Tod MaffinCanadian Commentator, From Far and Wide · Emotional Support Canadian

Canadian teenagers invented the most unhinged board game, and I need you to see it.

27 May 2026 · 2 min

Watch on YouTube

2:00

In this solo video, Tod Maffin reviews a satirical board game called American Dictator, created by a group of Canadian teenagers in London, Ontario. He describes the game’s Monopoly‑style layout—properties are golf courses, resorts, and towers, with no jail but an “ice” space that can be escaped by paying a $60 pardon to the dictator. A unique feature is the purchasable Supreme Court justice that can overrule opponents. The core of the satire lies in the “questionable decisions” cards, which include absurd political actions such as appointing a new FBI director and stacking the deck, repealing Roe v. Wade, sending players under 40 back in time, inflation penalties, storming the Capitol, and paying eye‑doctor bills after looking at a solar eclipse. Maffin notes that he and others have played the game, calling himself a “horrible capitalist.” He explains that the teens have formed a real company, with parental co‑ownership, and that part of the profits go to a local food bank while the rest is shared among the creators. He humorously declares the game the winner of the inaugural “Tod Maffin Award” for being a great Canadian, complete with a Sharpie to black out outdated marketing claims. Finally, he provides a purchase link (b.link/dictator) and price ($49), warning viewers to read the fine print and noting that no spray‑tan is included. The review blends comedic commentary, political satire, and a promotion of the game’s charitable aspect.

Chapters

Has a board game made by Canadian teenagers won the Pulitzer Prize for satire? Kind of. This is the game. It's called American Dictator and it sneaks up on you. It starts sort of like Monopoly, but the properties are golf courses, resorts, and towers. There's no jail, but you can be put on ice. You can buy your way out of it if you pay the dictator $60 for a pardon. There is a Supreme Court justice. If you land here, you can buy the justice and basically use it to overrule anything an opponent does. But why I think it should win the Pulitzer is the cards, which in this game are called questionable decisions. Here's just a couple of them. You appoint a new FBI director, look at the next 5 cards, and then literally stack the deck. Roe v. Wade was just repealed. Everyone under 40 goes back in time on the board. There's an inflation card where you have to pay a multiple of your roll. You can try to storm the Capitol. And my favorite, look into a solar eclipse and pay for the eye doctor bills. Jocelyn and I have played it. I'm a horrible capitalist. Even people at one of my meetups played it. The game was created by a group of Canadian teens in London, Ontario. They have a real company. Their parents co-own it. And it's made here as well. Part of the profits go to their local food bank. The rest gets shared among the kids. And while there's no Pulitzer Prize for satire, and you have to be in the US to qualify, I am pleased to announce that these kids are the winner of the inaugural Tod Maffin Award for being a great Canadian. It also comes with a Sharpie because you'll want to black out the part where it says my company won this thing 11 years ago for some marketing thing. Just marker over that. Let the Americans invent fake prizes. We recycle in Canada. If you like Monopoly, you will love this game. You can buy it for $49 at b.link/dictator, but please read the fine print. No spray tan is included in the box. Don't say I didn't tell you. Oh no! Ah, fuck's sake, bro. What is he doing? I think he's looking at the sun.