B.C. Indigenous Artist Luke Parnell Ventures into Board Game Design with 3 Ravenz

Renowned for his sculptures, paintings, and carvings, Prince Rupert-based Nisga’a and Haida artist Luke Parnell is exploring a new creative frontier: tabletop games.

His debut game, 3 Ravenz, is a strategy-based card game featuring Northwest Coast art. It is designed for three to five players, offering a mix of strategy, collaboration, and unpredictability. “It’ll bring you from the heights of joyfulness to the depths of despair,” Parnell says, highlighting the game's dynamic and challenging nature.

About 3 Ravenz:

• Style: A modern trick-taking game, similar to classics like hearts and euchre.

• Audience: Ages 14 and up.

• Gameplay: Approximately 60 minutes.

• Artwork: Features designs inspired by traditional Northwest Coast Indigenous art.

Parnell discovered his passion for game design during the COVID-19 lockdowns when isolation led him to find new ways to channel his creativity. “I sort of lost motivation to make art, but I’m still a creative person,” he said, adding that his interest in games blossomed from a desire to create something meant for shared experiences.

Though he has designed about 100 games, 3 Ravenz is the first he plans to sell commercially. Parnell candidly admitted that writing the rule book was the hardest part of development, leading him to hire an editor. “My first rule book was so bad,” he laughed.

An online fundraising campaign for 3 Ravenz is set to launch on May 7, bringing the game closer to its release.

Indigenous Creators in Board Gaming:

Parnell joins a growing group of Indigenous game designers making their mark in the tabletop gaming world. James Darin Corbiere, from the Wikwemikong First Nation, recently released The Truth in Truth and Reconciliation, a game that took seven years to develop.

Corbiere advises aspiring designers to stay patient and flexible, particularly when collaborating with publishers. “They know their audience and they’re going to make the changes based on wanting to make you successful,” he said, emphasizing perseverance in the emerging market for Indigenous-designed tabletop games.