A German board game about Sicilian organised crime has triggered a fierce national debate, drawing sharp criticism from Italian politicians and families of mafia victims.
La Famiglia: The Great Mafia War, created by German company Boardgame Atelier, transforms a dark chapter of Italian history into a strategic board game. Players compete as rival mafia families, using car bombs and drug trafficking to control Sicily. The game, which won the As d’Or award in France, recently entered Italian markets.
The board game recreates the merciless mafia conflicts of the 1980s, a period when more than 1,000 people were killed within the first two years of the decade. Players represent different mob families, battling to dominate Sicily’s regions through violent strategies including car bombs, establishing drug laboratories, and eliminating rival “soldiers”.
Families and Politicians Speaks Out
Maria Falcone, whose brother Giovanni was assassinated by the mafia, condemned the game with raw emotion. “I don’t understand how it is possible that someone thought of this game, which plays with the feelings of those who have lost their lives serving the state,” she told Corriere della Sera. Falcone argued that the mafia has “only created death in Sicily and Italy” and that the game offends the memory of those who fought organised crime.
Alessandro De Leo from Forza Italia escalated the debate by writing to Sicily’s Governor Renato Schifani. De Leo argued the game “not only offends the dignity of Sicilians but devalues the daily commitment of citizens fighting for justice”.
In his letter, De Leo described the game as a product that “transforms one of the most painful chapters in Sicilian history into entertainment”. He requested that the Governor evaluate actions to counter the game’s distribution.
Designer Defends Creative Choice
Maximilian Maria Thiel offered a measured response. “I am very sorry if anyone feels hurt or offended by this game,” he said. Thiel stressed that the game depicts mobsters killing mobsters and uses abstract blocks to minimise graphic representation.
Thiel added that the murders of anti-mafia judges, such as Giovanni Falcone and Paolo Borsellino, had nothing to do with the internal mafia war depicted in the game.
The game portrays a brutal period when the notorious Cosa Nostra boss Totò Riina rose to prominence. Riina ordered car bomb murders of anti-mafia judges and expanded his killings to relatives of targets.
Historical Context Matters
The tabletop controversy reveals a gap between German game design and Italian collective memory. What German creators might view as a historical strategy game reads as a painful reopening of wounds for many Italians.
Germany, renowned for its own careful historical sensitivity, appears to have overlooked the same respectful approach when representing Italy’s mafia history. The country’s meticulous handling of its past suggests creators should apply similar thoughtfulness when exploring other countries’ painful memories.
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