Hollandazed: Thoughts, Ideas, and Miscellany — Meltwater

Meltwater is probably the most important game we've published. I'm not saying that because of what the game says or how it says it, though I do remain in awe of how cogent and expressive it is. And for a debut design? Jeez louise. And I'm not saying it because it's been a bestseller, a critical darling, and a flagship title – all things that have gone a long way toward bolstering our reputation as a publisher. All of the above is true, of course, but the reason why Meltwater is the most important game we've published is that publishing...

If Meltwater has a grandmother, it’s probably Brenda Romero.   Romero is probably best known in our sphere for her board-games-as-art-pieces, most notably the controversial Train, a game which unknowingly casts the installation attendee cum player as a Nazi collaborator and asks them how they would like to continue. The piece has a complex legacy, and quite a few admirers and detractors both. I’m not here to talk about Train, specifically. Train was part of a larger body of work, titled The Mechanic is the Message. I’m more interested in a different entry in the series: Síochán Leat (“Peace Be With...