Today I have a special guest post from our DEI consultant, Lydia Wehmeyer. Thank you, Lydia, for sharing these insights!
***
I wanted to say how grateful I am for the opportunity to share my contributions to building a more inclusive and diverse board gaming community and how grateful I am for you to take your time to be a part of it.
Below are some questions that I thought would be a good introduction:
- What is DEI and why is it important for creators? DEI is Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. It is important for creators because it fosters creativity, creates an opportunity to look into our own bias within the creator’s works as well as how they communicate with their followers and also provides a unique experience to allow for all voices to have a chance to be heard.
- What can creators do to improve DEI? Bottom line: Admit that you genuinely want to embrace change. Doing this work and wanting to be more diverse and being inclusive means that you actively want to change your foundation. If you want to change and improve DEI, reach out to individuals like myself for suggestions, be open to collaborating, and look within your values to see what you are willing to change.
- What types of things are creators currently doing that are not good for DEI? There are 2 things I’ve noticed that creators are currently doing that are not good for DEI: Placing a DEI statement showing support but not producing evidence that they have accomplished their statement and hiring a single person or working with a single content creator that visually fit the quota of “diversity” just to show they are diverse.
- What is a DEI consultant–what types of things do you do? A DEI consultant is one that works with an organization that assists with building and facilitating programs and groups for the representation and participation of diverse groups. Here at Stonemaier Games I’ll be using this platform to share my knowledge with you on how you can make your spaces more diverse and inclusive as well as breaking down what it means to incorporate DEI as a publisher and content creator.
Speaking of being a part of building a more inclusive and diverse community, as I developed my resources for the workshops I presented at conventions this year, there are three roadblocks that I came across when trying to connect with publishers and content creators. From my personal experience, I’ve gathered what I believe are some of the biggest obstacles faced by BIPOC individuals when attempting to enter the board game industry.
Three obstacles BIPOC individuals face when entering the game industry
- Lack of Communication: I’ve reached out to a number of publishers and content creators in the gaming community because I wanted their thoughts on how they felt about DEI. With each proposal I sent, I was met with silence. Silence can often mean a lot of things, such as not having the right words to say or being nervous to say anything that may be taken out of context. It’s tough to continually face the obstacle of silence.
- Lack of Collaboration: If a publisher is afraid and nervous about making a mistake about a big movement that is present in society today (e.g., Black Lives Matter), it is only natural they would hesitate to collaborate with a stranger. In addition, the lack of collaboration also stems from publishers simply not viewing DEI as purposeful for their content.
- Lack of knowledge: Many publishers and content creators don’t have knowledge of DEI. It takes time and energy to learn something new and if it’s not in the publisher’s and content creators’ area of expertise, it makes it difficult to connect 1 and 2.
While reflecting on those three pieces as I developed my workshops, I thought it would be time to really focus on bringing some knowledge to the table because as diverse as the gaming community is, it is important to showcase it! As our world is changing and new (and existing) players enter from all different backgrounds it is now at it is time to make the game industry to be more representative of all the unique people who participate in it.
***
Thank you so much, Lydia! I appreciate you sharing your perspective with me and the 100+ other people who have an ongoing impact on the creative process at Stonemaier Games. I’m honored to post this on Martin Luther King Day.
If you have any questions for Lydia, feel free to post them in the comments below! We have a zero-tolerance policy on harassment and aggression, so please be respectful and constructive.
21 Comments on “Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the Game Industry”
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.
Hi Lydia and Jamey,
Last year, I heard a story on NPR about a particular game that was, I think, making a new edition with POC characters. I thought the story was interesting, but I didn’t play board games and so I wasn’t particularly invested in it, though oddly, the story stuck with me.
By chance, this past autumn, my wife and I were introduced to a board game and sort of got hooked. In these few short months, we’ve ramped up to 50 games and play nightly. We had to buy new bookshelves to hold them and we expect our collection to grow.
Our first purchase that wasn’t a 20-minute lightweight was Wingspan, which was the perfect step up for us. As our shelves fill with designers who are men, I often look to Wingspan (and now both expansions) and think, good for you Ms. Hargrave. Welcome to our home.
Now, a bit about my wife and I: We are both women happily in middle age. Her ancestry is from a rather white part of the world. I am half Asian. We have bought games that tell stories about where her people are from. However, we have no games that represent where my people are from, at least the specific country. Sadly, I just haven’t come across them.
