A Video Introduction to The Black Games Archive and its “Taxonomy.”
What is The Black Games Archive?
Co-Founded by Samantha Blackmon and TreaAndrea M. Russworm, The Black Games Archive is a multimedia, public-facing database and archive of games, digital resources, accessible scholarship, and interviews that are relevant to the intersections between Black culture, play, and games.
Who is The Black Games Archive designed for?
The archive is a resource for everyone. Our goal was to identify games, characters, and developers who either are perceived as Black, identify as Black, or relate in some way to aspects of Black culture. Players, developers, journalists, academics, and anyone else interested in Blackness and games should use the site as a tool for research, play, or reflection.
Why is The Black Games Archive important?
We recognize that archiving practices are indeed political and that it is both political and imperative to record the work done in and around Blackness and games. The archive is itself a cultural practice that is intended to bring together people who are interested in these artifacts, communities, and design and play practices. As political cultural practices, archives and databases shape the way things will be remembered. As a memory making activity, this project also documents lived experiences of Black innovation and engagement in the industry and with the medium.
We recognize that the very choices that we make as the founders of this site are subjective and potentially contested. We have had long, thoughtful, and often heated discussions about “taxonomy” and the rationale for what is included and excluded here in a given moment. Surely by making this archive, we also have to contend in complex ways with the very meaning of Blackness. Ultimately, we see these challenges as generative, and we invite collaboration, feedback, and reflection as a key part of our archival practice, a practice that depends on the expertise of an esteemed board of advisors.
The curation of this archive will grow stronger and more meaningful through active collaboration. We encourage users of this site to share reflections about why or how a work should be included in this space. While we can’t promise to necessarily include every game or person suggested, we do promise to engage with every suggestion.
What games appear in The Black Games Archive?
Please keep in mind that the database is incomplete. This is an ongoing project and will be updated quarterly. Using informational “game cards,” we have archived games both alphabetically and chronologically so that people can easily find games by title and look for historical patterns. Each game card includes key bibliographic information and screenshots. The cards for featured games (and eventually all games) also include game play footage, critical let’s plays, links to scholarship, articles, and interviews that are relevant to the game. During the quarterly updates we will add new featured games, scholarship in focus, and developer profiles on the main page of the site.
How can I contribute to The Black Games Archive?
Anyone who would like to suggest a game for possible inclusion in the archive can use this form for feedback.
Academics, journalists, and other writers should also send us links to works they have written or recorded about specific games on the list. Players and Content Creators can send links to footage of commentary free gameplay. For the game cards, we are looking for video segments that are good quality, start at the beginning of the game, and are at least 1 hour in length. Developers can send us information about their games and which of the taxonomic tags they think might best fit.