Mafia III (2016)
Mafia III is included in this archive for any number of reasons–there is a lead Black playable character, it is situated in a Black cultural context, and its ideological investments and social critiques are complex (often contradictory) and certainly worth discussing. In the critical let’s play video, TreaAndrea Russworm and Samantha Blackmon discuss how nearly all aspects of BGA’s taxonomy apply to Mafia III.
Dot’s Home (2021)
Gentrification, redlining, racial capitalism–these are just some of the systemic realities that inform how the real estate market has historically impacted Black communities. Dot’s Home creates a playable interactive engagement with these systems. In the critical let’s play video, esteemed narrative designer, writer, and journalist Evan Narcisse joins Samantha Blackmon and TreaAndrea Russworm to discuss this special and socially relevant game.