A proposed board game based on the decades-long conflict in Northern Ireland, known as the Troubles, has received significant pushback from some victims’ groups. The game, titled “The Troubles: Shadow War in Northern Ireland 1964-1998,” aims to allow players to take on the roles of different factions involved in the conflict, including unionist and nationalist politicians, the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC), the Ulster Defence Regiment (UDR), and paramilitary groups like the Irish Republican Army (IRA) and Loyalist Paramilitaries (LOY).
The game, created by Scottish secondary school teacher Hugh O’Donnell and produced by Connecticut-based game company Compass Games, is still in development and not yet available for purchase. However, its concept has already sparked controversy, with some victims’ groups describing it as “crass” and accusing it of minimizing the suffering and trauma experienced during the Troubles.
Kenny Donaldson, from the South East Fermanagh Foundation (Seff), expressed concerns about the game’s potential to provide a “very suspect portrayal” of the Troubles narrative. He argued that the Troubles are not a thing of the past, but a lived reality for many in Northern Ireland. Donaldson and other victims’ representatives have described the game as being in “bad taste” or “exploitative.”
Dr. Paul Gallagher, from the victims’ group Wave, acknowledged the game’s historical perspective but emphasized that the content of some of the cards “doesn’t sit right” with those who have directly experienced the violence and trauma of the Troubles. Gallagher, who was left wheelchair-bound after a loyalist gun attack, stated that the game’s format of using dice and cards to represent a period marked by such deep trauma could be seen as “in very poor taste.”
The Commission for Victims and Survivors in Northern Ireland also expressed concerns, stating that the game’s approach may fail to recognize the ongoing and complex issues faced by victims, survivors, and their families, many of whom continue to live with trauma, including intergenerational trauma, as a direct consequence of the past.
Compass Games’ president, Bill Thomas, acknowledged the sensitivities surrounding the Troubles but argued that there is educational merit in “interacting” with history through board games. He questioned why some groups would take issue with board games but not other media, such as television shows, movies, or books, that focus on the Troubles.
Despite the concerns raised, the game remains in development, and the developers have reported an uptick in interest from across the UK and Ireland in the past week since the issues were first highlighted. The debate surrounding the game’s appropriateness and its potential impact on victims and survivors of the Troubles is likely to continue as the project progresses.
