At a time when the board game community has become gradually
aware of the unique experiences of women in the hobby, the gently feminist Girls on Games, an anthology on gender
perspective in gaming particularly and in geekdom more generally, successfully
Kickstarted in 2014 with over 900 backers. Elisa Teague - designer of games, events, costumes, and props - compiled 15 essays by women
and a foreword (by a man) and herself wrote six more plus an afterword. She also interleaved “Share My Story
Spotlight” anecdotes by two women, three men, and a girl, plus a poem – or
perhaps a song lyric – by “The Doubleclicks.”
And to read and hear women tell it, despite a consistently optimistic
tone throughout their essays, they experience some ugly behavior in our gaming hobby
– from condescension, to scorn, to challenges to their bona fides as game lovers. After
reading of these experiences, frankly,
I don’t know how they put up with it.