A sardonic spin on a classic board game, The Game of Life: America Edition allows players to experience life in America as the gun violence epidemic rages on. The game highlights the disturbing and grim reality of gun violence in America through an informal, playful format. Calling attention to our nation’s complacency towards gun violence and the absurdity of this normalization and desensitization, the game aims to spread awareness, advance discourse, and mobilize young voters to demand change.
Modeled after real American banknotes with a simulated engraved effect, the paper currency doubles as individual infographics featuring gun violence statistics. The monetary value of each bill correlates with the statistic it represents. Most of the bills honor victims of gun violence, signifying their importance and immortalizing them. Putting a face to the statistic makes it harder for people to just look the other way.
Only two bills do not feature victims: $0 and $1 billion. The $0 bill represents the worthlessness of “thoughts and prayers” offered by the NRA and politicians who refuse to back that sentiment with any meaningful action for change. The $1 billion bill, featuring an AR-15, represents the more than $1 billion of profits gun manufacturers have made from selling assault-style weapons to civilians in the last decade. 👎👎👎
An ode to the country’s “good old days,” the design on the front of the box is inspired by the retro road signs prevalent in mid-century America. This visual reference alludes to a time when the American Dream thrived and a fervor of hope and strength was sweeping across the nation. Behind this old school architectural symbol of faith in the future, the background is dark and getting darker.
Inspired by the 1991 Edition of The Game of Life, the back of the box features the game’s description, contents, and potential outcomes accompanied by illustrations. The tagline’s placement on a wavy path evokes a feeling of fun and light-heartedness, while the copy itself is quite sardonic.
Like the original Game of Life, players draw interactive cards that dictate their career and home. However, in addition to listing the profession, salary, and whether or not a degree is required, the Career Cards in the America Edition also feature a description on how the job could be affected by gun violence.
Instead of determining whether you live in a shack or mansion, these Home Cards determine what state players reside in (and as a direct result the likeliness of experiencing gun violence and the financial costs as a taxpayer).
When players land on a LIFE space, they draw a card from the LIFE Story or Stats decks. Each Story Card features a real life story of Americans injured or killed by firearms, helping players to empathize and understand the reality of the situation. These cards also feature the date of the incident, and as more cards are drawn, the constant prevalence of these incidents begins to unfold. The LIFE Stats cards feature statistics on gun violence in America as well as the source for the information, highlighting realities other people may not be aware of.
Before the layout for the board path could be designed, it was important to identify the stories and facts I wanted to highlight and structure a cohesive narrative from there. I decided to start the game in infancy, since firearms are the leading cause of death among American youth.
Like Milton Bradley’s original game (and life itself) the choices players make send them on different paths. Will players earn their degree or start work right away? Will they turn a blind eye to the gun violence epidemic out of convenience or try to break the cycle and advocate for meaningful change?
While the board is full of colorful tiles, the distressed black background reflects the dark reality beneath the surface of everyday American life. The number of spaces on the path were also carefully considered—representing the estimated 120 Americans who are killed with guns every day.