A Troubles-themed board game has been condemned by multiple survivors’ groups for “minimising the suffering” of victims of the Northern Ireland conflict.
The board game, called The Troubles: Shadow War in Northern Ireland, allows players to play as “the British Forces”, “the IRA”, “Loyalist Paramilitaries”, “the Royal Ulster Constabulary” and prominent nationalist or unionist politicians from between 1964 and 1998 in a “card-driven simulation” game.
The Troubles is the term used to describe the ethno-nationalist conflict in Northern Ireland between the late 1960s and the Good Friday Agreement in 1998, which resulted in more than 3,500 deaths, over half of whom were civilians.
Dr Paul Gallagher, a trauma education officer at WAVE Trauma Centre, said the cross-community support group, found the game “crass and insensitive”.
He said: “This isn't Trivial Pursuit, this is just real life, and we need to teach it properly. Not through the words of the those who planted the bombs or shot the bullets or worked behind the scenes in government... we need to hear it through the lens of those who suffered and those who lived it.”
The repercussions of the Troubles can still be felt in Northern Ireland today, according to Kenny Donaldson, director of Northern Irish support group South East Fermanagh Foundation, who expressed concerns that the game could prove triggering for survivors of the Troubles across the community.
“We understand this game has been developed over the last five years, but were just made aware of it, and we since spoke with a decent cross-section of victims/survivors to gain their perspective,” he said in a statement to The Independent. “There is significant potential for some victims/survivors to feel triggered by this new US-produced board game and many will feel that it has the effect of minimising their suffering.”
The main image of the game involves a photo of The Petrol Bomber mural, part of the historic “Free Derry Corner”. The game is described on the website as a two-to-six player card simulation game, “depicting the Paramilitary and Security Force conflict”. Cards as part of the game make reference to “Bombing”, “Nutting Squad”, “Internment” and “Bandit Country”.
One card refers to “Stakeknife”, the infamous IRA mole linked to at least 14 murders and 15 abductions, believed to be Belfast man Freddie Scappaticci, who denied the identity up until he died aged 77 in 2023.
Players adopt the role of a “faction”, from a choice of paramilitary or security forces, and attempt to prevail over their opponents. Paramilitary players are given the option of attacking or colluding with security forces, while political factions can choose to back terrorism, share power or contest elections.
The game has been advertised for pre-sale by US game developers Compass Games since 2021, priced at $85 (£62.82) on their website. It was originally set to be released in 2023, but has since been pushed back. As of Friday morning, following reports from The Belfast Telegraph and The Guardian, it appears to have been removed from the website.
Bill Thomas, the company’s founder and president, told The Guardian the game remained in development and would not be released for several years. “This is not the final version. It’s not even close to being final. It has to be playtested. We’re doing a lot of development on it.”
He added that the intention was for it to be an educational tool.
“Kids in their twenties and thirties in America know nothing about history. You have to make it interesting,” he said, adding that people outside the UK wouldn’t understand the “tough time” endured by Northern Ireland residents unless the history was told in engaging ways. “Do you want that memory to never exist, for no one outside Northern Ireland or the UK to understand that it ever happened?”
Mr Donaldson disputed the idea that the board game could be used for educational purposes, as there was no evidence that the topic was being dealt with in a trauma-informed manner.
“As a group, we are heavily embroiled with different initiatives examining the Troubles through the lens of education, learning and promoting non-recurrence of violence. We engage with this work sensitively and in a trauma-informed manner. It is not evident that this has been the case with this particular board game ‘education resource,’” he said.
“What would be the likely response of 9/11 families were these US producers to make a comparable board game about 9/11, with players being the FBI, a terrorist murdering pilot, etc? Rightly there would be opposition and concern – and that would also be shared by many victims/survivors impacted by 'The Northern Ireland Troubles.'”
The Independent has contacted Compass Games for comment.
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