A board game based on the Northern Ireland conflict has been condemned by a victims' rights group, which says it could retraumatise people. Titled The Troubles: Shadow War in Northern Ireland 1964-1998, it is being developed by US company Compass Games and allows players to take on the role of factions including the IRA, British army and Royal Ulster Constabulary.
Kenny Donaldson of the South East Fermanagh Foundation said the game oversimplifies a complex issue and minimises the suffering of victims. He compared the idea to a hypothetical game about the 9/11 attacks. The Belfast Telegraph first reported that the game was available for preorder at $85 (£63.20), but the company's president, Bill Thomas, said it remains in development and will not be released for several years.
The game, designed by Scottish teacher Hugh O'Donnell, includes 260 cards, dice and tokens. It covers eight epochs from the home rule bill of 1886 through to the 1998 Good Friday Agreement. Players can plant bombs, make political deals, or collude with security forces, with the aim of prevailing over opponents within six hours.
Thomas defended the game as an educational tool, saying it protects history rather than making fun of it. He noted that many young Americans know little about the Troubles and that the game could help preserve the memory of the conflict. However, Donaldson argued that the legacy of the Troubles remains present in Northern Ireland today.
