By turning conflict into entertainment US games company is ignoring its living legacy, says victims rights’ group
It pits the IRA against the British army and the Royal Ulster Constabulary, it lets players plant bombs and make political deals and it promises to wrap up the conflict within six hours.
Welcome to the Troubles – the provisional board game version. The brainchild of a US games company, The Troubles: Shadow War in Northern Ireland 1964-1998, is played with dice, tokens and a deck of 260 cards.
The game is not yet complete or available for purchase, but disclosure of its existence on Thursday prompted an outcry in Northern Ireland, where a victims’ rights group said it could retraumatise people.
“They’re oversimplifying what is a very complex issue,” said Kenny Donaldson of the South East Fermanagh Foundation. Victims and survivors could feel “triggered” by the game, he said. “Many will feel that it has the effect of minimising their suffering.”
