Hasbro Games’ new edition of the iconic Guess Who? board game is receiving mixed reception due to the inclusion of a sole disabled character.
The character, “Johanna,” is a Black woman with earrings, short hair and neurofibromatosis type 1. Hasbro chose this disability so that it would be visible by looking at the character’s face alone.
Disability advocates have praised the representation of disabilities in board games but noted that actually playing the game can be extremely uncomfortable, especially with able-bodied players.
“Is your person, uh …” test player Elizabeth Hollis trailed off, having narrowed her options down to four characters including the new disabled one. “Does your person have glasses?”
Hollis correctly noted that it was just as strategic to ask about the glasses as the disability; however, her opponent tensed up before she asked the question.
“I decided at the last minute to switch from disability to glasses,” said Hollis. “It would be weird to ask whether the character is disabled. Also, I have no idea whether Johanna is the only character with a disability. Some could have invisible disabilities. Or disabilities only visible below the neck.”
Several brave and lucky individuals have reported winning a game on their first turn with the question, “Does your character have neurofibromatosis type 1?”