. That applies to how we consider people of all ethnicities, genders, creeds, cultures, nations, sexualities, and ages when we make our games. If I’m causing harm through something I make, say, or do, that’s a problem. Cultural consultation is one way to address such issues proactively instead of reactively.

In the comments I’d love to hear about your experiences with cultural consulting or other ways you consider various cultures during the creation process of your games.

If you gain value from the 100 articles Jamey publishes on this blog each year, please consider championing this content!

27 Comments on “Cultural Consulting for Tabletop Games

Leave a Comment

If you ask a question about a specific card or ability, please type the exact text in your comment to help facilitate a speedy and precise answer.

Your comment may take a few minutes to publish. Antagonistic, rude, or degrading comments will be removed. Thank you.

  1. Jamey,

    I took your advice and hired a cultural consultant (Kate Edwards) to address concerns potential backers had raised about the tone surrounding a game I had just launched on Kickstarter—Fled.

    Kate’s advice was thoughtful, knowledgeable and polite. Her prescriptive recommendations allowed me to tackle the changes thoughtfully and quickly, while still maintaining the storyline of the game.

    I’ve learned that it’s always best to listen, be open to blind spots, and greatly value the audience that you are trying to serve. I appreciate all the wisdom you continue to share. Thanks again.

  2. Jamey,

    In addition to being a fairly hard-core board gamer and role-player, a Stonemaier fanboy, writer for Meeple Mountain, and so on, I also dabble in game design. For example, I purchased the rights for Arcanum (an RPG from the 1980s) and, using the imprint ZiLa Games, updated it and published the 30th Anniversary Edition.

    I am working on several things in my spare time, but one project just came in and catapulted itself to the top of my list: I have been given permission to update Bin’Fa as a legacy game.

    As I am putting together my notes, I have become acutely aware of the fact that the themes I want to explore (the early history of China during the Zhou dynasty Spring and Autumn period, specifically the Hundred Schools of Thought) can be disastrous if not handled delicately. I know that Stonemaier has used advisors to ensure that elements in their games are dealt with in a sensitive and appropriate manner.

    When it comes to dealing with such a period in history, is there someone you would recommend?

    Thanks in advance.

    1. David: I think it’s great that you’re looking for someone with extensive knowledge of that period of history. I don’t know of someone with expertise in that specific area–maybe look at a local college or university?

  3. […] addition to our diverse oversight, proofreading, and playtesting team, we pay a cultural consulting service to review all our products for any unintended harm our games might cause to people of different […]

  4. I’m curious how you’d go about this whole idea in a dystopian world/universe.
    When you’re building a dystopia, by design, you’re going to create offensive/uncomfortable dynamics that are going to trigger all sorts of people in different ways.
    I guess depending on the objectives and goals of the designer for that universe, you could end up with some cultural “no-no”s that you would want to keep, and some [hopefully] unintentional issues that you would adjust/fix.

    1. A good part of it is the editorial attitude toward what’s being depicted – there’s a big difference between presenting something as natural or even laudable, and presenting it as an aspect of something terrible.

      Presenting something as a key element of a dystopia should encourage people to question that thing when they notice it in daily life.

  5. I did not back Frosthaven but was directed to the comments section by a friend who thought the forum exchanges were divisive. It’s no secret that the industry has problems with representation, diversity and dog whistles appearing within game content.

    Mr. Childres deserves support for his efforts, in particular the goal for ensuring that his intellectual property is an inclusive and safe space for his patrons. I feel as though his explanation would have been better received had he excluded the last paragraph which seemed to be the source of doubt and refund requests from those that shared their viewpoints. Top marks for advancing the state of the industry, but poorly executed.

    I think a key difference between Jamey’s consultation endeavor and Isaac’s is that Jamey was prepping a title before its official launch/release- therefore, the product has already benefited from this service and customers know what they buying into. Isaac is doing this mid-way through the production process, and backers have raised concerns about exactly what the proposed changes are, how long it will take, etc.

    That’s a totally understandable reaction, and also one that was dismissed as being a tacit endorsement of racism, sexism, etc. A classic example of how NOT to win people over to your viewpoint.

    I think this effort is an important milestone for the board gaming industry to follow, and there needs to be significant direction from GAMA and other organizations to bring consistency to the process instead of piecemeal efforts that may prove counter-productive to furthering the hobby. Perhaps boardgames should also include required trigger warnings depending on subject matter and an age minimum for mature content (much like CDs were years ago). Making the process of cultural consultancy more transparent would go a long way to accelerating its needed acceptance.

    We should all support the intended goal, but I wish there was much better coordination among all the stakeholders involved in this process.