So I’d like to tell you, Lydia and Jamey, that we are rooting for you as you move the marker. To the comments on here about marketing….you all just market away. This society is bombarded with marketing, and ultimately campaigns win or lose based on the product. It’s a huge risk for a company to sink time and money into marketing, and if the product is a dud, all that will be for naught. The market decides fates, so the argument that “you’re including them and excluding me” is a false one. Go on and champion your women and Black artists and gay designers and everyone else we don’t see enough of.
We have bought several games of a particular game designer (not a Stonemaier guy) and I’ve realized that he doesn’t bother to include women characters, despite many opportunities. We are done spending money on that guy. I wish we hadn’t spent as much as we did. I’ll note here that I feel like we are atypical board gamers. We are a little older, we have disposable income and we’ll take birds over war any day. We’ve seen big Wingspan displays in big box stores. Good for you all for marketing to people like us where we are at. And the market decided Wingspan is a pretty great game.
Since we started this, my wife has told me, “You’re creative. You need to come up with a game.” So I did, at least the theme. It’s ultimately matriarchal without beating you over the head with that. It has widespread appeal. The art would be gorgeous. If I ever get it off the page, I’ll get back to you. Ha.
In the meantime, keep doing what you’re doing. In our book, you’re scoring victory points galore. And tonight, we’re learning Viticulture!
I love everything about this comment, Tonya. Thank you so much for sharing this, including your entry into gaming and where you are now.
As for marketing, I like the way you said it. In some of the other comments, I guess I was saying that I don’t think of diversity and inclusion as a tool for advertising. Diversity and inclusion is constantly on my mind during the design and production process (which is technically all under the big umbrella of “marketing”). But I like that you’re saying that it’s worth sharing those efforts, because otherwise many people aren’t even going to know the diversity of the people in, say, Charterstone or Tapestry. It’s definitely something I plan to highlight when I reveal our next game, as it was something we were very intentional about.
Happy gaming and (if you decide to pursue it) happy designing! :)
I think diversity issues are a challenge for any company, and certainly you risk tooting your own horn in a distasteful way if you’re touting a POC, or on the other hand, failing to be inclusive it’s not easy to see that you’ve got all different kinds of folks on a project. But ultimately, people will see what they want to see. Some people, like me, are thrilled that Wingspan made it to the mainstream, not only because the game is a delight, but because of the gender of the designer. I have also seen comments about it that feel an awful lot like misogyny, though taking on the guise of being critical of the game.
I certainly don’t know anything about your industry, but it seems to me that Wingspan is in a sense, a breakthrough game and anything that gets that much attention is going to bring jealousy, so let the haters hate.
One more thing about the market: We were introduced to the modern board games through my wife’s son. When he pitched a board game night, that did not seem like it was going to be a fun evening to me as I haven’t played a board game in 20 years. I never liked Monopoly. But here he was showing us something modern and different. In the course of a couple of hours, I went from a distaste for the idea of games to dropping…way too much money on them. My wife has also bought her son (who does not have disposable income) games. So the young folk would be wise to introduce their Gen Xer parents to the modern board games. They just might benefit with a new box or two. And I look forward to seeing all kinds of diversity in this industry, including by age.
Happy Tuesday Tonya,
Thank you so much for the comments. I appreciate your support. Some things struck me as I read your post:
1. To the comments on here about marketing….you all just market away :
I appreciate this comment because that is reality…this space is not to change opinions, it is to bring awareness and educate for the better. Like you say, if you want to focus on marketing that’s fine, but there are more areas that need focus as well. THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THAT.
2. I’ve realized that he doesn’t bother to include women characters, despite many opportunities. We are done spending money on that guy. I wish we hadn’t spent as much as we did. I’ll note here that I feel like we are atypical board gamers.
I’m glad you mentioned this because it all goes on the preference of the person or groups playing. If you are wanting to play games where they are more inclusive to women and the designers aren’t doing it, it is your right and no ones business to judge you. Good for you to share your vulnerability and your stance on your wants and needs in board gaming.
Also another thing I want you to get into the habit of that is something big and is an issue in the board gaming community is the labeling of experience of gaming. We are all board gamers. We don’t need to label ourselves as novice, atypical etc..
