Gondwaland#
Africa has raw materials coveted by the great powers... And to exploit these riches, they need intermediaries as influential as you.
You know the politicians and their weak points. You know how to blackmail, threaten and bribe them.
It's your turn : gain access to natural resources, torpedo the competitors, and become the best shadow diplomat in Gondwaland!
- Gondwaland, organized gang looting.
- A board game by Jérémie CANAVESIO.
- 3-6 players, 10+, 45 minutes.
Mécaniques de jeu : auction, area majority.
Making-of#
Concerning Africa and its resources, a lot of things have been done: press articles, podcasts, TV shows, reports, etc. And nothing changes: politicians and industrialists keep helping themselves, while the populations keep suffering. And when we look at the need for rare metals in new technologies, we know that this is not going to stop anytime soon.
With Gondwaland, I wanted to tackle the problem the wrong way.
Going backstage, joining those who help extractive industries extending their influence over Africa. Discovering the hidden reality, to try to appreciate its political dimension.
Gondwaland takes place on the African continent, but unfortunately it could take place in many other parts of the world.
Some will judge this approach badly, calling it distorting, or satirical... But for my part, I will always remember this morning when I crossed paths by chance with a former employee who worked in the oil then gold industry in West Africa.
I read him the Gondwaland's introduction, and he said to me: “That’s exactly how it happens: bribes, physical threats…” before adding, a little embarrassed: “But it’s better that people don’t know about it…”
Prizes#
- Gondwaland was officially selected at the "International board game festival" (Cannes, France).
- Gondwaland was officially selected at the "Paris est ludique festival" (Paris, France).
Interview#
- Interview with the author of Gondwaland broadcasted on "Radio France Internationale".
About the name Gondwaland#
About 300 million years ago, all the continents were united into a single vast entity, Pangea. Then they separated into several fragments, one of which, called Gondwana, contained what would later become Africa.
Gondwaland was born from the contraction of the supercontinent "Gondwana", and "land", which notably means "land", in the real estate field...
Contact#
Any request : contact.