    1. The update itself does address the concerns “raised” in the comments:

      “And it’s important to note that this isn’t a compromise of anything. We don’t have to trade the quality of the story to make it less harmful. We can improve all things at the same time, so that this whole experience is just a win-win. There’s nothing to even change mechanically – it’s all narrative. And we can do it in parallel to all the other efforts we are also working on to finish up the game, so that improving the narrative won’t even delay production. All upside, no downside.

      “One other thing you may be asking is whether these changes to the story are going to cause Frosthaven to lose its edge. Whether it is going to soften the story in an attempt to please everyone, and that is not the case. You are still a group of hardened mercenaries trying to survive in a hostile environment. Hard choices will still have to be made, but I think “choice” is a key word here.”

      Anyone concerned about the consult introducing delays or reducing the quality, either didn’t read those paragraphs of the update (possibly because they were alerted to it by one of the people rallying protestors to the cause of pushing back against even having the consultation), or did read them and decided to disingenuously raise the points that were already addressed in order to make their position look more valid, or did read them and didn’t believe Isaac’s word on the subject.

      It’s hard to see how anyone with “legitimate concerns” that were addressed by the update anyway would be called out in any way by the paragraph saying that people who are upset enough about an attempt to make board games a safer space for everyone are free to request refunds.

      1. I want Mr. Childres to succeed in his efforts to broaden the accessibility of Frosthaven, because a designer of his stature has the potential to introduce a much needed sea-change in the industry.

        While reading the update I thought it could have benefited from a promise of future updates that would detail the activities that identified culturally-sensitive material and the means to address them in a manner consistent with Mr. Childres’ stated goals. He provided a great summary of why he was embarking on this endeavor and a brief apology for past transgressions but was far less verbose on the how. I’ve always thought KS is a participatory sport, and this would be an opportunity from an established designer to inform and educate the thousands of backers who share the same desirable values as the creator.

        Since using this form of consultancy is new ground for Mr. Childres, I don’t think backers are necessarily being disingenuous by commenting about the potential for delays despite reassurances (a new position that’s mission critical for production atop standard KS uncertainties) or wanting more information about how these ethical revisions will manifest themselves in gameplay or content. Mr. Childres cites his own mistake with incorporating the term “race” into GH, but doesn’t fully explain the manner of its redress or how broad or narrow the scope of revisions will be. In contrast, Jamey provided a specific example and the enacted solution. I’m likely comparing apples to oranges because GH/FH and Tapestry are fundamentally different games, so perhaps due diligence for the latter is not as labor/time intensive.

        The message I want to convey is that transparency is important to engage the backers and get that virtuous cycle of change going, thus setting an example for other designers and future campaigns. The process is equally as important as the goal. I hope Jamey and Isaac continue to prove themselves as leaders in the industry by provideing more insight and specific examples of cultural consultancy as it relates to game design and execution.

      2. @ rmsgrey-

        Isaac posted this statement on Twitter:

        “So with all that said, I think there were some failings with the update. The point was to be welcoming to my audience and explain why these changes are important, but the language used in key places was unintentionally antagonistic and condescending towards people in the middle.

        I can understand how people got the impression that I was equating canceling their pledge to racism, and that was not my intention at all. I am sorry for how I framed that sentence and how it pushed people away, reversing a lot of what I was hoping to accomplish with the post.”

        Isaac clearly recognized his unintended confrontational tone and has addressed it. I hope all the backers can move forward and give him the support he deserves, and that Mr. Childres shares as many details about this process as possible.

  6. I’m super disappointed by the comments in the Frosthaven update thread. Yikes. But thanks Jamey for these links, I have been thinking about this a lot and I can see no good reason why you shouldn’t hire a cultural consultant! All it can do is make things better. And this gives me a great place to start.

    1. Yeah, BoardGameGeek has two threads dedicated to the update (one about the update generally, and one about who has taken up Isaac’s offer of a refund, and why). And there’s an awful lot of “This post has been removed by a moderator – Dismissive/Derailing”, “This post has been removed by a moderator – Disruptive”, “Response to removed post” and even the occasional “This post has been removed by a moderator – User has been banned for this comment”. One page of one of the threads is down to 3 surviving comments out of 25 (5 dismissive/disruptive and 17 responses to removed posts).

      There seem to be a number of people who feel very passionately that Isaac shouldn’t be hiring a consultant and that it will inevitably make the game worse, but it’s not because they’re racist or imperialist, and how dare Isaac say that people who want refunds over this decision are opposed to the idea of boardgaming being a safe space!

      So, yeah, probably a very small percentage of backers, but a very vocal one.

