Board Game Cleanup 1: Eminent Domain

As some of my readers know, the focus of RetroBeliever has shifted from video games to board games, mostly because I try to pull my family away from the screen and entice them to the table, but also because I really like board games. Of course, this doesn't mean that I like every game. I do my best to investigate games to determine if they are truly "family friendly," which means that I look for inappropriate images and language, over-the-top violence, the prominence of magic (which is a case-by-case distinction), and for rules that define players as evil characters. As long as my children are involved, I strive to minimize those elements in my house. This has resulted in my having to turn my back on some games that many people consider "classic," such as Magic: The Gathering, Netrunner, or Terra Mystica (all well-designed games with excellently balanced rules, but with elements with which I am not comfortable).

However, some games slip through the cracks and I have to deal with small instances of elements at which I cringe. My first case in point: Eminent Domain. Based on my research, Eminent Domain is a deck-building game with a variable phase structure much like Puerto Rico, but with a science-fiction theme. By most accounts, Eminent Domain is highly regarded, so I purchased it based on reviews and a playthrough produced by the always top-notch YouTube channel Watch It Played and its host, Rodney Smith (link to his tutorial is here). As I opened the box and its contents and sleeved the many cards that come with the game, I happened upon a card called Artificial Intelligence, which lets a player take any two Role cards from the Central Display into his or her hand. Within the context of the game, this is a useful card that optimizes your Role phase, but the art is what caused me to pause...

Artificial Intelligence... Before mod

Now, from a science-fiction standpoint, I don't see the point in a buxom female-looking robot, but such art is sadly endemic to the genre. By itself, the robot illustration is not that racy, though its chest size is suggestive, but what caught my eye is the expression of the engineer behind the robot. To me, the card smacked of innuendo, which I'm sure my mature readers can grasp. As soon as I spotted this card, my mind jerked into Yellow Alert. I pondered if I really should play with a card that has a voluptuous female robot because I wouldn't want such images to fill my sons' young, developing minds. 

Well, I weighed my options, and I'm sure that some conscientious parents have ruminated on these choices, as well. One option is to sell the entire game outright, which may be the best decision when inappropriate elements are pervasive; I sold and threw away my Magic cards because of various convictions (which I discussed in a past blog post and article). A second option is to remove the offensive card or game piece from the game; I did this with one particular card (The Califf's Favorite) from Expansion 2 of Alhambra because the card portrays a concubine (which opens up a can of worms for my boys). This option is acceptable when elements are minor or unnecessary to the game.

Yet, there is also a third option that I have taken a few times: alter the card or game element. After some thought, I decided to take this route with the Artificial Intelligence card, so I scanned the card and altered it in Photoshop. With some creative use of Clone Stamp, I softened curvature, broadened the waist, and rendered the she-bot a bit more gender-neutral. Then, I printed the card and cut out only the torso of the robot. I pasted the torso over the original card art and I ended up with something like this...

Artificial Intelligence... After mod

In a card sleeve, my patch work is not that noticeable and the card doesn't bulge on the table. Thankfully, this was the only semi-objectionable art in the game, so I only had to alter this card. Indeed, I took a risk with changing the card because a botched change can mar the card, but I think my fix was adequate. Now, I can play Eminent Domain worry-free without wondering how my boys might view this card. (In deference to the original artist, I am merely sharing my modification of the card for my personal use. This is not meant for distribution for personal gain.)

Inspired by this recent modification, I am kicking off a series of posts about other mods I've made in order to minimize uncomfortable content. To you, the reader, I also invite you to contribute in the Comments some modifications or removals you've completed to make board games more family-friendly. Feel free to share suggestions. Of course, there may be folks out there that absolutely disagree with such modification, and there may be folks that feel I am too conservative. To you all, I must say that you are free to have your opinions, just as I am free to protect my kids.