Last month (June 2021), I ventured back out into the “now-I’m-vaccinated” world to attend a local games convention, Diecon. This is a small gathering for tabletop roleplaying (RPG), minatures, and board games. Laidback, welcoming, and entirely focused on games, it remains my favorite con.
Report on Games
I tried a new board game and played an old favorite RPG, a Scooby Doo Adventure using the FAST system. Two of my favorite storytelling games were also on the schedule, and I was lucky enough to score a seat at both tables.
Microscope
As I’ve discussed in an earlier blog, Microscope is a big-picture storytelling game in which the players build a civilization. The play can zoom in on critical turning points in the world’s history by roleplaying important scenes. In our convoluted storyline, the Music of the Spheres powered a civilization in which animals speak human language, poetry is a lethal weapon, and modern jazz spawned a race of dragons to rival humanity. In my favorite scene, an assassin strikes down William Shakespeare to stop him from unfurling the ultimate doomsday poem. Kit Marlowe, with Shakespeare’s ghost’s help, must unmask the killer. Suspects include John Wilkes Booth and Dorothy Parker.
Fiasco
I’ve discussed the hilarious storytelling game Fiasco in earlier blogs. Base instincts and whatever is most funny and/or gross in any given moment drives the characters. We used the new boxed set with cards rather than dice and found the game flowed smoothly. Regina’s Wedding, as acted by our group, was a true fiasco.
Why Play a Game?
Play and imagination, the creative person’s bread and butter, are directly linked.
What does that mean to me? For various reasons, my childhood felt brief. I’ve been quite a serious person from a young age, worrying over so many things way beyond my pay grade. In adulthood, after a long, hard look at myself, I relearn to play, as therapy. Giving myself permission for toys, games, and general silliness was a key step in forging a creative life. So, the games aren’t just fun, but also a special kind of prescription to lighten my heart enough to tell a story.
I’d love to hear what games and play mean to you and what they do for your life. Feel free to comment on this post.
If you enjoyed this journal entry, you might like to read about Writing Sprints.
I started this blog thread on the gritty details of the writing process over on my Facebook Author page, @kbkathylbrown, but think I might be better served putting it over here. If you’re interest in following my writing process in an informal way, you’ll find a few posts on Facebook that might interest you. You can subscribe to the blog from the website landing page (scroll down).