When we do that, we lower our chances of bringing more diversity and inclusion to the table by intentionally excluding ourselves.
You are wonderful
-Lydia
You are right about the labels! I’m so glad to see you in this industry!
Hi,
That Stonemaier Games is being as equitable as possible in its selection of developers, artists and all other staff must be a good thing.
From my perspective though the only thing that matters is the quality of the end product. Is the game fun?
Well actually I have to be slightly more strict than that. Is the game enough fun to justify taking up space on my limited amount of games shelf?
I cannot afford to pick games based on any personal attribute of the team which developed said game.
Alas I have also to remind everyone that one must not assume anything about someone based on their name. This unfortunately means that someone rejoicing in getting the name “Elizabeth” on to a game box must not be assumed to be female.
Daft isn’t it!
If you want some examples as to cases where making assumptions about people is dangerous check out the authors Judith Berens, Ilona Andrews and Sergeanne Golon. Would you assume all three are women if I hadn’t flagged up there is something to check about them? I did.
I am happy to trust Stonemaier Games to produce a quality product. That they are more likely to do so if they cast their net as widely as possible when seeking skills is good business practice on their part.
The trap everyone has to avoid is that when you seek to be inclusive you accidentally become exclusive with respect to the original group you were previously biased in favour of.
Being inclusive seems easy until you realise the actual problem is not being exclusive and that is really difficult!
Michael, can you give a specific example of a game (ours or any publishers) that excludes someone in its attempt to be inclusive? I ask because I’ve heard that said about, say, games that include an LGBTQ+ character, with the unfortunate argument being that in featuring an LGBTQ+ character, the game excludes people believe that being LGBTQ+ is wrong (which is actually just bigotry). I don’t think this is what you’re saying, but it’s just an interesting line to walk. Like, I believe that violence is almost always wrong, but I can also play a game with combat like Kemet or Scythe. My belief about violence doesn’t exclude me from playing a combat game. It might be my choice not to play a dungeon crawler where the only choice is to kill, but that’s my choice as a gamer–it isn’t the designer or publisher who is excluding me by making that design decision.
I agree completely with you, Michael. If diversity and inclusion leads to better games, that is great. If they are used as a marketing tool, then I don’t care for it.
Marco: Just to clarify, you only care about diversity and inclusion if it directly benefits you?
I’d like to offer a healthy challenge to look at what you’re saying through a broader, more selfless lens and consider that an organization’s pursuit of diversity, equity, and inclusion might have a bigger impact than just your personal enjoyment of a game. This isn’t at all about marketing (I don’t see that anywhere in Lydia’s post, or is diversity a marketing tactic for us). It’s a pursuit of something better than the status quo; it’s about spreading joy and not causing harm.
Hi, Jamey. You might call me selfish, but indeed, I only care if the end result is better, even if it takes some time to get there. I understand that some things can’t change over night.
But this improvement is something that diversity champions have promised for years. Diversity and inclusion will lead to better designs, better games, better themes.
I trust those voices because I really think that if we manage to get more people into the industry, we will get more ideas and some of them will be better.
But, eventually, I only care about the result. European players got into the NBA when they were good enough. Shoehorning them simply to meet a diversity quota would have decreased the enjoyment of millions of NBA fans.
I really think that everybody should be given an equal chance, even if they are a heterosexual white male. In fact, I do not think any of those qualities should be considered at all.
I am just not a fan of affirmative action and positive discrimination.
You a believer? Great, it’s in your hands to do something. You are lucky in that you have the means and the influence. But, if you ask me, I will be happy if those actions become better games.
I am sure that you want a reliable and safe car, even if it was engineered mostly by men and would not compromise your loved ones safety so that the maker could meet a certain quota.
And that does not mean that women make worse engineers. If means that if 90% of world engineers are men, it is likely that the 90% of the best engineers are also men.
But, turns out that the more freedom there is in a country, the more different careers are between men and women. It seems that when we are free, women and men do not want exactly the same and chose different studies and jobs.
So, yeah, long post. Not a fan of affirmative action at all. Just allow everybody to have am equal chance to do what they like to do.
