ABSTRACT
Gender characteristics and roles in contemporary board games offer important insights into the complex synergies between form and content at the heart of gaming culture; however, scholars have overwhelmingly neglected this facet of board gaming. The overemphasis identified in video games on militarized masculinity' and the associated enticement of players to engage in various forms of violent combat has similar ideological implications for board game culture. Problematic representations of women and a clear prioritisation of men and hyper masculinity pervade fantasy worlds, with literary and filmic narratives replete with demonised and sexualised objects that lack power, agency, and/or value. Creating an intrinsic connection between biological sex and archetype and, in some cases, species is hardly empowering for women or men. The classic style of game play still hold substantial sway among board gaming enthusiasts; nevertheless, the cooperative option reflects the increased variety in games across the competitive cooperative spectrum' that now characterises board game culture as a whole.
