by Morten Blaabjerg
Take on the mantle of an African contractor and leader of a group of porters through the trials of a grueling European expedition into central Africa in the late 19th century. In this unusual take on a “pick-up and deliver”-game, you must guide your men on a perilous overland journey into the ‘Heart of Darkness’, deliver the expedition’s ammunition and supplies, while you secretly plan escapes for some of your men, before it may be too late. How will you face the horrors of the journey? —and can you outwit its relentless demands to meet your own ends?
Presentation
- Time: 120-180 min
- Players: 2 – 4
- Language: English
“Juma bin Hamisi leaned against the ship’s rail, staring at the horizon where the blue sea met the endless sky. The wind whispered tales of Zanzibar, of bustling markets and ocean voyages, but his thoughts were heavy. The contract he’d signed with Mr. Stanley promised silver and security, yet Juma knew the truth: the jungle beyond the Congo was no place for promises. He thought of his men—Zanzibari porters, brave and weary. They trusted him, but what could trust weigh against hunger and the white man’s whip? They were much too few men, and the boxes much too many. Tippu Tib’s dealings reeked of chains, and Juma hated the idea of relying on a slave trader’s men. Even the Somali and Sudanese contingents seemed foreign and strange to him in their faces and their souls. It was Juma’s men, who took the heaviest toll, who carried the expedition on their backs. “If it must be so,” he thought, “I will see some of them return home, even if the jungle must swallow their trail.” A quiet plan took shape in his heart, born from years of navigating hardship: a chance for freedom hidden in the horrors of the march ahead.”
“Burden” bridges the dark realities of history with the strategic decisions of the players. This unusual take on the classic “pick-up and deliver”-game brings to life the Emin Pasha Relief Expedition of 1887-89, immersing you in a journey into the ‘Heart of Darkness’. On one hand, you will be a witness to the events, as you carry the white man’s baggage and obey his rules, and on the other an active agent, placed in a strange place on a grueling march, challenged to interpret and create meaning of the harsh rules imposed on you. Can you balance duty and sacrifice with your hidden ambitions, caught between the relentless demands of European authority and the fragile hopes of African lives?
The ambition has been to provide the player with an experience that both entertains and challenges while also provoking thought. The game is not merely about mechanics or competition; it is a journey through morality, responsibility, and survival. Each time you, as a player, succeed in helping a carrier escape, it is a small victory for humanity in a universe marked by inhuman and monstrous trials—a life seen as a relentless journey, where far too much time is spent chasing and carrying around far too many "things" that come at far too great a cost.
About the designers
Born in 1973 and raised in the golden era of arcade games and home computers in the 1980s, I've been playing and creating games almost all my life. I've prototyped board games, created role-playing campaigns and programmed computer games. As a student, I spent much of my time creating scenarios and mods for Civilisation II.
Since 2019, I've dedicated a lot of my time and energy to developing great board games, many with strong historical themes. I am also a historian and have a deep fascination with our shared past. My game ‘Burden’ is inspired by a real-life 19th century European expedition in Africa. The expedition faced enormous hardship and human cost and was one of the inspirations for Joseph Conrad's novel ‘Heart of Darkness.’
Kasper has played board games for more than 40 years. As a science librarian he loves to deconstruct games and scrutinize what makes a game bigger than the sum of its parts. He favors strategy games with historical settings. Kasper first Fastaval board game design “Witch Hunt” won an Otto for best board game and was published as “Pagan: Fate of Roanoke” in 2021.