There’s a lot to unpack there, Marco, and I’m not qualified to unpack. My comment was simply pointing out that the choice isn’t binary (it’s not purely a choice between “good game” vs “marketing”) and that sometimes it’s good for everyone if we make choices that aren’t purely self-serving. I wish you the best in your journey, though!
Hi Marco!
I hope you are doing well. I 100% agree with you. If DEI is used as a marketing tool then it defeats the purpose. I consider it wasted space and just leads us back to the 3 obstacles that are mentioned above. I am so happy you and Michael shared honestly your statements because the E in DEI is Equity and it is being honest with the issues that are surrounding the problems.
So thank you for sharing your thoughts.
Have a wonderful week!
-Lydia
I initially was not going to comment, but I think, as a person who identifies within an equity seeking group, I need to provide my own perspective to the Stonemaier EDI initiatives.
First, however, I would like to address that both Michael and Marco’s comments seem to be (and I apologize if I have assumed any aspects of your own identities) coming from individuals who already see themselves represented in the board game hobby, both in creation and enjoyment of games. This makes it easy to perhaps disregard EDI or see it as only useful for marketing purposes and to instead claim to only care about the end result and gameplay.
And gameplay is CERTAINLY an important measure for considering the enjoyment or success of a game, but you need to realize that enjoyment of a game can come from other areas. One of those areas, which you, Michael and Marco, don’t even acknowledge because it is so common place and normal, is to see oneself represented while playing a game.
For example, we could take a game the utilizes the characters of husband and wife (Everdell for example).
I enjoy playing Everdell, it holds a lot of things I look for and enjoy in a game. But if I was presented with two copies of Everdell, one copy with the Husband and Wife, and another identical copy that instead labels “Husband and Wife” as “Partner and Partner” or “Husband and Husband” and asked which one I would like to play, I would choose the copy that has characters with which I can identify.
My enjoyment of Everdell would increase based on this change. No changes to the game play or mechanics here, but when I feel included and represented, I enjoy a game more.
(This example is actually being produced by the Starling Games crew and I am actually really excited for it – but I think even the game FOG of love had different versions of relationships to promote inclusion).
So I think Michael and Marco, that you need to understand and really acknowledge your own identity and understand how others may include inclusion and representation into their measures of a games success.
Now, for the community of designers and publishers, I also fully support the initiative to open doors for members who come from marginalized communities and identities. Yes, we need different perspectives and ideas, and I don’t think you can argue against having distinct voices coming together to work on projects as this creates a dialogue and opportunity to lean into tension for the pursuit of growth. There is no challenge when all members at the table hold the same voice and experiences.
But again, it is easy to base a designers success on only their skills (or in your example Marco, the NBA is based on performance). However, we are maybe failing to acknowledge the barriers in place that would prevent folks from under-represented communities from trying to enter into the game design world and build up the skills that would “put them on the roster”.
For one, game design is not really a financial option for some folks who instead of taking time to flesh out their designs, playtest, meet with publishers, need to focus on working to support their own livelihood. Those folks who DO have the disposable time or even the budget to purchase a variety of games are more likely to come from the majority population, who we already see represented in gaming. Another barrier could just be that they do not feel welcome at the table of designers, none of whom look like them or hold any shared experiences. They don’t see themselves represented and might not even consider trying to sit at the table at all.
I would love to see a continued effort to provide space for under-represented populations within gaming. Marco and Michael, you both indicate that you want good games and that at the end of the day, that is all that matters. but you need to understand that for us to see the potential benefits of diversity on the gaming hobby, we need to actually create space for it and support these initiatives. You want the end result without caring about the means to get there.
Lydia and Jamey – Thank you for entering into and creating spaces for EDI discussions and initiatives. It is messy but fruitful work.
Steven: I really, really appreciate you taking the time to comment. I’ve already read this comment from start to finish twice, and I’ll continue to do so as I try to pursue better diversity, equity, and inclusion at Stonemaier Games. I particularly appreciate the barriers you mentioned and this line: “distinct voices coming together to work on projects as this creates a dialogue and opportunity to lean into tension for the pursuit of growth.”
Jamey, of course! I am such a massive fan and have always appreciated your transparency and openness, especially when having these sort of discussions. It is really nice to see you seeking to educate (or amplify voices who can educate) and asking good questions to challenge others who perhaps…hold views which are misogynistic and exclusionary to others.
Thank you for your commitment to EDI.