      1. It makes me pretty sad. Don’t we want gaming to be more inclusive, not less? I guess we don’t all want that :(

    2. There is an obvious reason for not hiring a cultural consultant: money.

      Frosthaven/Tapestry are games with a large budget that can afford the expense, but small indie games may have a harder time justifying that. :)

      1. Judging by Jamey’s reported figures, and reported quotes from various manufacturers, looking at minimal print runs of 500-2000 units, the cost of a consultant would be around 5-10% of the manufacturing, shipping and distribution cost.

        It’s not pocket change, but it’s not a crazy increase in total costs either – the project I was looking at for the manufacturing quotes (a ~100 card card game) spent roughly twice as much on an artist to redesign the cards.

        It is a corner that could be cut, but it’s also an investment that could extend a game’s potential audience, so it is a judgement call to make for individual projects.

    3. Very timely. Not only for what you’ve experienced at Stonemaier and what is happening with Frosthaven but also the significant feedback taking place around Prison Architect vis a vis the racial/socioeconomic inequalities in the American judicial system.

  7. Hoby Chou helped me realize something about the box cover of Banker of the Gods. It has the famous red Japanese sun with rays coming out of it. I thought from a graphic design point of view that it’s beautiful. However, Hoby informed me that it in parts of Asia it’s a controversial symbol that is associated with Japanese imperialism since world war II. Before I launch it on Kickstarter I will redesign the box cover.

    Everyone makes and learns from mistakes.

  8. I appreciate this post and the broader conversation. Coming from a background in anthropology, this is a question I frequently grapple with. An anthropological approach allows me to take a holistic approach to people, places, and things, placing them in a broader historical context that accounts for power dynamics and ideology. I see it as a way to account for meaningful nuances and meanings from the people most effected by these depictions (ground up approach), rather than a top down superficial accounting of cultural diversity. I wrote a small piece about this design philosophy and approach for a game I am designing here:

    https://www.unstuckintimegaming.com/s/stories/palimpsest-design-diary-2

    While I definitely do not have all the answers, I do want to highlight the importance of what this type of approach can take for bringing people into the hobby while also simultaneously building capacity in social understanding. Thanks for the post Jamey!

  9. Though not in the context of game creation – my wife has been hired by corporations a couple times to do a similar process with leadership/executive teams. The high level goal is the same though: identify hidden or unknown biases and practices and workshop what to do with them.

    I suspect (and hope) this kind of empathy will become more and more mainstream across many different disciplines. As you state, the goal is less harm and more joy.

  10. I really loved Isaac’s latest update that you quote here. One of the sentences that you highlighted really encapsulates the whole point of considering cultural sensitivity: “while the intent may be to not harm, our biases have a tendency to cause harm anyway.”

    Some people seem unable or unwilling to grasp this concept – like the folks who can’t stand concepts like cultural appropriation and systemic racism. They just won’t separate intent from effect, and take criticism of their impact as criticism of their beliefs or desires. It’s very Kantian IMO.

    Thank you for paying attention to the topic and using your megaphone to keep it relevant. This is one more reason to love Stonemaier!

  11. Thanks for sharing this Jamey. I am curious, given that some of the feedback led to changing the art on a card, if there were any specific “cultural blindspots” that the consultant identified that might have been problematic with the new expansion. Also, would you go back and hire this consultant to revise some of your first games like Scythe, Viticulture, and Wingspan?

    1. Adrian: The example I gave in the Tapestry expansion was actually the only cultural blindspot for which Kate recommended a change.

      As for our existing products, that’s a great question. The answer is that we probably won’t, because we’ve had the benefit of listening to people for years in regards to those games. A lot of that listening happened during playtests (like, we implemented feedback about Maori names for the Wingspan Oceania expansion), and then a lot more has followed in the years following those games’ releases–we’ve listened to customers, retailers, localization partners, etc. So while there’s always more to learn about those games, I don’t think we need to hire a cultural consultant for them at this point. However, we will be working with cultural consultants on new products moving forward, as we have for the last 3 projects in development.

  12. Wonderful insight on this subject. It’s something a few months ago I would not have thought of in a world of fiction, but it’s better to be aware of this in all worlds. Thank you for sharing!

    1. Thanks for sharing! I’ll take a look. The video looks like a response to Isaac’s wording, not the general ideal of cultural considerations (the topic of this post). I’m going to watch it out of curiosity, but I’m not here to dissect Isaac’s post (though I agree with pretty much everything he said in it).

  13. This is something I wouldn’t have thought of for games like Gloomhaven or Tapestry, but I’m thankful for the insight into why it is important. I’m also grateful that Stonemaeir Games and other publishers are taking these steps! Less harm, more joy!

See All Comments

Discover more from Stonemaier Games

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading