#FEMINISMANANO-GAMEANTHOLOGYPELGRANEPRESS*STONESKINPRESS
#FeminismA Nano-Game Anthology
Looking at the world through a feminist lens reveals absurd, tragic, and fascinating situations.
Written by feminists from eleven different countries, #Feminism offers bite-sized takes on contemporary
feminist issues. Each of the 34 nano-games in this collection requires between three and five participants,
simple (if any) props, and up to an hour of play time.
The games range from silly to serious, including scenarios about selfies and rom-coms as well as
reproductive rights and domestic violence. And of course, enjoyment has no ideological boundaries—
there are games here for participants new to feminism as well as those experienced in making gender
arguments on the internet.
Publisher
Pelgrane Press
Editors
Misha Bushyager
Lizzie Stark
Anna Westerling
Assistant Editor and
Graphic Designer
Shuo Meng
Head Copyeditors
Sarah Lynne Bowman
Marshall Miller
Jason Morningstar
Copyeditors
Vicki Borah Bloom
Kristin Firth
Josh Jordan
Kirsten Hageleit
Shervyn von Hoerl
Eric Mersmann
Heather Silsbee
Emma Leigh Waldron
Jonathan Walton
Autumn Winters
Accounting
Anders Hultman
Crowdfunding Consultant
Cathriona Tobin
Sparring Partners
Tor Kjetil Edland
Anna Emilie Groth
Kat Jones
Dominika Kovacova
Jason Morningstar
Dev Purkayastha
Brand Robins
Grethe Strand
Susanne Vejdemo
Annika Waern
Sara Williamson
Members of the
#Feminism Collective
Muriel Algayres
Tora de Boer
Vicki Borah Bloom
Emily Care Boss
Sarah Lynne Bowman
Baptiste Cazes
Rowan Cota
Tor Kjetil Edland
Karin Edman
Julia B. Ellingboe
Ann K. Eriksen
Katrin Førde
Kristin Firth
Kajsa Greger
Anna Emilie Groth
Kirsten Hageleit
Elsa Helin
Shervyn von Hoerl
Anders Hultman
Kat Jones
Josh Jordan
Kaisa Kangas
Johanna Koljonen
Dominika Kovacova
Frida Karlsson Lindgren
Kira Magrann
Eric Mersmann
Marshall Miller
Jason Morningstar
Elin Nilsen
Dev Purkayastha
Brand Robins
Liz Rywelski
Siri Sandquist
Heather Silsbee
Laura Simpson
Sofia Stenler
Rachael Storey
Grethe Strand
Livia von Sucro
Agata Świstak
Leïla Teteau-Surel
Cathriona Tobin
Evan Torner
Moyra Turkington
Susanne Vejdemo
Annika Waern
Emma Leigh Waldron
Jonathan Walton
Eva Wei
Sara Williamson
Avonelle Wing
Autumn Winters
For Pelgrane Press
Alex Roberts
Wade Rockett
Simon Rogers
Cathriona Tobin
CONTRIBUTORS
WRITE YOUR OWN #FEMINISM 97
This collection and arrangement © Pelgrane Press Ltd 2017, and is published by arrangement with
Fëa Livia. Pelgrane Press is co-owned by Simon Rogers and Cathriona Tobin.
First edition published by Fea Livia, a nonprofit organization, specializing in roleplay and larp-related
books since 1993, and printed by Tallinna Raamatutrükikoja oü, 2016.
The copyright of each game is owned by its respective creator.
1
Letter from the Editors
WE ARE FEMINISTS BY NECESSITY. Despite our talents and skills, our culture
tells us—over and over again—to make ourselves small physically, emotionally, and intellectually,
to do extra work without complaint, to let others take the credit. We are feminists because
we do not accept that the price of occupying a space marked “woman” is self-effacement.
We are feminists because we believe that every human should have the opportunity to live up to
their fullest potential. In today’s world, that is simply not possible. Sexism oppresses everyone,
whether it’s the woman who does a second shift of housework at the end of her paying job,
the man whose parental love for a child is deemed suspect, or the trans and genderqueer people
whose identities are erased on census forms.
We are feminists who believe that the culture we consume can help us begin to undo the harms
of sexism. And yet, that is difficult when our culture and its consumption is steeped in it. In the
literary world, there is an old adage that books about men speak to “humanity” while books
about women are “for women.”
It’s true in the world of roleplaying games too. Scenarios about five men doing, well, nearly
anything, get labeled as “great games,” while scenarios that focus on women’s experiences are
“for women.” We want to expand the designation of “great games” to include works that speak
to our own lived experience. Feminism belongs in analog game design because women are
human too. We produced this collection to highlight feminist voices and to create space for
explicitly feminist design.
Our designers had juicy ground to draw from. Game-wise, what could be better source material
than a world that pushes people into unequal power relationships, regardless of their skills and
interests? This collection highlights different aspects of that power dynamic, from situational
comedy to high tragedy.
Our feminism is an inclusive and plural feminism. We welcomed participants of all genders and
game design experience, and accepted all the games they produced. We asked each designer to
write a game about an aspect of feminism that is important to them right now. Rather than culling
the collection to fit our own ideology, we tried to help each author realize their own vision. With
nearly three dozen designers, these games represent many different feminisms, reflective of their
individual authors.
As legendary feminist bell hooks once wrote, “Feminism is for everybody.” We wanted to make
these games accessible to players of all genders and ideologies. The barrier to entry is low. Our
games require few participants, little in the way of prep or props, and last an hour or less. They
cover a wide range of topics and moods, so you’ll find funnier scenarios about the word “vulvas,”
dramas about women in the workplace, and heavier scenarios about rape and domestic violence.
We hope these games will help generate discussion in your community and inspire you to make
your own feminist works.
Anna, Misha, and Lizzie
2
1 2
Page 10
First Date by Katrin Førde
A game about a date gone wrong and
a rant about the orgasm gap.
2–5
Page 11
Flirt by Agata S´wistak
Flirt is an attempt to deconstruct
the game almost everyone is
playing—game of hook-ups,
crushes, and scoring!
4–5
Page 12
Spin the Goddesses by Karin Edman
A kissing game of lesbian witches.
4–5
Page 14
Willful Disregard by Anna Westerling
A love story.
3
Page 6
How To Play #Feminism Scenarios
Page 18
Manic Pixie Dream Girl Commandos
by Lizzie Stark
A military unit undertakes its last
whimsical mission before retiring to
civilian life.
3–5
Page 20
6016 by Elin Nilsen
In 6016 the only historical source of
the 21st century is a collection of clips
from the soap opera Love, Lust and
Lack of Trust.
3–6
Page 22
Tropes vs. Women by Ann Eriksen
Explore well-known movie clichés and
tropes about women in a fun and not
too serious way.
3–5
Page 23
Lipstick by Kaisa Kangas
Sofia hesitates about whether to wear
lipstick to a TV debate on feminism.
3
Page 24
You’ve Come a Long Way, Baby
by Julia Ellingboe
A game about gender, cultural,
and ethnic representation in
the movies.
5–6
Romance
Women and
the MediaIntro
3
43 5
Page 28
Restrictions by Frida Karlsson
Lindgren and Sofia Stenler
A non-verbal game on how we are and
aren’t allowed to move together, as
two genders.
3+
Page 30
Mentioning the Unmentionables
by Kajsa Greger
Three games about the anatomy
of women.
3–5
Page 32
#Flesh by Frederik Berg, Rebecka
Eriksson, and Tobias Wrigstad
A physical game about the
objectification of women or how
women’s bodies are butchered
into parts.
3–12
Page 36
Selfie by Kira Magrann
An intimate game about feelings
in images.
3–5
Page 38
So Mom I Made This Sex Tape
by Susanne Vejdemo
Different generations of feminists
argue it out about sex, porn, and what
the main point of feminism really is.
3–5
Page 40
My Sister, Malala by Elsa Helin
A game about freedom of thoughts
and ideas for girls in Pakistan.
3
Page 44
A Friend in Need by Muriel Algayres
A nano-game about street harassment,
victim-blaming and friendship. After a
bad encounter on the street, can Ella
get over victim-blaming with the help
of her friends?
4
Page 46
Driving to Reunion by Laura Simpson
An intergenerational game about four
Black women trying to understand
each other, as they drive back for
college reunion.
4
Page 48
Catcalling by Tora de Boer
Street harassment feels different
depending on whether bystanders
support the harasser or the victim.
4
Body The Digital Age On the Move
4
76 8
Page 66
Glitzy Nails by Kat Jones
Glitzy Nails is a freeform scenario
about intersectional feminism,
interactions between women,
and nail salons.
2+
Page 68
Stripped by Dominika Kovacova
A game about stripping off
the stigma.
3–5
Page 70
President by Kaisa Kangas
The war-waging Akhaian empire has
elected its first female president, a very
successful lady general, and feminists
with conflicting agendas are trying to
draft a press statement together.
4
Page 71
Curtain Call by Sarah Bowman
A larp about the experiences of a
woman in the music industry over the
course of four decades.
3–10
Page 76
The Grey Zone by Siri Sandquist
A larp about the grey zone
between rape and consensual sex
in a relationship.
5
Page 78
Family Planning Clinic by Baptiste
Cazes and Leïla Teteau-Surel with
Laura Guedes
A game about women’s health where
players will play short scenes from the
daily life of a French family planning
clinic inspired by real stories.
3–4
Page 81
First Joyful Mystery by Cathriona Tobin
Players examine the impact Ireland’s
prohibitive abortion laws have on
people who find themselves pregnant.
3–5
Page 52
How to Be Ava White by Eva Wei
At a board meeting, parts of Ava
White’s personality decide how to
make her the perfect woman.
3+
Page 54
Shoutdown to Launch
by Jason Morningstar
In this game about gendered
interruption, a bunch of engineers
need to fix a problem with a rocket
engine in the dwindling time before
launch. It won’t go well.
4+
Page 60
“Something to Drink with That, Sir?”
by Evan Torner
A woman flight attendant performs
emotional labor to serve three
different male passengers.
4
Page 61
“Ma, Can I Help You with That?”
by Emily Care Boss
A game about family, age and the
gendered nature of care-giving.
4
At Work
Difficult
Decisions
Playing Well
With Others
5
9
Page 86
Girl: A Game for Boys
by Livia von Sucro
A small exercise about empathy,
designed for cis gendered men to take
a glimpse of what it feels like to be a
victim of violence against women.
3+
Page 88
Her Last Tweet by Rowan Cota
A microgame exploring being
a potential victim of a campus
shooting event.
5
Page 90
Tour of Duty by Moyra Turkington
A freeform nano-scenario about
what it’s like to serve and defend as
a woman in the US Military.
2–5
Violent
Encounters
Page 93
How To Make #Feminism
Page 94
Thank Yous
Page 96
Write Your Own #Feminism
Conclusion
6
#Feminism Scenarios
Welcome
Whether you’re experienced with roleplaying games, or
completely new to them, we’re glad you’re here. In this
book, you’ll find 34 feminist nano games. We define a
nano game as one that lasts less than an hour and can
be described concisely. Most games in this book are for
three to five people and run without a facilitator, though
a few can handle more players and encourage or even
require a facilitator. All of them can be played within
an hour. They are also very different, as they are written
by people from eleven different countries and player
cultures. Some you might like and others you might not—
that’s totally okay.
We have some tips on how to enjoy our games below.
The first section explains how games are grouped within
the book and the default safety rules you should use
with every game. The second section is aimed at new
roleplayers and explains some of the basics about
what roleplaying is and how to create a supportive
play atmosphere.
About This Book
How to Use This Book
Each chapter of this book contains a handful of games
organized around a common theme. Roughly speaking,
the chapters of this book are arranged in order of
emotional intensity from lightest to heaviest. This is
not an absolute, though! The early chapters do include
some games that may touch on sensitive personal issues,
depending on your particular group of players.
The Table of Contents is designed to help you find a
suitable game quickly. It contains short information for
each game, including play time, intensity, number of
players, and so on. You’ll find similar information in the
margins of each game.
Our Symbol System
• The clock: indicates roughly how long this game
takes, from setup to debrief
• Teardrops: indicate anticipated emotional intensity,
from one teardrop (less intense) to five teardrops
(more intense). This is just an estimate, though—
different groups will find different games more or
less affecting.
Selecting a Game
Gather together a group of three to five players (or even
more). It’s a good idea to have one person who has paged
through the collection and has a few ideas of what this
group might want to play or what they can play given
the available props and people. This person should
suggest titles to the group or ask the group whether they
are interested in this or that topic or intensity to get a
good idea. Come to some consensus about what you
want to play and for how long, then dig in.
Not all games are for all people. Some people adore silly
roleplay; others want a deep emotional experience. There
is no wrong way to play, and there is plenty of variety in
this collection. In addition to simple preference, people
have personal reasons why they might not want to play a
game about a particular theme, and they might not want
to explain that to the group.
Use the keywords in the margins of each game to help
decide what to play—they should make the content of
each game transparent. We recommend that you mention
them to the group before you commit to playing a game,
so that players can opt in and out at will. Always take no
for an answer.
Be excellent to each other, and remember, the players are
more important than the game.
Player Safety
Following the above instructions—being clear about
game content and letting people freely opt in and
out—will go a long way toward making a safer game
environment. Still, because roleplaying games are
improvised, you never know quite what turn they will
take. That uncertainty is part of the thrill and excitement
of roleplaying. It also means that we can’t always
anticipate how a game will affect us. “Light” games can
hit some people super-hard, while “heavier” games leave
them untouched and vice versa.
Because we can’t predict how people will react, or what
their sensitive areas might be we employ cut words.
If something goes—physically or emotionally—awry for
you, it’s okay to stop the game by saying “cut” or “stop
the game.” If you think another player is in real physical
or emotional distress, you also have the responsibility to
stop the game and make sure they are okay.
HOW TO PLAY
7HOW TO PLAY #FEMINISM SCENARIOS
When someone calls for a cut, all play around them stops,
and the other players should make them comfortable.
Whoever called for the cut is welcome to talk about why
they did so, but sometimes the reasons people cut are
very personal, so don’t force them to talk if they don’t
want to.
You should describe this blanket rule to the group before
beginning to play.
After play, we encourage you to discuss your experiences
with your co-players as part of a debrief. You can
read more about debriefs and how to run them in the
next section.
About Roleplaying
What Is Roleplaying?
Roleplaying is pretend play in which you behave as if
you are someone else. Maybe you’re pretending to be a
musician or a movie character; maybe you’re pretending
to be the cartoon angel or devil on another character’s
shoulder, or any other role you could possibly imagine.
Who and what you portray varies widely from game
to game. It’s a little bit like improvising a play, novel,
or film together with your friends. In roleplaying,
though, there is no audience—the measure of
the scenario is whether you have had a good or
thought-provoking experience.
Each scenario in this collection has instructions about
how to play and what you should do. We’ve tried our
best to make them clear, but the world is big, our authors
come from many different play traditions, and so
will our players. If you end up confused, use common
sense to glue the scenario together and keep your
group playing.
Group Dynamics and Facilitators
In a good gaming group, everyone has the opportunity
to be included. As you play, remember to give your coplayers
good scene opportunities. Don’t be a scene hog.
In keeping with the rules of improvisational theater, try
to say “yes and” to the plots and issues your co-players
introduce in a scene—build off of what they say instead
of contradicting it. This keeps the drama going, and can
take the group to new, fun, and unexpected places.
This collection offers games with two configurations:
Games with a Facilitator
A facilitator or “game master” is the person who reads
a scenario in advance, gathers the players and the
needed props, and leads the players through the scenario.
Sometimes they also start scenes with a short description
(“Aatish and Judith are in the breakfast nook after a long
night stealing cars…”) and end them by saying “cut.”
Only a few games in this book call for facilitators.
Games without a Facilitator
A game that runs without a facilitator is often called a
“GM-less,” or “Game Master-less” scenario. Usually,
this means that the jobs a facilitator normally does are
spread across all of the players, who take group
responsibility for the scenario. Most of the games in this
book are GM-less.
If you’ve selected a game without a facilitator, one or
more players will need to read the game. You can do this
silently, letting each person skim the instructions, or by
reading the instructions aloud. If you’re reading aloud,
it’s considered friendly to share the responsibility—read
a paragraph and pass the text until you’ve listened to all
the prep.
A few games have surprises that the players should not
know about beforehand. You can decide whether to let
the surprises be surprises, or whether one person should
read the instructions so they know what’s coming.
Preparing to Play
Gather your participants together in a suitable space.
Although a few games in this book can be played in
public, most of them will do best in a room with a door
and perhaps a few chairs. If necessary, set up the space
according to any instructions in your chosen game.
Sometimes, groups like to gather their focus with a short
warmup. This could include some group motion (shaking
out the body), group singing, or the hokey pokey (both),
or any other suitable warmup that you know.
Enjoy Yourself…
Playing a #Feminism scenario is like enjoying a (feminist)
cultural experience in any other media, e.g. a book,
movie or theatrical production. It can be hilarious,
dramatic, or take you on an emotional journey through
storytelling. You might laugh, cry, or end up thinking
deep thoughts. Whatever your reaction, enjoy yourself—
tell these stories with as much flair as you can. The
moment you enter the room to play the scenario it
belongs to you. Play it as you’d like to and get as much
as you can out of it.
...But Take the Game Seriously
Some of these games handle difficult issues like gendered
violence, rape, and abusive relationships. Give the issues
the respect they deserve and don’t shy away from difficult
subjects. Don’t just giggle, but dive into the subjects and
embrace them.
Debrief
After the game or session your group might want to talk
about how they are feeling, any problems that might
have arisen during game, and any thoughts it sparked.
We strongly encourage this. It’s a great time to start
processing your feelings about the game experience with
your co-players. In general, the more intense the game,
the more essential it is to debrief.
The best debriefs...
...are not too long: let people who need to leave go.
Those who want to continue the conversation can.
...are communal: everyone has the space and opportunity
to participate, whether they exercise it or not.
....end on a high note: even a difficult scenario has
positive elements to reflect on. We recommend doing this
last so that players leave play focusing on the best parts.
ROMANCE
10
About the Designer
Katrin Førde (Norway) has been larping since 2001, and has been organizing and designing games since 2012. She hates tents,
likes wine, and loves Oslo.
Background
Read this section aloud to the group.
“Unfortunately, unequal pay isn’t the only
reward discrepancy between men and women
in our society. There exists an additional gap
between heterosexual men and women: the
‘orgasm gap.’ Women are earning less cash
and fewer orgasms.”
—Natalie Brie for bitchtopia.com
Women experience fewer orgasms than men do
during heterosexual sex.
In one study, “The Incidental Orgasm” by
Lisa D. Wade, Emily C. Kremer, and Jessica
Browne, which examined about 800 college
students, a 52 percent orgasm gap was found.
This study didn’t ask about the context of the
sex. However, another study, “Accounting
for Women’s Orgasm and Sexual Enjoyment
in College Hookups and Relationships” by
Elizabeth A. Armstrong, Paula England, and
Alison C. K. Fogarty, found that in 15,000
college students, the orgasm gap is larger in
hookup sex than in relationship sex. Even in
college student committed relationships, there
is still a 17 percent orgasm gap. Strikingly
similar statistics were found in a survey called
“Variation in Orgasm Occurrence by Sexual
Orientation in a Sample of U.S. Singles” by J.R.
Garcia, E.A. Lloyd, K. Wallen, and H.E. Fisher,
which measured about 3,000 single women and
men in the U.S. ranging from 18 to 65 years old.
When having sex with a familiar partner, women
said they have an orgasm 63 percent of the time;
men said 85 percent of the time.
Lesbian vs. Straight Sex: There is an orgasm
gap between women who identify as lesbian
versus straight according to Psychology Today.
Lesbian women have significantly more orgasms
than straight women. (For men, the orgasm rate
doesn’t vary with sexual orientation).
Setup
This is your first date with ______. Everything
was going just great until, for some reason, you
started talking about “the orgasm gap.” Now
you’re just listening to this idiot telling you why
they think it’s natural/okay that women get less
out of heterosexual sex.
Together, you will all play out the first date of
a new couple. You will each get to play both
members of the couple—let’s call them the
Ranter and the Listener—during this game.
The Ranter will spend all their time ranting
about why the orgasm gap for women during
heterosexual sex is normal and natural. The
Listener will not respond with words to the
Ranter’s rant, but may respond with semi-subtle
body language. The Listener does not have to
wait for the Ranter to finish the rant, but may
leave at any point.
Two players will play at a time; any additional
players will observe the scene.
The couple can be made up of two people of any
gender identity and sexuality; it does not need
to be a straight couple.
Play
Begin by deciding, as a group, what sort of firstdate
couple you will be playing. Do not feel that
the Ranter and the Listener must be a straight
couple or must be coupled up as “boy and girl.”
Seat the players portraying the couple at a table.
The first Ranter begins in the middle of their
rant about why the orgasm gap is not a problem
or a real issue. The Listener will leave the table
when they feel the Ranter has crossed a line, or
become too stupid to listen to.
The person playing the Ranter remains on stage,
but now becomes the Listener. A new Ranter
steps into the scene.
This will continue until everyone has played
both Ranter and Listener.
Debrief
Each player will sum up their experience in two
sentences: one from the experience of being the
Listener and one from the experience of being
the Ranter.
2–5
Players
30
Minutes
Intensity
Supplies:
Two chairs and
one table.
Keywords:
Orgasms, dating,
arguments.
by Katrin Førde
First Date
ROMANCE 11
About the Designer
Agata S´wistak (Poland) is one of the founders of the Polish NGO Liveform. She has organized roleplaying projects for her
local community since 2011, and for the global community since 2014, when she became head of scenography and logistics at
College of Wizardry. She spends her free time having short affairs with game design.
by Agata Świstak
Background
During this game, participants will explore
the subject of flirting and how it is affected
by one’s identity. Play light-heartedly; discuss
enthusiastically later.
Setup
This game has five roles: The Girl, The Flirt,
The Girl’s Secret Friend, and The Flirt’s Friend.
Write the name of each role on a separate piece
of paper. If you are playing with five people, The
Flirt should have two friends.
Let each player draw one role randomly. Keep
them secret for the moment!
• The Girl’s aim is to find out who is flirting
with her.
• The Flirt’s goal is to flirt with the girl and
not get discovered during the game. The
Flirt may be of any gender expression, but is
attracted to Girl.
• The Girl’s Secret Friend’s goal is to help
The Girl achieve her goal.
• The Flirt’s Friend’s goal is to help The Flirt
achieve their goal.
When everyone has a role, sit in a circle.
To reveal everyone’s potential allies, read
through these sentences in advance—one of
you will need to remember them well enough to
speak them with your eyes closed:
• Girl, raise your hand. Everybody, close
your eyes.
• Flirt and Friends of the Flirt, open your eyes.
• Flirt, make a “thumbs up” sign.
• Everyone close your eyes.
• Everyone open your eyes.
In this quick way, everybody will know the
identity of their allies.
Once allies have been established, decide on
some character qualities. As a group, brainstorm
a short list of:
• Genders or gender expressions (for example,
butch, femme, genderqueer etc.)
• Sexual or relationship orientations (straight,
gay, pansexual, poly, monogamous, etc.)
• Governing moods—dominant emotions
describing the character (anxious, always
smiling, pessimist, sad, control freak).
Write these down in three different piles of paper.
Let each player draw a couple genders or gender
expressions, sexual or relationship orientations,
and governing moods from the pile. They can
use one or more of these to develop a sense of
their character. Let the players think for a few
minutes about what comes out of this mixture.
Play
Participants set the scene together. Characters
might just as well sit around the table in the
classroom and talk to each other, but you can
also play while travelling, shopping, partying—
or playing other games! You’ll play for
30 minutes or longer, if you like. Decide how
long you’d like to play for and set a timer.
The game ends when The Girl decides to guess
who The Flirt is. If she’s right—she wins! If
she’s not, she loses. The Flirt wins if they go
undiscovered through the entire game.
Debrief
Discussion is an important part of this game.
I would like this scenario to serve as a case
study and start a dialogue about everything
surrounding flirting—how people hit on girls
and women, how girls and women respond to
flirting, whether it’s wanted or not, assertiveness,
how it’s perceived by bystanders, and how
people react to different expressions of your
own self and sexuality. It is especially important
to discuss what, if anything, players find
disrespectful. Give players the alibi to start a
conversation about all the themes included
in game!
4 –5
Players
60
Minutes
Intensity
Supplies:
A timer, pens, and a
few sheets of paper.
Keywords:
Flirtation, identity,
friendship, secrecy,
queer identity, how
people hit on girls.
Flirt
1212
Background
This is a lesbian “Spin the Bottle” larp inspired
by witches. This is due to the parallels I have
seen between two kinds of secret societies of
women, hidden away from the world during
most of human history. It will be a lesbian
kissing game.
Decide before you play if you will do actual
kissing or instead use thumb kissing. To thumbkiss
another person, reach out and cup their face
in your hand, placing your thumb lightly over
their lips. When you lean in to kiss them, your
thumb should be between your lips and theirs.
Note: If you are not a lesbian, have an open
mind and try to have and experience gentle and
sexual tension with other women. If you are
a lesbian, I would love for you to encourage
any non-lesbian players to explore this side of
themselves. This is a nice and soft game about
kissing and magic; it is not designed to be about
bullying or about women who are mean to
each other.
Setup
The setting is an all-women coven of witches.
After spending some time apart, they have
secured a weekend at a lodge deep in the forest.
They have driven there to rekindle their deep
connection to each other with a ritual taken
from an inherited Book of Shadows called
A Book of Love and Dedication. The spell is
so-called “light magic.” They will do the spell
the first thing after arriving.
The witches are:
• Ava: Mistress of Ceremonies. She is used to
reading instructions and explaining them.
• Rebekkah: The shy one who inherited the
Book of Love. The rest of the coven
adores her.
• Lise: An active LGBT educator in youth
centers. She became pagan in Women’s
Studies. Always encourages others to look at
gender as more fluid.
• Maryam: Has deep roots in the Abrahamic
mystic traditions. Out of her close family, she
has only come out as lesbian to her mother.
• Karina: New to the group, but enthusiastic
and a quick learner. She is trying to figure
out how the others’ ethics will work for her.
A bit bi-curious.
After choosing your characters, the following
instructions will be read in game by Ava, with a
bit of help from Rebbekah. This is a ritual that
they have never done before.
Play
Ritual: Spinning the Preference.
For covens who love womyn. To be performed
after spending time apart, spiritually or
physically. A quick and easy realignment spell
of attraction.
For the ritual, five goddesses/aspects/characters
will be invoked. Don’t forget which goddess
you are currently channeling—write down
their names on five pieces of paper, or choose
a small object from your surroundings or from
your bag that you feel represents the essence of
the Goddess. A set of three keys is perfect for
“Threefold” aspect of The Morrígan.
Give one object or note representing each
goddess to each woman in the group. Sappho
always spins the bottle. Once she has kissed
the witch indicated, everyone passes their note/
object to the witch to the left. The goddess you
channeled will leave your body and take up
residence in the witch to whom you passed the
note or object. The channeled being moves with
the note/object.
Start the ritual and open the circle by blessing
the bottle and the objects you choose. Have
the bottle in the middle and hold one object/
note each over it. Chant the following together:
Hekate, Artemis, The Morrigan!
Freya Venus Sappho!
Spin this to my preference.
Spin my preference.
When all of you have channeled Sappho, which
means that Sappho’s object/note has passed full
circle, it is time to end the ritual. You conclude
the ritual and dispel the goddesses with a
communal chant.
Human - passion - threefold - judge - earth
Ava - Rebekkah - Lise - Maryam - Karina
We have come closer. Dug deeper.
We thank Hekate, Artemis, The Morrígan!
We thank Freya, Venus, Gaia and Sappho.
4 –5
Players
A player group that
self-identifies or is
gendered by society
as women
is recommended.
30
Minutes
Intensity
Supplies:
A bottle or other
spinnable object
with one end
assigned as the tip,
paper and pencils
or five representative
objects.
Keywords:
Kissing, lesbians,
paganism.
by Karin Edman
Spin the Goddesses
ROMANCE 13
About the Designer
Karin Edman is the barbarian queen of Swedish larp feminism, driving her enemies before her, ignoring their lamentations and
beckoning in a new era of female and non-binary run systems. She is also well-known for the torture workshop that she runs
to make larpers better at giving each other a more physical experience.
TOWARDS COVEN TOWARDS YOU
Sappho—human You lead the ritual and spin the bottle with this
chant: “Fortune spin this to my preference.
Spin the preference.”
You then kiss the woman indicated.
Freya/Venus/Aphrodite—passion Physical Passion! If you get kissed, draw the
other woman close to you, entangle her and
encourage her with words.
The Morrígan—threefold If kissed, choose one of the below:
• Maiden = Shy, inexperienced, learning about
kissing from the other.
• Mother = (A mother, not your mother).
An equal to the one kissing her. Knows her
way and her desires.
• Crone = Takes the initiative and guides
the kissing.
Gaia—earth You radiate unconditional love. If you get
indicated by the bottle and get kissed, then you
then kiss all the others.
Hekate—judge You are emotionless and cold. To kiss you
is to kiss ice. If the bottle stops between two
channeling witches, you decide who Sappho
will kiss.
They have driven
there to rekindle their
deep connection to
each other with a ritual...
1414
Background
A love story in five scenes, from their first
meeting to their break up.
Characters
• She: You will fall head over heels for him and
do anything for love.
• He: You kind of like her. She kind of turns
you on so you could surely fuck her.
The Game Master
You will set scenes from the script below.
Immediately before each scene, tell the players
how it begins, ends, and what happens in it. Cut
the scene by saying “cut,” at a suitable point.
Then, do the monologues and give instructions
for the next scene. Make the player feel the
characters’ different expectations of love, poor
communication and self sacrifice.
Monologues
Except for the final one, each scene ends in
off-screen sex. After each scene, both characters
should hold a monologue about how the
sex was and what they feel now. She should
always begin, and He should follow and be
considerably briefer than she is; just a word or
a sentence.
Meeting Friends
When it fits, you can introduce one or more
friend scenes. You always play friend scenes in
pairs, with one scene focusing on each character.
The game master and non-central player
portray two friends. Her friends help her
analyze what he wants and what he is doing.
His friends discuss his interests, work, life.
Play her scene first.
Setup
1. Introduce the scenario and characters. All is
transparent; tell them everything.
2. Explain how monologues, sex, and friend
scenes work.
3. This is about unrequited love. Ask the
players to share a personal story of it, either
as the object or giver.
4. Cast them and read them the characters
descriptions.
5. Questions?
Play
Intro
Introduce the first scene. Then help players focus.
Ask them to close their eyes. The he-character
should repeat: “I’m awesome.” She should
repeat: “He is awesome.” When the players open
their eyes, begin the first scene.
Meeting
They both do couples dancing socially and meet
at a dance. She is so turned on and mesmerized
by him. The scene ends when he asks her if they
should go to his place for sex and she says yes,
and leaves with him. Then cut the scene.
Monologues
First Date
She wrote him and asked to meet again and to
for him plan their first date. He has told her to
wear a black dress and pearls. She is excited,
and expects the full romantic package. He has
prepared by buying her sexy gifts, for example,
a whip, a vibrator with a remote to put in her
panties now, and finding a willing woman for
a threesome. Before the scene begins, ask the
player of He to write down at least three such
gifts on pieces of paper to give her during the
scene. They should be increasingly sexual.
He picks her up and takes her to a sushirestaurant
where they sit on the floor. Her dress
is too short and her heels are too high. As they
talk, he will give her the three gifts, one by
one. The gifts will continue until she breaks
down and cries. She wants to please him, but
this is not what she wants. She doesn’t need
to receive all three gifts, just as many as it takes
to break down. Afterwards they will go home
and have sex. Begin the scene when they enter
the restaurant, end it when they leave.
Monologues
Lying for Love
They have been seeing each other for a while.
He’s been clear that he is only interested in sex,
and has several partners. She has fallen in love.
Maybe. At least, she feels she needs his touch
to feel alive. If she confesses this to herself, or
to him, she believes he will leave her. She is fine
with sharing him with others, but for her, there
is only him.
3
Players
Including a
facilitator.
60
Minutes
Intensity
Keywords:
Love, sex,
relationships.
by AnnaWesterling
Willful Disregard
ROMANCE 15
About the Designer
Anna Westerling (Sweden) is a game designer and producer. She organizes the Stockholm Scenario Festival, and has produced
the book Nordic Larp book and the Nordic larp-conference Knutpunkt. She is a member of the Jeep collective. Her previous
games include Robin’s Friends, Summer Lovin’, Growing up and A Nice Evening with the Family.
She has fallen in love.
Maybe. At least,
she feels she needs his
touch to feel alive.
Because she yearns for him, she has decided
to go to a nightclub close to his place and
“spontaneously” send him a text asking if she
can sleep there. Maybe she can “miss” her last
bus home.
Put the players back to back on chairs and have
them play out the evening’s texts. She will text
first, he answers, etc. Cut when he lets her come
over. When she arrives they will have sex.
Monologues
Doubt
She is at his place, in his bed and it feels so good.
He brings her breakfast in bed, and almost
feeds her. He hands her favorite cup, filled with
the tea she always drinks. He is quite cute
after all; maybe he really does likes her, but
hasn’t realized?
Begin with her in bed and cut it before they
have sex.
Monologues
Break Up
He has agreed to come to her place for the first
time. This makes her feel safer, like this could
work, no matter what they call it. She decides
to ask him about a few things.
Before the scene begins she should write at least
three concrete questions about their relationship
on a piece of paper. For example:
When he sleeps, he usually has his back turned
to her. What does he mean by that?
Why doesn’t he answer her texts or
communicate in between meetings? She gets
so insecure. What does the silence mean?
What is this? It is just sex, and she wouldn’t
dare to either demand or hope anything else,
but could they set some ground rules? The
uncertainty makes her insecure.
They are at her kitchen table on two chairs
across for each other. She has made him dinner.
As they talk, she will begin to ask her questions.
Continue until he dumps her and leaves. No
sex after this scene, but they should monologue
about how they feel now.
Monologues
End
Debrief
One at the time, you all answer how you are
feeling now. Then answer, “Is there anything
you want to bring with you from the game?”
Continue the discussion freely.
WOMEN AND
THE MEDIA
18
3–5
Players
45
Minutes
Intensity
Supplies:
Paper and pens,
a timer, and a
convention or
other public
place to play.
Keywords:
Public, strangers,
teamwork, silliness.
Manic Pixie Dream
Girl Commandos
by Lizzie Stark
Background
What is a Manic Pixie Dream Girl?
The Manic Pixie Dream Girl (MPDG) is a stock
character in films. Nathan Rabin, the critic
who invented the term, defined her as, basically,
“the free-spirited life-lover who cheers up a
male sad-sack.” In other words, she’s zany,
she’s quirky, and she mostly exists to give male
protagonists an epiphany, but has few desires
of her own.
Think Natalie Portman in Garden State, Kate
Winslet in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind,
and Zooey Deschanel in 500 Days of Summer.
Plot
Your character wanted to work in a STEM
(science, technology, engineering, math/medicine)
profession, but couldn’t afford to go to grad
school in her chosen field. Since the US military
pays for education, she decided to join up,
where her superiors assigned her to the MPDG
Commando Squad. During this game, you’ll
play out the squad’s last mission. Succeed and
they will complete their tour of duty, returning
to civilian life and free grad school. And if
they fail? Oh girl. This squad doesn’t believe
in failure!
Setup
Create Characters
Everyone will need a small piece of paper and a
pen to create their characters.
For each of the following categories, choose a
detail to describe your character—either pick
one of the examples, or make up your own.
• Your Dream Job. Choose a STEM (science,
technology, engineering, math/medicine)
profession that your character aspires to.
• Your Hair. Faux hawk, twee bangs, pixie,
different shaved patches, many colors, etc.
• Your Accessories. Cat-eye glasses, tattoos,
punk pins, lots of bracelets, etc.
• Your Physicality. Feisty, gawky, clumsy,
lady-like, emo, etc.
• Your Adorable Instrument played.
Harmonica, kazoo, ukulele, spoons, mouth
harp, etc.
• Your Catch Phrase.
• Your Civilian Name.
• Your Commando Code Name.
Introductions
Do a round of in-character introductions.
Meanwhile, anyone have cosmetics in their bag?
You may want to pretty-up.
Choose a Commander
Close your eyes and use your finger to point
at the MPDG you think should be the squad
commander. Open your eyes. The pixie with the
most fingers pointing at her is the Commander.
In case of a tie, whoever touches their nose and
says “beep, boop” first becomes Commander.
WOMEN AND THE MEDIA 19
About the Designer
Lizzie Stark (US) is the author of two nonfiction books, Leaving Mundania, about larp, and Pandora’s DNA, about the history
and science of hereditary breast cancer. She has also written a monograph, Pocket Guide to American Freeform, and several
freeform games. Previously, she co-edited the larpscript collection Larps from the Factory. She has been a feminist ever since
ordering blue frosting on her pre-school birthday cake.
Play
Your mission is to inspire people in the world
outside this room. The mission always lasts
exactly 20 minutes and involves performing
tasks of your choice from the Task List.
Review Mission Rules
One task, and only one task, at a time.
“Yeah, girl” = “yes, sir.” Use it often.
Call and response: At the end of each task, the
Commander says, “Manic Pixies, let’s ride.”
The squad responds, “Yeah, girl!”
Treat strangers gently. Ask first and take no for
an answer.
Plan the Mission
Using a timer, spend no more than 2 minutes
assessing the task list and discussing your plan.
Execute the Mission
Start the 20-minute timer when you arrive in
an appropriate public space. Success or failure,
when the mission is over, retreat to a safe place
and spend a few minutes debriefing.
Task List
• 1 point: Take and tweet an adorable
group selfie. Include the hashtag
#MPDGCommandos
• 1 point: As a group, the squad compliments a
stranger for at least 60 seconds
• 2 points: Sing at least one verse/chorus of an
Abba, Madonna, etc. song with at least one
stranger. +1 point for each additional person
who joins in.
• 2 points: Organize a line dance or group
dance such as The Macarena with at least
one stranger. +1 point for each additional
person who participates
• 3 points: Get lipstick prints from strangers
on each commando’s cheeks
• 3 points: Form a group statue and ask a
stranger to draw you in 3 minutes or less.
Compliment their vision.
• 4 points: Improvise a short, silent ballet with
at least two strangers.
• 10 points: Get a stranger to fall deeply in
love with one or more of your mysterious
selves. Then, vanish.
Bonus
• +1 point per task per stranger: Get a stranger
to follow your group and participate in the
mission.
Results
• 1–7 points: Yeah, girl. You did...something.
Half of you return to civilian life
• 7–12 points: Go, squad, go! You inspired
some people. Mission success. Now you get
to do science!
• 12–15 points: Get it, girls! You wielded your
quirks like weapons, creating tectonic shifts
in the fabric of gender.
• 16+ points: Behold, the ultimate MPDG
Commandos! Let the world gaze upon you
and tremble.
...the free-spirited
life-lover who cheers
up a male sad-sack.
20
Background
In our contemporary Western world, one
medium especially sticks out as preserving
stereotypical gender perception: the soap opera.
In the perfectly gender-equal, oppression-free
world of 6016, a group of history students are
doing a project about social structures and
gender for class. The only historical source
from the 21st century is a collection of clips
from the soap opera Love, Lust, and Lack of
Trust from 2016. In this game, you will play the
students mentioned during the off-screen scenes.
However, you will also play the characters in
the soap opera they are watching during the
on-screen scenes.
Playstyle:
1) Off-screen: Realistic or comic/realistic
2) On-screen: Soap opera parody. More is
more and revelations are common.
Use your prejudice.
Setup
Divide the room into two zones: off-screen and
on-screen.
1: (5 minutes max) First, choose one sentence
each that describes what makes the world
of the off-screen characters utopian. These
sentences make up your setting, but the
characters are not totally oblivious to the
concept of gender. Then, choose one trait
each that dictates an attitude towards the
video clips: optimistic, critical, curious, etc.
These are your off-screen characters.
2: Place the list of clip descriptions in the
off-screen part of the room.
Play
Start with a short scene where the students
prepare to watch the series. When someone
reads out the title of a clip that they’ve chosen
from the list—sequence doesn’t matter—the first
on-screen scene starts, with a few players taking
their place in the on-screen part of the room.
Avoid practical talk if possible; improvise and
get going. One or more players should stay
off-screen, but in-character during each onscreen
scene.
The off-screen players may pause the clip by
saying “pause” to briefly comment or discuss
what they see. This can be used to influence the
scene, “What if Bob’s sister knows the secret?”
but taking direction is optional. Keep pauses
short and sweet. Off-screen players can also
rewind to watch a scene over or fast forward
to help the on-screen players along. They will
eventually stop the scene, ending it.
Play will alternate between 2 to 5 minute
scenes from the soap opera, and scenes where
the students discuss what they see. Players can
alternate between off- and on-screen play as
they see fit during onscreen scenes—e.g., to
introduce new characters—as long as someone
is in the off-screen zone, commanding the
projector. Play as many scenes as you feel like/
have time for playing. End with an off-screen
scene where the students conclude upon their
findings. Then, play a short scene where the
students present their findings in class. Play
should last ten to 40 minutes.
by Elin Nilsen
6016
3– 6
Players
45
Minutes
Intensity
Keywords:
Soap operas,
history students,
stereotypes.
WOMEN AND THE MEDIA 21
About the Designer
Elin Nilsen (Norway) is a co-editor of the larpscript collection Larps from the Factory. She started the Trondheim branch of
The Larp Factory network, which ran one stand-alone larp a month for several years. She has been involved in making larps
and freeform games both for a Norwegian and an international audience, among these Screwing the Crew (2010) and KoiKoi
(2014). In addition she has written articles on larp for different publications, and been part of organizing several of the Nordic
Knutepunkt conventions.
Clips
• Prom Night: Boy rings doorbell to pick up
the girl for prom. Characters: Boy, girl,
mom, dad.
• The Testament: A woman is ready to
inherit the family business. An unknown
half-brother shows up.
• The Maternity Ward: Two soon-to-be fathers
meet in the waiting room.
• The Player: A man promises his mistress that
he will leave his wife.
• The Career Woman: An uncompromising
business woman bosses people around in a
business meeting.
• The Divorce Papers: A divorcing couple
discuss the terms of the divorce.
• Girls’ Night Out: Glamorous housewives
competitively brag about their successful
men.
• Guys’ Night Out: Men talk about how
great it is to get a break from the wife,
commenting on the looks of other
women around.
• The Secret: A teenager tells parents that
s/he is either pregnant, gay, or choosing an
unconventional profession.
Tips, Tricks and Hacks
Feel free to...
• Make up your own clips.
• Copy the clip titles onto small notes to draw
randomly during play.
• If someone rewinds a clip, the characters
in the scene don’t have to be played by the
same players as the first time.
Relevant soap opera tropes include: Rigid gender
roles, rigid social rules, betrayal, revelations,
romance, friendship, misunderstandings, secrets,
distrust, adultery, and scheming.
The only historical source
from the 21st century is...
the soap opera Love,
Lust, and Lack of Trust...
22
About the Designer
Ann K. Eriksen is a Danish game designer. Professionally she works with interactive learning and gamification of museum
spaces while finishing her master’s degree in history of art. As an amateur writer she has written several freeform games for
the Danish convention Fastaval. Usually her games are focused on finding and recovering interesting women lost in our mostly
male-written history. But this game is a tribute to an inspiring co-feminist and her vocalization of a contemporary issue.
3–5
Players
20
Minutes
Intensity
Keywords:
Movies, tropes,
pop culture, Anita
Sarkeesian.
Background
“A trope is a common pattern in a story or
a recognizable attribute in a character
that conveys information to the audience.
A trope becomes a cliché when it is overused.
Sadly, some of these tropes perpetuate
offensive stereotypes.”
—Anita Sarkeesian (feministfrequency.com)
Setup
In this game you will play three scenes, two
times, in two different modes. The scenes each
evolve around a different movie trope, as
described by internet reviewer and feminist
Anita Sarkeesian. First, you will play all the
scenes in Realism Mode. Then, you will
play the scenes again in Cliché Mode. Each
player takes a turn facilitating the play of the
others by setting and cutting the scenes.
When setting a scene, first describe the scene as
written below. Then direct the players to either
sit or stand, whichever is more appropriate to
the scene taking place. When cutting a scene, say
“cut” at an appropriate point in the dialogue. If
there are only three players, you can participate
in a scene and facilitate at the same time. Switch
between players between scenes, so that nobody
plays the same character in the same scene twice.
This is supposed to be a fun game—enjoy
yourself and feel free to laugh and make jokes!
The two modes:
1) Realism Mode: Play the scenes as
realistically as possible—if possible.
2) Cliché Mode: Play the scenes with all the
movie clichés you can muster.
Play
#TheManicPixieDreamgirl
• Scene: A man and a woman are sitting on a
train. The woman strikes up a conversation
with the man. Cut the scene when they are
in love.
• Players: 2
• The Man: You feel down and want to be
left alone.
• The Manic Pixie Dream Girl: You are a
bubbly, joyful, and mysterious creature who
can/will help every man find his inner child.
#TheEvilDemonSeductress
• Scene: A man and a woman are sitting in
a coffee shop. The woman strikes up a
conversation and proceeds to seduce the man.
Cut the scene when the man is killed in
the restroom.
• Players: 2
• The Man: You are on your way to pick up
your daughter from piano.
• The Evil Demon Seductress: You are a super
sexy alien-robot hybrid who needs to eat a
man’s heart in order to survive on Earth.
#TheStrawFeminist
• Scene: There’s a party and a man is
comforting a woman who seems to be crying.
He puts his arms around her. The straw
feminist intercepts their interaction and
accuses the man of sexual violation.
Cut the scene when the straw feminist gets
the woman to agree with her.
• Players: 3
• The Man: You are a nice guy, through
and through.
• The Woman: You are upset.
• The Straw Feminist: You are an unfunny,
hyper-aggressive, vengeful man-hater.
If you want to know more about Anita
Sarkeesian and other tropes about women, check
out the YouTube channel Feminist Frequency.
by Ann K. Eriksen
Tropes vs.Women
WOMEN AND THE MEDIA 23
About the Designer
Kaisa Kangas (Finland) is a designer with almost 20 years of experience writing larp and tabletop role-playing games.
She has designed educational games for University of Arts Helsinki, and works as the fiction lead for the Palestinian-Finnish
larp Halat hisar. She holds a Ph.D. in Mathematics and a B.A. in Japanese Studies.
by Kaisa Kangas
Background
Sofia is a feminist. She is going to take part in a
TV debate. The other guest, Henry, calls himself
a “men’s rights activist.” Sofia is at home and
has to leave in 20 minutes to get to the debate.
She is in the bathroom, hesitating about whether
she should put on lipstick or not. She imagines
how the debate will be.
This game is for three players. Some play
multiple characters:
• Player 1: Sofia without lipstick/
Sophia’s mother
• Player 2: Sofia with lipstick/Emma
• Player 3: Henry
Setup
Read through the characters together. Place the
two chairs facing each other. Use 10 minutes
(time it!) to decide who plays what.
If Player 1 is wearing lipstick, they should
remove it. If possible, Player 2 should put on
lipstick. Player 3 should sit in one of the two
chairs, the other chair will be the “hot seat.”
When the game starts, Sofia imagines that the
TV host has just asked the question: “What is
the difference between feminism and striving for
gender equality?” Henry answers first. Sofia has
20 minutes to imagine the debate before she
has to run for the bus. Time it!
When the timer rings, the game ends. Take a few
minutes to discuss whether Sophia ended up
wearing lipstick or not. Then discuss your game
experience: the best (and worst) moments and
any insights you had.
Play
The Mechanic
You will play the version of the debate going
on in Sofia’s head. Sofia and Henry sit facing
each other, debating. One player will portray
Henry. The other two will take turns being Sofia
(without/with lipstick).
When not in the hot seat, Player 1 or Player 2
will stand behind the current Sofia, commenting
as (imaginary versions of) her Mom (Player 1)
or Emma (Player 2), her super-feminine friend.
When the standing player wants to be Sofia,
they tap on the sitting player’s shoulder. The
sitting player then has to vacate the chair for
the standing player.
Characters
• Sofia doesn’t feel comfortable with or
without makeup. She feels she never learned
to apply it properly, and it looks smudgy
on her. But without makeup, she fears she
won’t be taken seriously as a woman. She
won’t be convincing or professional. She is
confused about her identity, as a woman and
a professional, and she is not sure if lipstick
is part of it or not.
• Henry is Sofia’s imaginary opponent.
Charismatic. Killer in debate. Does his
best to belittle Sofia. If Sofia is not wearing
lipstick, she is not making any effort. If Sofia
is wearing lipstick, she looks like a whore.
• Sofia’s mother. An old-time feminist. She
thinks makeup is society’s way to oppress
women. She will watch the show. Sofia
respects her and has always seen her as a
role model.
• Emma, Sofia’s friend. Makes the effort to
look super feminine. Sofia feels Emma is
better-looking, more charismatic, and sexier
than her. In their teens, Emma tried to teach
Sofia how to apply lipstick. Emma will watch
the show.
Lipstick
3
Players
40
Minutes
Intensity
Supplies:
Two chairs and
optional lipstick.
Keywords:
Makeup,
television, Men’s
Rights Activists,
mother/daughter
relationships.
24
5– 6
Players
45
Minutes
Intensity
Supplies:
Optional director’s
clapboard
and nametags.
Keywords:
Bechdel-Wallace
Test, gender flip,
stereotypes,
racism, movies.
You’ve Come a
Long Way, Baby
by Julia Ellingboe
Background
Virginia Slim, The Movie
The story of Virginia Slim, a thief with a heart
of gold out to do her last big score: break into
the vault of Queen Fatima of the Republic
of Khaleeji Emirates. Virginia teams up with
Zanna Ferguson, a zany murderous criminal
mastermind. Special Interpol Agent Jasmine
Habib must bring Virginia and Zanna to justice
and protect Queen Fatima. “The New Flame”
and “The Old Flame” vie for Virginia’s affection.
Filmed on location in Dubai.
What Makes a Good Movie?
Who cares? In this game, players portray actors
and their characters in a film whose magic
formula is to fail a gender-swapped BechdelWallace
Test and offer hollow, stereotypical
representations of the other.
The Bechdel-Wallace Test examines how a
piece of fiction includes women. To pass the
test, a film must have a) at least two women
b) with names who c) talk to each other about
something other than a man.
Setup
Behind the Scenes
In this game you’ll play scenes from the movie
alternating with scenes between the actors
on set.
Here’s what the relationship between the actors
is like: Cromwell, Washington, and Abdul
Rahman have worked with Roman on her other
movies, The Blood of Love on the Rocks, and
Space Empress: The Fall of the Astral God.
Bernice and Victoria are the highest paid actors
in the world and best friends. Sexy newcomer
Frank Willis has never worked with Sasha
Roman, and this may be his big break. This is
Jean-Claude Barker’s first feature film, but he
is no stranger to the small screen. He starred
as ditzy but unwittingly sexy osteopath Dr.
Benjamin Flitts in the comedy series Flitts.
Sasha Roman is a demanding and fickle director.
Her scripts are scant, actors improvise, and
Roman gives constant, generally disruptive,
direction to make sure they adhere to her magic
movie formula. Scenes are shot in no particular
order. Plot is unimportant.
The International All-Star Cast
• Sasha Roman, 63, USA. Writer/director.
• Bernice Cromwell (Virginia Slim), 47,
Canada. A-list actor.
• Victoria Washington (Zanna Ferguson), 42,
Australia. A-list actor.
• Frank Willis (The New Flame), 25, USA.
Receptionist/model/dancer/actor.
• Jean-Claude Barker (The Old Flame), 48,
Belgium. Television actor.
Other roles (played by main cast or by an
additional player)
• Rashida Abdul Rahman (Jasmine Habib), 34,
Norway. Supermodel turned actor.
• Suzanne Suleiman (Queen Fatima), 75, Egypt.
Veteran actor.
Play
Prep:
Choose your character. Make name tags
(if available).
Get in Character:
Sasha Roman reads Sasha Roman’s Film
Formula aloud. Actors must agree to abide by
these terms (but don’t necessarily agree with the
formula). Actors who have benefitted most from
Roman’s filmmaking techniques are most likely
to agree with the formula, those who have yet to
benefit might feel conflicted about them, those
who benefit the least probably hate the formula.
Players with dual roles for Rashida, Suzanne,
and Jean-Claude will have views for both actors
they portray.
Make a Movie:
Sasha chooses a starting scene from the list
or makes one up. Players play the characters
in the Movie Scenes and in Actor’s Spotlight
Scenes (short group interviews about the movie).
Choose someone to play the interviewer. Do an
Actor’s Spotlight Scene for every two to three
WOMEN AND THE MEDIA 25
About the Designer
Julia B. Ellingboe (US) is a writer of fiction, RPGs, and larps. She recently left a job as a human resources manager and is
studying to be a special education teacher. She was the Guest of Honor at the Danish convention Fastaval in 2010.
Movie Scenes. Keep scenes short and snappy.
Sasha ends all Movie Scenes by calling, “That’s
a wrap!” Actors end Spotlight Scenes by
calling, “Done!”
It is the director’s job to keep the actors’ work
within the confines of the formula. Any time the
actors veer away from the formula, call “Cut!”
and redirect them.
The Final Scene is last scene of play. All players
should participate in the player debrief.
SUGGESTED SCENES
Movie
• Virginia leaves The Old Flame at the altar.
• Zanna does some creepy violent shit. Virginia
and Agent Habib are amused or nonplussed.
• The New Flame and Virginia’s meet-cute
(their adorable first meeting).
• The New Flame and the Old Flame’s meetcute,
meet-fight, meet-hate (player’s choice).
• Agent Habib goes to a bar to drown her
sorrows, finds Virginia and Zanna.
• Audience with the Queen, Suzanne
Sulieman and Aziza Abdul Rahman do the
diversity thing.
Actor’s Spotlight
• Behind the Scenes: Who’s having sex with
whom? And why?
• The stars of Virginia Slim…
• The others…
• The sexy men…
Final Scene
• Sasha Roman and actors respond to the
experience or critics (kind and unkind).
Sasha Roman’s Film Formula
• The movie should have at least two attractive
men in it. Use older, attractive men (35+) for
comic relief.
• Men should show flesh as much as possible.
• Men are lovesick caregivers; women are
whatever they want to be.
• Cast a female actor 10-15 years older than a
male actor of the same age.
• If the men talk to each other, it’s only about a
female love interest.
• Homosexuality doesn’t exist unless it’s a
misunderstanding and therefore comic relief.
• Keep the diversity scenes short and only to
highlight the exotic locale. Characters should
embody general stereotypes. Avoid overt
racism, but if the group you’re portraying
calls out racism, you’ll sell more tickets. Keep
diversity actors’ lines to a minimum.
• Create fake Afro-Asian-Arab countries.
Exotify their customs, use their accents for
comic relief.
Debrief
After the game, please take a few minutes to get
out of character and unpack the good, the bad,
and the ugly in game.
Roll the Credits:
Stand in a circle. Sasha’s player starts by saying,
“You’ve Come a Long Way, Baby starred…”
Then, starting with the player to Sasha’s left,
each player steps forward and says, “[Player
Name] as [Character].” Take a bow and step
back into the circle, leaving the fictional
character in the circle. Sasha’s player ends
this credits by saying, “[Player Name] played
director Sasha Roman.” Save applause for the
end, but do applaud. Release the characters
into the “aether” by moving to another place in
the circle, and sitting next to someone else.
The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly:
Speaking up in each step is optional; however,
each player should encourage one another to
say something. Make space for silence so that
quieter players may feel empowered to speak up.
Start with the Ugly. Ugly isn’t a bad thing. It
might be something you learned about yourself,
a different perspective about gender and
ethnicity, or any other idea the game provoked
that might need hours or days to digest. Each
player can say one or two of these takeaways.
Next comes the Bad. These are incidents that
happened in game, in character that might be
hard to shake. In no specific order, each player
may ask a question of another player or the
group about an emotionally challenging or
problematic situation they observed or was part
of. Ask and respond in the third person, even if
you are revealing your character’s thoughts or
motives. Speak only for your character.
And end on a high note with the Good, even
if the Good wasn’t necessarily “good.” Each
player may answer one of these (or any similar)
questions: What was challenging in a positive
way? What did you like the best or least about
your character? What is the most in-game image
you take with you?
Fade to Black:
Thank each other for the experience.
Stand up, face out of the circle, and take two
steps forward.
BODY
28
Background
In our culture, the way we are gendered restricts
how and where we are permitted to move
our bodies. This scenario explores that. It is a
nonverbal game and plays with exaggerated
stereotypes, to magnify these patterns and
thereby make them visible. Furthermore, we
hope you will simply enjoy moving together.
This game does not need a game master, but
someone needs to inform the other players
about how this game is played.
Setup
Divide players, by lottery, into green or red
groups. Try to have about the same number of
players in each color.
Divide the room into three unequal parts using
tape on the floor. The smallest part is for Red
characters only, the next for Green only, and the
largest is for both. The two smaller parts can be
quite small.
Facilitator Instructions
Tell players that the game is played with
movement only, wordlessly. Talk about the
theme and explain the two roles, Green and Red.
Talk about the setup of the room, the different
phases of the game, and the restrictions for
Green and Red characters. If you feel the need,
discuss your limits regarding physical contact
with other players. Finally, let everyone know
that it’s okay to laugh during the game because
sometimes it is quite silly.
The following restrictions dictate players’
movement and interactions:
Restrictions for Red
• Move in an oscillating, undulating style,
never directly.
• Always look slightly downwards.
• Always touch with open hands, never with
closed fists.
• Give way to greens.
Restrictions for Green
• Move by ambling (i.e. left foot and shoulder
at same time, then right side, etc.).
• Move only in straight lines.
• Always look slightly upwards.
• Only touch other greens with a closed fist.
• Touch reds with an open or closed hand as
you prefer.
Restrictions for all:
• You are only allowed to move in the twocolor
space and in your color space, never in
the space for the other color.
• Alone, you cannot initiate interaction with a
group of the other color. The group of two or
more people of the other color can choose to
interact with you if they wish, but are never
obligated to do so. If you gather others into
a group, you can initiate interaction with a
group of the other color.
Play
This game consists of three main phases (about
5 minutes each) and a short wind-down phase,
all of which are accompanied by music. For
three or four players, use one song for each
phase, separated by the bell sound. For more
players add more songs to phases two and three.
It is a good idea for the facilitator to note the
current phase on a whiteboard so everyone
can see them during the game.
Phase One:
Explore the space and interact within the
limitations. Move together and apart, but do not
form relationships yet.
Phase Two:
Try to form a relationship with one or more
people. This is done by “spooning”. To spoon,
one person embraces another from behind
while standing and the two grasp one another’s
hands. A bit like the Lindy-hop move Tandem
Charleston or Back Charleston (Google it!).
Everyone involved has to hold hands for it to
be a relationship. If one person holds on to
another who does not reciprocate, they need to
move apart after a little while. Move together
and continue to interact with others. Form and
break apart.
by Frida Karlsson Lindgren and Sofia Stenler
Restrictions
3+
Players
Facilitator
recommended.
45
Minutes
Intensity
Supplies:
Pens, paper, tape,
room to move,
a way to stream
music, optional
loudspeakers.
Keywords:
Dancing, nonverbal
interaction, physical
contact, intergroup
dynamics.
BODY 29
About the Designers
Frida Karlsson Lindgren (Sweden) is a psychology student, larp lecturer, and game master with a firm belief that people talk
too much, and not enough.
Sofia Stenler (Sweden) holds a Ph.D in gene therapy, a black belt in Jujutsu and is a long time larper. Sofia is the president of
the association Ursula, through which she organized UnderStockholm, an urban fantasy project that examined alienation,
and Last Will, a dystopian future larp about poverty, agency, and self-worth.
In our culture, the way
we are gendered restricts
how and where we are
permitted to move our bodies.
Phase Three:
Try to form a relationship as before, but now
you may only choose someone from the other
color, and only one person at the time. Green
must be the bigger spoon. You do not want to
be alone. If you are, try to break up others. If
you are in a relationship, break apart as soon
as things become comfortable, if not before.
Phase Four:
Wind down. Move as yourself, free of the
restrictions of this game.
Aftermath
Discuss and move about, unhindered by
gender stereotypes.
Game Hack
Allow switching of roles. Metatalk about your
experiences as you play.
Suggested Playlist:
https://open.spotify.com/user/sofia.stenler/
playlist/21N7poS5CI6ffD9ICl9Pd8
A bell sound signals a change of phase in the
playlist. The Swedish folk tune is for the final
wind-down phase. Additional music for use in
the earlier phases can be found after this song.
We chose some Contact Improv tunes with
different feelings for the different phases.
If you don’t want to use our playlist, you can
probably find something suitable on YouTube.
Sample play list for three to four players:
“Hybrid” by Michael Brook; “Valiha” by Del Jef
Gilson; “No Seas Antipática” by Juana Molina,
and “Swedish Folk Tune” by Andrew Bird.
30
3–5
Players
Although you can
play Vulvas with two.
7–60
Minutes
Intensity
Supplies:
A timer.
Keywords:
Vulvas, comedy,
brainstorming,
menstruation,
masturbation,
embarrassment,
work, coffee.
Mentioning the
Unmentionables
Three games about women’s bodies by Kajsa Greger
Dances with Vulvas (7 minutes)
There is nothing funny about the word vulva.
Except when you have said it eighteen times in a
row in movie titles like Dances with Vulvas, My
Big Fat Greek Vulva, Oceans Vulva, Vulva Club,
12 Angry Vulvas, etc.
Get up on your feet. Set a timer for five minutes
and take turns coming up with vulva movie
titles. If you reach more than 50, you may call
yourselves Honorary Vulvas.
Dying for a Cup of Coffee
(20 minutes)
In this scenario, you will be a female employee
at her workplace who is dying for a cup
of coffee. What does that have to do with
feminism? You will see once you have played
out the first scene and read the instructions for
the secret second scene. (Flip the page upside
down when you are through with the first scene).
Scene 1
The scene starts with one of you saying, “I’m
dying for a cup of coffee.” You all agree that
the work you are doing would be a lot easier if
you could calm this strong urge to drink a lot
of coffee. You try to concentrate on the task
at hand, but as the scene progresses, you will
focus more and more on describing how much
you want that cup. Try to be creative when
describing your craving. “Does your sweater
smell a little bit like coffee? Sorry, I just really
could use a cup.”
Read these instructions through and then start!
1. Decide on a workplace where 3–5 female
coworkers are stuck working alone
together in a room without coffee:
teachers correcting tests, nurses sorting
syringes, painters preparing a room,
or something else?
2. Present your character to the other players.
All you need to say is a name and what they
do at work. Make it up as you speak.
3. Set a timer for five minutes and decide who
says the first line: “I’m dying for a cup of
coffee.” The scene ends when the timer
beeps, you all give in to the craving, and
run out of the room together.
4. Go!
Scene2
Herecomesthetwist.Youwillnowplaythe
firstsceneagain,butreplacethecoffeecraving
withaneedtomasturbate.Havefunwiththe
oddsituationandseeifittriggersanythoughts
afterwards.Ifnot,that’sokaytoo.
Trytoplaythesceneassimilarlyasyoucan,
sothatthecoworkerstalkaboutmasturbating
inthesamewayastheytalkedaboutcoffee.
“Yoursweater’stexturereallyremindsmeof
myvulva.”
1.Takeaminutetohelpeachotherremember
whatyousaidaboutthecoffee.
2.Setthetimerforfiveminutes.Thistime,
thefirstlineis“I’mdyingforanorgasm.”
Thesceneendswhenthetimerbeepsand
youallrunoutoftheroomtofindaprivate
spaceandgetoff.
BODY 31
About the Designer
Kajsa Greger is a Swedish Jeep writer and acting teacher. She writes games in which players must chisel out a credible story
from an absurd set of conditions. The resulting scenes are both funny and emotionally intense. Kajsa’s idea of a good game is
one that makes all players feel talented and rich with ideas.
Just Put Some Salt on It (20 minutes)
In this scenario, you will all take turns playing
the main character. She is on her period and
is visiting her partner’s family when she
accidentally puts a blood stain on the white sofa.
Read through these instructions and then start!
1. Decide who is in the scene besides the main
character: maybe a partner; their mother
and father; an auntie or sibling; or whoever
you feel would be the most embarrassing
people to have in the room.
2. Put the timer on for one minute. The scene
starts with the main character discovering
that she has leaked on the sofa. What will
her reaction be and how will the people
around her react, if they notice? The scene
ends when the timer beeps.
3. Change roles and repeat so that everyone
has been the main character once.
4. Compare reactions in a short discussion,
not more than a minute.
5. Flip the page upside down and read the
secret instructions for the rest of the game.
Note: Aim for realism. When you play the main
character, try to find the reaction you yourself
might have if this happened to you. Do not try
to make the scene funny. Just feel that moment.
Secretinstructions
Wewillnowinvestigatethedifferencein
reactionswhenthemaincharacterspillswine
insteadofblood.Usethesamecharactersand
thesamesituationexceptforthiskeydifference.
1.Putthetimeronfor20seconds—these
sceneswillbemuchshorter!
2.Playthesceneuntileveryonehasplayedthe
maincharacterspillingwine.
3.Comparereactionsinashortdiscussion,
notmorethanaminute.
Playthescenesagain,butgobacktotheperiod
leak.Letthemaincharacterbleedonthesofa,
butreactexactlylikewhenshespilledthewine.
4.Putthetimeronfor20seconds.
5.Playthesceneuntileveryonehasplayedthe
maincharacterbleedingonthesofa,but
reactingasifshehadspilledwine.
6.Comparereactionsinashortdiscussion,
notmorethanaminute.
There is nothing funny
about the word vulva.
Except when...
32
Background
#Flesh is a physical game about the
objectification of women or how womens’
bodies are butchered into parts: skin, breasts,
eyes, pussy, etc. These parts carry no inherent
personality; women are reduced to just meat.
Setup
Read the game through once, aloud.
As always, if you do not want to continue
the game, you can say “cut.” All game
play then stops until the person who cut is
made comfortable.
Play
The game begins with the players, one by one,
making up the values, identity markers, and
characteristics of a person. Players should take
turns writing them on their own body with
non-toxic, water-soluble ink. During this process,
players narrate how each aspect is a facet of
their personality. Repeat until no one wants to
write more on their bodies or the players have
run out of places to write.
After this process, each person enters society
and is reduced by it. Everyone takes turns
licking the words one by one off one anothers’
bodies while narrating why that characteristic is
not important.
Finally, when there are no more words left,
the game ends. Each person has now lost
everything that makes them anything but a body.
Flesh. Take a moment to contemplate this loss
of identity.
3–12
Players
2
30 Minutes
to 2 Hours
Intensity
Supplies:
One non-toxic,
water soluble
marker.
Keywords:
Objectification,
identity, licking.
by Frederik Berg, Rebecka Eriksson, andTobiasWrigstad
#Flesh
About the Designers
Tobias Wrigstad and Frederik Berg are Swedish game designers who have written games for the last 20 years and are founders
of the progressive and provoking role-play writing collective the Jeep. Rebecka Eriksson is an experience designer. Rebecka
Eriksson and Frederik Berg are active feminists in the Swedish Malmö-scene.
Each person has now lost
everything that makes
them anything but a body.
BODY 33
The problem with gender is that it
prescribes how we should be rather
than recognizing how we are.
—Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, We Should All Be Feminists
THE DIGITAL AGE
36
Background
Selfie is an intimate game about feelings
in images.
Setup
Queue up the suggested game soundtrack
or create your own. The idea behind the
soundtrack is to inspire emotions. It should be
about twelve songs, or an hour, long.
Workshop: How to Take a Selfie
Read these tips aloud to the player group:
• Angle downward at yourself.
• Have a light source on the right or left
of you.
• Crop just below the collarbone and just
above the head.
• Consider where your head is in the image;
don’t always center.
• Add a filter that lightens in order to flatter
your skin and highlight your features.
• Consider what is behind you. Try to keep
your background simple, or have objects in
the distance to create depth of field.
• Express with your eyes.
• Don’t always look at the camera, but don’t
look at the screen.
• Take a practice selfie now.
Play
Read the game description aloud:
In this game, every player will take one selfie
at any time while the soundtrack is playing.
The goal is to pick the time when you feel
the strongest about taking it, and are best
expressing the emotion you’re trying to express.
After you’ve taken your selfie, just chill and
take more selfies for you own pleasure—if you
want—while the other players are taking
their selfies.
First, spread yourselves out along the edges of
the room, at a short distance from each other. In
this room, you’re not you; you’re someone and
somewhere else.
We’ll play as many songs as we like. While the
soundtrack is playing, imagine who you might
be, where you are, and how you’re feeling.
You’re feeling something very specific: not just
sad, but forlorn; not just happy, but cozy; not
just pretty, but gorgeous. When you’re sure
about what you’re feeling, write down that
emotion on a scrap of paper. Then, take a selfie
reflecting that emotion as best you can. Take
your time and feel the music; take the selfie
when you feel like you’ve really got it.
When you’ve taken a selfie that reflects that
mood, raise a finger, so we all know.
Whenever someone raises a finger, pause the
soundtrack, and gather together. Show us
your selfie. We’ll all try to guess what emotion
you’re expressing.
Flip over your scrap of paper and show us what
you wrote! Everyone who gets it right gets a
heart on their nametag or score sheet. Everyone
who gets it wrong gets a star.
3–5
Players
30
Minutes
Intensity
Supplies:
A smart phone
for each player,
a music player, pens,
scrap paper for
score sheets, and
optional nametags.
Keywords:
Selfies, emotions,
communication,
mutual support.
by Kira Magrann
Selfie
THE DIGITAL AGE 37
About the Designer
Kira Magrann (US) creates jewelry at Anima Metals, writes game critique at Gaming as Women, organizes Indie Games on
Demand at Origins and Gencon, and creates sexy, feminist, queer and cyberpunk games. Some games she’s recently designed
are Strict Machine, Twilight Dames, and Game of Thrones: Play the Cards. Follow her on G+ or Twitter @kiranansi.
After the guesses, the person who shared the
selfie will utter a short monologue to the group
about where they were and what they were
feeling when they took the selfie.
After this monologue, everyone gives the selfie
sharer one compliment: it could be about their
emotion, their description, or their photo.
Separate back to your places along the edges of
the room until the next person is ready. Start the
soundtrack again from the place where it was
paused, and wait for a finger to raise to repeat
the steps above! Allow songs to flow into each
other before and after each pause, the pauses
don’t have to be at the beginning or ends
of songs.
If you’ve got no chill while other people are
taking selfies and you’ve already shared yours
with the group:
1. Take selfies with people who are in the
process of taking selfies. Position them in
the background of yours; or
2. Chill with people who have already shared
their selfies, and take more selfies with them,
but silently. Continue to use the music
as inspiration.
When everyone’s shared one selfie with the
group, pause the music again. Gather together.
The person with the most hearts gets a high five
from everyone. The person with the most stars
takes a group selfie with everyone in the game.
Soundtrack:
• “Don’t Change” by INXS
• “Seasons (Waiting On You)”
by Future Islands
• “Dark Doo Wop” by MS MR
• “Maps” by Yeah Yeah Yeahs
• “Everything You Touch” by Ladytron
• “The Shade” by Metric
• “Violet” by Hole
• “Pictures Of You” by The Cure
• “So Far Away” by Dire Straits
• “Ex’s & Oh’s” by Elle King
• “Hollaback Girl” by Gwen Stefani
• “Shake It Off” by Taylor Swift
An intimate
game about feelings
in images.
38
3–5
Players
40
Minutes
Intensity
Supplies:
Three notecards
or pieces of paper
for each person,
pens or pencils,
and a timer.
Keywords:
Porn, feminism,
generational conflict.
So Mom I Made
This Sex Tape
by SusanneVejdemo
Background
The Daughter’s boyfriend convinced her to make
a sex tape; now she’s decided to discuss that
with women in her family. In this game, different
generations of feminists will argue it out about
sex, porn, and the main point of feminism.
The genre is drama! All the characters love
each other, but are passionate activists who
will never miss a chance to bring up their own
strong political opinions in loud voices. Love or
good arguments might make them change their
opinions. Overacting is better than underacting
in this game.
Setup
Read the Setup and Play sections out loud,
including the relevant characters (7 minutes)
• Players choose a character and re-read it
(2 minutes)
• Decide on a physical setting, e.g., Granny’s
apartment, etc. (1 minute)
• Write metatechnique cards (see below,
3 minutes)
• Each player presents their character in
30 seconds, use timer (3 minutes)
• Start a 17-minute timer and begin playing
• Debrief (5 minutes)
Play
Game Start
The game begins silently and with positive
interactions: a hug, fixing someone a cup of
tea, adjusting a piece of clothing, walking
around, etc. The Daughter will be the first to
speak, blurting out, “So mom I made this sex
tape.” The rest of the game is about the others’
reactions to this revelation.
Game End
When the alarm/timer rings after 17 minutes, the
Daughter needs to go to her bus. The Daughter
holds out her hands to the other characters,
saying, “This is what I’ve decided to do,”
explaining what she decided after the discussion.
She asks, “Will you support me in this? Will you
be there for me?” The characters who feel they
can answer “yes” will accept the outstretched
hand, making a circle, leaving the others outside.
The Daughter’s player ends the larp by dropping
their hands and walking away. This last scene
can take 1–5 minutes.
Metatechniques
Write the key phrase for each of your character’s
arguments on a different slip of paper, with one
argument per piece. The cards remind you of
your character’s main arguments and function
as a game mechanic. When a character holds
up an argument card and says, “Listen,” the
others must let her finish making that argument,
giving her center stage. You may only use each
card once and you must use all your cards
during the game. You can, of course, use the
same kind of argument over and over again in
play, but you can only call attention to it with
the metatechnique and gain center stage using
it once.
CHARACTERS
Daughter
• Sex-positive, “good porn is empowering.”
• Arguments: My body, my rules; erotica can
be art; you owe me support.
• Details: You’re 18. Your boyfriend convinced
you to make a sex tape. It turned out
funny, sexy, and really good! Without your
knowledge, your boyfriend sent the tape to
an amateur sex tape festival. You are upset
about that. The organizers want to show
the tape at the festival and online, and do
an online interview with you. That feels
exciting! There’s so much porn that only
THE DIGITAL AGE 39
About the Designer
Susanne Vejdemo (Sweden) is finishing up a Ph.D. in Linguistics at Stockholm University. The larps she produces often deal
with gender roles, social conflicts, and feminism. For example, the 360 degree realist larp Suffragett! (2014), about the Women’s
Right to Vote campaign in 1914 gained wide media exposure. She has also produced successful smaller black box larps like
Grandma’s Tiara (2012) about mother-daughter relationships and female gender roles, and its sibling larp The Ancestral Farm
(2014) about father-son relationships and male gender roles.
degrades women; maybe putting your great
sex tape out there could help reverse that.
You need help sorting out the emotions and
you want your family’s support.
Decide:
• If you will participate in the festival; and
• What to do about your boyfriend, e.g., dump
him, keep him, report him to the police, etc.
• Mention these problems to the others
very early.
Mom
• Sex-positive, but porn-negative feminist.
• Arguments: Porn objectifies the female
body; all porn supports trafficking; you are
a victim.
• Details: You’re 45. Porn actors are all victims,
whether they realize it or not. Porn leads to
prostitution and drugs, as well as perverting
boys’ views of sex. The degradation and
commercialization of the female body is your
number one feminist issue. Your daughter
needs to understand that she shouldn’t be
ashamed; she is a victim. She should not
participate in the festival. You want to report
the boyfriend to the police for spreading the
video without her consent.
Granny
• Sex- and porn-negative feminist.
• Arguments: Sexuality rights are not
feminism; fight for real issues; you must
make me proud.
• Details: You’re 75 and an old school socialist
factory-worker feminist. Modern feminists
aren’t thankful enough. Women need to unite
and fight for real issues like equal pay and
equal political representation. “Sexuality
rights” isn’t a feminist issue; it’s a slut issue.
Your brilliant granddaughter should be
ashamed about all this scandal. She needs
to go to university and become a politician.
Sex should be private, although you can talk
about it with the other women in the family.
Your granddaughter should not go to the
festival; you should not report the boyfriend
to the police, which would make this a
bigger scandal.
Aunt
• Sex- and porn-positive feminist. “Good porn
empowers women!” (Include if you have
four players).
• Arguments: Use your body for advantage;
take back our power over female
sexualization; don’t shame other women.
• You’re 40. Your sister’s kind of feminism
shames the female body. An empowered
woman takes charge of her body, sexuality,
and finances. Maybe your niece can become
a famous porn actor now? Making and
selling good porn is a more useful kind of
feminist activism than Gender Studies at
the university. Women’s rights to use their
brains and bodies for their own advantage is
the number one feminist issue for you. Your
niece should go to the festival. This is not a
police matter.
Sister
• Reality check and sisterhood. (Include if you
have five players).
• Arguments: What about your career?; online
harassment?; we need to support each other!
• You’re 15. You get sad when the others argue.
They should support each other. Like your
auntie, you think it’s very wrong to shame
other women. Like your grandmother, you
think arguments about sex and porn divide
feminists and pit them against each other.
Like your mother, you’re very worried about
your sister. What about her career? What
about online harassment? Your sister should
follow her heart about the festival. She
should, ideally, report the boyfriend to the
police, but what if he posts the tape online
as revenge porn?
40
Background
This scenario is about girls in Pakistan and
their ability to exchange thoughts and ideas
freely. The internet can be used by girls and
women in conservative societies as a means
of empowerment, but their presence on the
internet makes them vulnerable to threats and
harassment. It is not unusual for online threats
to turn into real world violence.
Pakistan is one of the world’s least connected
countries, but internet access is rapidly
increasing. About 14 percent of Pakistanis
use the internet today, but there are huge
differences between men and women, boys
and girls, and the rich and poor. For many
people in conservative societies, the internet is
connected to crime and pornography; if a girl
uses the internet, her honor may be questioned.
While some women use the internet to obtain
information about their rights and to organize
themselves, others are frightened into erasing
their accounts and leaving the internet when
someone finds out and threatens to tell their
family and neighbors.
Setup
Aisha, Nighat, and Jehat are the three roles in
this scenario. You are all 18 years old and are
in your final year of school. You live in Karachi,
a modern city with one foot in the conservative
past. Your family lives in a nice apartment.
Your father is an engineer and your mother
works part time as a teacher. Your father has
a computer at work. You want to go to
university, and that dream may come true if
you get a scholarship.
Play Suggestions: If you, like most players,
have little knowledge of life in Pakistan, play
these characters in a respectful manner. Avoid
adopting fake accents or acting out obviously
stereotypical behavior. Play them as young
girls from your own culture, but in a slightly
different setting.
Aisha, Nighat and Jehat do not know each other
in real life, but are friends on Facebook. You
all use the internet in school, where there are
computers, and your teachers do not supervise
you. Your families do not know that you have
online accounts. Take five minutes to make up
your online identities. Do you use your real
name or a fake one? What does your profile
picture look like?
Play
The game consists of 3 Facebook conversations
and 3 scenes, one online conversation and one
real-world scene focused on each character.
Aisha goes first, then Nighat and last Jehat.
Each Facebook conversation starts with the
main character updating her status, and then the
other characters may comment on their status.
(This is played out just by saying what you write.
You may “like” and include emojis.)
After each Facebook conversation, the main
character introduces her scene. Decide together
how the scene will end before beginning to play
the scene.
Aisha
Facebook Status: You want to go to a party at
your best friend’s older cousin’s home tonight.
You have not asked your parents, because you
know they will say no. How do people manage
to sneak out and stay undetected?
Scene: You are one of the best students in your
English class. Your teacher has asked you to
be a guest blogger on the school website. This
may be a great opportunity for you to get a
scholarship and continue your education at a
university. You want to say yes, but you need
your parents’ approval. Your parents love you
and support you, but blogging will put you
at risk. Malala Yousafsai got shot in the head
for blogging about her school. The two other
players will portray your mum and dad, and the
scene is set at the dinner table. Decide together
how this scene will end before you start.
3
Players
45
Minutes
Intensity
Keywords:
Internet, inequality,
Pakistan, teenagers.
by Elsa Helin
My Sister, Malala
THE DIGITAL AGE 41
About the Designer
Elsa Helin’s (Sweden) heart beats faster when talking to someone from another part of the world. What matters most to her is
respect for human rights. For many years, she worked as a reporter, but now works with aid and development. She has been
larping since 1994.
Nighat
Facebook Status: You have realized that your
dream is to become a lawyer. Is that possible
for a girl? How can you get your dream to
come true?
Scene: You have applied for one of your school’s
scholarships for going to law school, but you
did not get it. One of the boys in your class
got a scholarship, and you know that you have
better grades than him. It is unfair, and you are
going to complain at the headmaster’s office.
You know that this is discrimination and that it
is illegal. One of the other players will play the
headmaster, and the other will play your teacher,
who is on your side. Decide together how the
scene will end before you start.
Jehat
Facebook Status: You have realized that your
parents have sold you into a young marriage.
The bride price will be 1,000 dollars, a lot of
money for your family. You need to escape this
situation.
Scene: Your brother has found out about your
Facebook identity. You published a selfie, and
he has Photoshopped it onto a naked body. He
sent you the image in a private message (PM)
and says he will spread it if you try to escape the
marriage. You must see him and persuade him
to destroy the image. One of the other players
will play your brother, the other your sister, who
knows all. You are in your living room, and
your parents are not at home. Decide together
how the scene will end before you start. If your
brother fulfills his threat, is it likely that you
will be killed.
Debrief
I wrote this game after working at the 2015
Stockholm Internet Forum, where I met a
lawyer who educates Pakistani girls in cyber
security. Everything in the scenario is based
on true stories, even though the characters are
made up. I realized that even if the situation
of women and girls is harsher in Pakistan, the
same structures of harassment and sexual
threats are present in my own context. We are
all Malala’s sisters, I believe.
What parallels can you draw to your own
society? What did you recognize?
...if a girl uses the
internet, her honor may
be questioned.
ON THE
MOVE
44
Background
On her way to meet some friends for drinks, Ella
was followed and harassed by a man as she was
walking down the street. She had experienced
this situation before, many times, but this time,
she froze and became so scared that she couldn’t
respond. Fortunately, a bystander helped defuse
the encounter. Now, she feels guilty about the
whole experience. Can she start to work
through these negative feelings with the help
of her friends?
Setup
One person should keep track of time. Read
the instructions all the way through, follow the
steps to prepare for the game, then play out the
game sequence.
1. Let everyone quickly skim the character
sheets. Someone should volunteer to play
Ella, the victim. Randomly spread the
other three characters among the rest of
the group. Ella is a cis or trans woman; all
other characters are gender neutral, and the
players can choose what gender to play.
2. One by one, introduce your characters and
the part they will play in the scene. You can
expand freely on the instructions given on
your character sheet.
3. Discuss the subject: Have you ever
experienced street harassment? What was
the situation? What were your feelings
then? Try to picture this situation. Share it
with the rest of the group.
4. Pair up to create shared memories. Pat
and Claude should sit on one side, Charlie
and Ella on the other. Create a few shared
memories together. For Pat and Claude:
How did they meet? What do they like or
dislike in each other? For Ella and Charlie:
What exactly happened on the street before
they met? What did Charlie say?
5. When you feel you’re ready, start the scene.
The scene should last for about 15 minutes.
Play
CHARACTERS
Ella, the victim
• Keywords: Victim, state of shock, freeze
under pressure, blaming herself, female
character
• Story: You were on the way to meet
your friends. Some guy tried to start a
conversation with you; he said he found you
pretty. You tried to avoid the conversation
and to ignore his presence. He insisted.
You got scared. He started insulting you.
You felt like you couldn’t move. Then a
bystander pretended to know you. They
helped you get away from the situation and
accompanied you to the place you were
supposed to meet your friends.
• Friends: You admire Claude a lot, and feel
their advice carries some weight.
• Quotes: “I should have known better.”
“I didn’t know what to do.”
“I should not have worn that outfit.”
“Did I say something...?”
Charlie, the bystander
• Keywords: Friendly bystander, indignant,
energetic
• Story: You’ve had some experience with
street harassment. Maybe you’ve endured it
yourself, or maybe it happened to someone
close to you. You’ve read articles and
websites about it (such as the Hollaback
website, ihollaback.org), and you have
engaged in response strategies. When you
saw that Ella had difficulties facing a
harasser on the streets, you pretended to
be friends with her to ease the situation
and allow her to disengage. You then
accompanied her to the bar.
• Friends: You helped Ella and you want to
make sure she’s fine.
• Quotes: “No one should have to face such
a situation alone.”
“Are you sure you’ll be okay?”
“You’re not to blame.”
4
Players
45
Minutes
Intensity
Supplies:
Copy the character
sheets and cut
them out.
Keywords:
Street harassment,
victim-blaming,
friendship.
by Muriel Algayres
A Friend in Need
ON THE MOVE 45
About the Designer
Muriel Algayres is a historian, teacher and larp designer from France. She has been organizing games, mostly historicallyinspired
ones, for more than a decade. Recently, she has branched out into educational games and larp analysis.
Pat, the helpful friend
• Keywords: Loyal, empathetic, supportive,
appeasing
• Story: You started to get worried when Ella
showed up late. (She is never late.) You don’t
know why she blames herself so much. She
can’t hold herself responsible for someone
else’s bad behavior. You know that women
tend to blame themselves a lot. Maybe it is
a societal thing? You are just very sad to see
her so distressed and want to make sure
she feels better, so you want to oppose her
self-blaming arguments for her sake.
• Friends: You are very impressed that Charlie
stopped to help Ella when she was in danger.
You’ll ask them to stay for drinks and will
use their help to comfort Ella.
• Quotes: “Come have a hug.”
“These type of guys are just frustrated
losers anyway.”
“He was in the wrong, not you!”
Claude, the doubtful guest
• Keywords: Doubtful, critical, knows better,
can change their mind
• Story: You are against street harassment, of
course. Who wouldn’t be? But in a situation
such as Ella’s, you feel like you need to bring
some nuance to the discussion. Maybe the
guy just wanted to tell her she’s pretty, or try
to hit on her. Is there really something wrong
with that? She might be overreacting a bit.
Are people supposed not to talk to people on
the street anymore? You may want to help
Ella but you also want her to see that not all
men (#Notallmen) are the same.
• