The board game community has seen some recent controversy with the release of the HATE board game on Kickstarter by developer CMON, a veteran of multi-million dollar crowdfunding campaigns.
Based on the graphic novels of the same name by artist (and long-time CMON collaborator) Adrian Smith, the skirmish war game pits ultra-violent tribes against each other against the backdrop of a post-apocalyptic world.
Considering HATE funded in less than 15 minutes and is currently sitting just shy of $700K with 15 days of the campaign left to run, it looks like CMON will probably break the million dollar mark with this title too, especially as the game will be excusively available through this Kickstarter campaign alone.
So why the controversy? Well, you’ll need to take 3 minutes and look at the promotional video (NSFW):
Now whilst there’s nothing particularly edgy about saying “f*ck” any more (the only reason we bother asterisking is to dodge puritanical dinosaur internet filters), it appears most folk have a problem with the content itself: the extreme and graphic level of depicted violence, cannibalism and other pleasantries.
“The time for HATE is now!” Really? I think this is in poor taste.
— Mikal (@madlovemikal) January 17, 2018
I love backing your projects. But this one I can’t do. The subject matter is way to out there. I could never let my family play this game. The violent nastiness is just too much
— David Ausemus (@GamerdadDave) January 17, 2018
— Gaz Gibbons (@gazgibbs) January 17, 2018
So what’s your take on it? Is it graphically violent, offensive nastiness that leaves a bad taste in your mouth and that the world of gaming could do without, or does it depict laughable post-apocalyptic, studded-leather-chap-wearing, spikey rape-monkeys that are a tired 80s trope and look absurd outside of Mad Max (if indeed they didn’t look absurd inside it)?
Will you back the campaign? If so is it for the theme, because you think it looks like a great game, or because as a Kickstarter exclusive you think it’ll be a good investment?
Let us know in the comments section below, or join in the discussion on Facebook.
