https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4393-9785
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S Wright Kennedy, Scout Blum, designer. Rising Waters: A Game Based on the 1927 Mississippi Flood., The American Historical Review, Volume 130, Issue 1, March 2025, Pages 489–490, https://doi.org/10.1093/ahr/rhae615
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In the evolving landscape of historical pedagogy, Rising Waters, designed by Scout Blum, emerges as a notable attempt to bridge the gap between interactive learning and historical education through board gaming. At its core, the game seeks to immerse players in the complexities of the Black experience during the 1926–27 Mississippi River floods, a pivotal yet often underrepresented moment in the history of the New South and the Roaring Twenties. Inspired by the “Reacting to the Past” pedagogical framework, which emphasizes role playing and active engagement to teach complex historical dynamics, Rising Waters integrates these methods into its gameplay to foster a deep, empathetic understanding of this catastrophe. However, the complexity of the game’s mechanics and the substantial time required to learn and play it present significant obstacles, potentially limiting its practical application in educational settings.
The game distinguishes itself through exceptional artistic design, quality components, and attention to detail. The vivid, colorful illustrations resonate with the Art Deco and modernism of the 1920s, effectively fusing the more mainstream aesthetic of the era with African American artistic traditions and drawing players into the historical context of the floods. Such design choices not only enhance the visual appeal of the game but also serve to create a cohesive thematic experience that supports the game’s educational objectives. Among the 627 pieces included, the game components exhibit remarkable print quality and materials. The game even includes an alternate set of cards with different artwork that can be substituted for the primary deck. The team used the crowd-funding site Kickstarter to enlist the support of 324 people who pledged $19,500 for the initial production costs.
