Dr. Hannah Fair of the University of Oxford has published an analysis of island-themed board games, looking at how they reflect society’s ideas of the world – environmental, social, and more. The main three games examined are Taluva, Vanuatu, and Spirit Island. It’s a really neat read if you enjoy academic papers; I was struck by a number of its observations – e.g., the difference in stance between the base game of Vanuatu and its Rising Tide expansion – and felt its take on Spirit Island was insightful, interesting, enheartening, and fair. Take a look! (PDF)