Celebrating Women in Gaming this International Women's Day

Boardgames are a space which invite you to sit around a table with friends, laugh, play and connect with each other! That means bringing everyone to the table, including those who have been excluded from it historically, and even today as can be seen by this study in 2018 conducted by Tanya Pobuda, analysing gender and racial representation within the contemporary board gaming industry. Her findings indicate that both on the game box and behind the designing and illustrating scenes, 93.5 percent of the total game designers and illustrators were white men (of those represented in the top 200 games, as reviewed by users of the popular boardgame archive Boardgamegeek.com). But this isn’t the whole story. 

This International Women’s day, we want to highlight even more games by women, and show that anyone can make a boardgame - yes, even YOU reading this, right NOW! It is only through continually pushing the bounds of representation and ensuring everyone sees themself at the table that we can challenge the notion of what a ‘gamer’ is. Here at Vault, we want you to know that anyone can be a gamer - from the casual once off player, to the every night board gamer! Here are some more great games created by women across the globe, that you can check out today! (Here’s the link to our previous list if you're hungry to see more!)

Scribbly Gum and Pass the Party Food

These Australian themed games highlighting our native flora and fauna are from the creative minds at Joey Games! Meredith Walker-Harding is the illustrative genius behind the elegant, colourful and bright designs of Joey games. This company also cares deeply about the environmental impact of their games, using no plastic packaging, and providing replacement pieces for games as well as print-at-home elements to minimise waste. If you’re keen to support them, keep your eyes peeled as we’ll have them on shelves soon! 

The Lost Ruins of Arnak

If adventure is calling, the Lost Ruins of Arnak are the perfect place to explore! This game is a combination of worker placement and exploration, as well as deck building. In the Lost Ruins, you’ll uncover ancient artifacts, manage your resources, and meet the randomised challenges of the island - ensuring that every game played is unique, and challenges your strategy! Michaela “Mín” Štachová is one half of the wife-and-husband creative duo who unearthed this game.

Eldritch Horror

In this co-operative game of terror and adventure, one to eight players take the roles of globetrotting investigators working to solve mysteries, gather clues, and protect the world from an Ancient One – an elder being, intent on destroying the world! Each Ancient One comes with its own unique decks of Mystery and Research cards, which draw you deeper into the lore surrounding each loathsome creature. Discover the true name of Azathoth or battle Cthulhu on the high seas. Nikki Valens, a nonbinary designer, is one half of the two designers who crafted this horror from the deep! 

We hope you check out these great games and creators! If you want to see and hear more women’s voices in the gaming space, here are some content creators you can check out Elizabeth Hargraves (the designer of Wingspan) list of resources for women in gaming.
And here are some tips for asserting that casual misogyny is not welcome at the table!
Thanks for reading, and happy International Women’s Day! ;)

PS - If you have a game you’re making and want to test out as well, join our Monthly Research & Development nights at the Clayfield store.