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This New Board Game Allows You to Experience the Life of Modern Artist

By Isabella Jiangcheng
Feb. 10, 2023 updated 01:00

This board game has become an unexpected form of expression for young Chinese artists to showcase their attitude toward current affairs. We have previously introduced the trendy but controversial Chinese board game Cheers or Tears, which mocks the so-called drinking culture of China and the negative, sometimes almost laughable, connotations behind it.

Recently, a new board game has gained some attention on Chinese social media. The game is called ‘Guide to Becoming a Successful Contemporary Artist’ (成功当代艺术家指南), designed by artist He Jienei and HF Art Space. Just like Cheers or Tears, the game aims to provide an immersive experience for players. It allows the players to step into the world of contemporary art - only to find the dark side behind the glamour. With some hard truths and a dash of self-mockery, Guide to Becoming a Successful Contemporary Artist soon became a topical board game.

In the game, you get to play as a contemporary artist in the making who is still full of hope for your future in the art scene, only to find that the art world is not what you had imagined, and to survive it, you need a lot more than just a passion for art. The game has seven main card pools; Talent, Expectation, Gallery, Art Museum, Non-profit, Action, and Legendary Artists. As these titles suggest, each card has an outcome that is linked to either the institution or the artist’s self-motivation. And much of the time, the outcome can have unexpected effects on other players.

Picture caption: “Plagiarism: the player who has this card receives +1 in artwork while accusing one other player, giving them -1 in artwork and -1 in Fortune or Influence.”

The game depicts a satirical but realistic picture of the contemporary art world: devious peers who try to sabotage you with effortless chic, institutions that trick young artists with highly suspicious dual contracts, and non-profit organizations that will host your solo exhibition but might also make you look too ‘wholesome’ to enter any edgy circle in the future. Fortunately, there is still hope. Peers and institutions also have a friendly side if you play your cards right. And you can gain advantages that others do not have under the influence of ‘legendary artists’.

The game is now in the testing launch, and we cannot wait to buy it in-store in the near future!

Source: Weibo WeChat