Status: In preparation
Expected publication: Winter 2026/2027
Author: Mary Flanagan
Abstract
Games–whether they be video games, multiplayer games, board games, or even sports – are created as living, cultural circumstances, as sites of negotiation, as manifestations of cultural logics and values. Looking at games through a decolonial or anti-colonial lens reveals the ways in which discrimination, oppression, and other power dynamics operate in the rules, representation, and mechanics of games. This entry first establishes how a colonial view has functioned in games, and then explores exemplar games that demonstrate the power of resistance to these pre-established norms.
Keywords: Decolonial Games, Anticolonial Games
Dr Mary Flanagan
is an artist, game‑designer and scholar. Her books—Critical Play (2009), Values at Play in Digital Games (2014, with Helen Nissenbaum) and Playing with Oppression (2023, with Mikael Jakobsson)—examine how games reproduce and can subvert colonial power. Through research, workshops, and socially conscious game development, she advances anti‑colonial, participatory play as a tool for transformation.