Wendake
A taxing Native American strategy game that deftly dodges stereotypes
Designer: Danilo Sabia | Artist: Alan D’Amico, Paollo Vallerga
WENDAKE
Board games haven’t always done a great job of exploring colonialism, especially when it comes to their representation of indigenous peoples. In the hit conquest game Small World, native tribes are just obstacles, putting up (literal) token resistance as players seek to expand their empires. In the massively influential Catan, they don’t even exist. Its island is abundant with resources, but miraculously free of sitting residents. And then there’s the thorny issue of how predominantly white designers treat indigenous identities in their work. The recent Manitoba, for instance, has drawn criticism for what some see as its stereotypical and inaccurate representation of the Cree people.