U.S. President Donald Trump is turning heads again, including with his latest musings to make Canada the 51st state, unpredictable news conferences with world leaders and attempts to push the legal limits of presidential powers.
While many of his actions have drawn the ire of Canadians since his second term in office began in January, they’ve also inspired a group of London, Ont., teenagers who’ve created a new board game.
They say they’re determined to “make board games great again.”
“It’s important because a lot of people don’t realize the things he’s done, and so this is kind of a way to speak out and sort of fight back because he’s not really been the nicest to Canada,” said Adam Palma, 15, one of the creators of American Dictator.
The board game pokes fun at what the group says are “Trump’s questionable” decisions and behaviour, such as saying he’d rename bodies of water (notably the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America), talking about his “Big Beautiful Bill” focused on taxes and spending, and being the subject of high-profile court cases.
The goal of playing American Dictator is to seek to buy and take over American cities where a golf course, resort or tower could be built. A player who lands in another player’s city has to pay rent or can try to steal that city.
Resembling Monopoly, American Dictator has special spaces where players can trap competitors in an U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention facility, use a Supreme Court justice to bend the game’s rules, or go to a casino to gamble for more money. Players must also draw cards from a deck of questionable decisions and pay a fine to others.
The game notes the growing trend of Canadians boycotting travel to the U.S. One of the questionable decisions cards forces a player’s hotel to go bankrupt because Canadians have stopped visiting.
“They’re all questionable decisions the president has made that will either go well for you or not go so well for you. And they’re pretty funny,” said Ben Whitmill, 15, one of the game’s co-creators.
“The [decisions] seem so fake and it’s kind of crazy that he’s done all this stuff. And it’s cool how we’re able to bring it to a board game so everyone can hear about it. “
The idea for the game about on Labour Day weekend, when Palma and six of his family friends were at their cottage in Grand Bend. Like many other teenagers, they were bored and without internet, so decided to get creative, Palma said.
“We just started thinking what would it be like if Trump played a board game. What would be the things he did and how would that look? And we thought it would be really funny, so we started brainstorming ideas.”
The teens say a lot of other youngsters have become interested in the current political climate now more than ever before, and this game is the perfect way to spark conversations and educate people in a light-hearted way.
“I think it’s really great that even as kids we’re able to do something that could potentially make a difference in society,” said Kiara Palma, 17. “Especially if the game gets around, it could spread a message which is good for people to hear.”
Since the game went on sale last week for $50, there have been 25 purchases, none yet from American buyers. The group plans to create other games about geopolitics, including a version of Cards Against Humanity that would be called Cards Against Democracy.
The project is funded by the groups’ family members and includes other merchandise, such as T-Shirts, mugs and other apparel. It can be purchased online.
Members of the group said they’d love for the president to play American Dictator, if he hears about it, and they’d be curious to know his reaction.
As for what they hope players take away from the game, Palma said, “I want them to realize that we have to stand up for what’s right, even when it’s difficult. We’re not going to get pushed around; we’re going to protect our country.”
