Board Games of the 20th Century and their Cultural Impact on Reinforcing Racial Stereotypes

Abstract

In the twenty-first century, video games grew incredibly more popular and transitioned to the mainstream. However, many of these games face criticism for gameplay features that propagate problematic racial caricatures and stereotypes. By looking at board games from the twentieth century, this paper shows that racially problematic gameplay is not an exclusively modern trend; instead, it is but one facet of an entire play industry that has been replicating and disseminating racial (and often racist) stereotypes for decades. While many board game developers intended for their games to be critical of social issues, market forces demanded that these games reframe their messaging to better comply with narratives and views, however flawed and damaging, that were familiar to the consumer population, namely parents seeking wholesome entertainment for their children. Structured board games throughout the last century, including Monopoly, Blacks & Whites, and Mystery Date, have further entrenched the notion of the “white normal” by honoring characteristics associated with white Americans and condemning traditionally nonwhite characteristics and lifestyles. Furthermore, Dungeons and Dragons and other tabletop, RPG fantasy games caricaturized actual races within the fantastical settings of their games, turning white individuals into graceful elves and nonwhite individuals into brutish orcs. An investigation of board games throughout the twentieth century reveals the tendency of dominating social views and cultural messages to reinforce themselves across generations, as social messaging in games and other consumer products are necessarily defined by the whims of the market and the wishes of the consumer.