Hi Steven!
Thank you so much for your comments. I have so much brainstorming to do because of your comments and also researching because of the placement of EDI.
Two things right now struck me about what you said
*However, we are maybe failing to acknowledge the barriers in place that would prevent folks from under-represented communities from trying to enter into the game design world and build up the skills that would “put them on the roster”.
*I would love to see a continued effort to provide space for under-represented populations within gaming
Like you said, it is messy work, we have to acknowledge it is messy work and won’t be cleared up in a day.
We need to acknowledge the barriers and it is the most difficult things to see. I plan to discuss more about under-represented populations such as individuals with disabilities and populations that we don’t even think would have a place because there are so many spaces for everyone that we don’t even realize we have closed off.
The roster has to be seen before we can rearrange.
You are awesome and have a wonderful day!
-Lydia
What a great comment, Steven. And I’m glad to see we aren’t the only ones to comment on the Everdell wife/husband pairing. That game hits our table often, and every time, we (wife/wife) sigh a bit about it.
Tonya! Thank you for your kind words and I am glad someone else holds the same excitement for the gender neutral Everdell cards. Such a simple change with a huge impact. Will certainly make more time to play it now too. Happy gaming to you and your wife!
Hi Lydia,
Thanks for sharing your knowledge and insights!
My co-creator and I are trying to make games in addition to our full-time jobs,
and we have a question we’ve wrestled with. We have an idea for a game we’d love to try to make that is based on Japanese tradition, but as two white dudes, we’re unsure as to whether it would be viewed as cultural appropriation to make the game. We can’t afford to hire or consult with someone, but we’re passionate about the subject matter and feel we would do it in a respectful and justified manner, rather than a cartoonish version of it. How do you feel about white people making games based on another culture or race, without having anyone on their team to provide sound input? Thanks!
Hi Erik!
Thank you for reaching out but most importantly, thank you for being vulnerable enough to sharing your concerns about what would be viewed as “cultural appropriation” and how it would be related to making your game.
I want to share with you the definitions of cultural appropriation and cultural appreciation because I feel you are leaning more towards the “appreciation” part. The appropriation as defined by Oxford English Dictionary: “selecting certain aspects of a culture, ignoring their original significance and adoption of the practices, customs or aesthetics of one social or ethnic group by members of another (typically dominant) community or society”
Since you are talking about making a game based on Japanese tradition, take a look at this article I found talking about the tradition of kimonos and how it relates to cultural appropriation to give and your co-creator and example of how it relates to cultural tradition.
https://www.cnn.com/style/article/kimono-fashion-history-cultural-appropriation/index.html
Now remember how I mentioned about how you and your co-creator are leaning more towards the “cultural appreciation” approach, let me explain what the “appreciation part is. Cultural appreciation is process when you genuinely and eagerly want to learn about a different culture. The big difference between the to is think that
“APPROPRIATION = TAKE/USE” and “APPRECIATION =LEARN/UNDERSTAND
Okay so to answer your question about how do I feel about white people making games based on another culture or race without having anyone on their team to provide input?
My answer: COMPLETELY FINE! That does not take away from your creativity ability and skill just because you have no one on your team to provide input.
Here are some tips I’m sending you with to help you on your journey with working on your game!
1. Educate yourself:
Look in your community for assistance about the Japanese culture.
Research and reach out to Japanese organizations to cross check information.
Look for the relationship between your culture and Japanese culture through history
After you educate, then really look at your game and see how to approach
2. Eliminating Cartoonish Ideas
One of the biggest things I hear creators say is that they want to make players represented of the culture. If you are worried about the cartoonish position it may be, think of other design elements that come from the Japanese culture you can focus on. Educate yourself and seek assistance from the community to make sure you are APPRECIATING THE CULTURE AND NOT APPROPRIATING
3. How to Celebrate a Culture without Exploiting It
Make sure to examine your own beliefs and knowing your culture
Recognize and embrace the differences of cultures.
Have healthy dialogue. (Remember it is to learn, not to judge)
Ask yourself why? Why are you doing this
Be an Ally and help others engage in conversation about cultural appropriation and its impact on the board gaming community.
Sending Positive Vibes!
-Lydia
Thanks so much for getting back to me! Will take all that great information with us as we develop the game! Good Vibes right back!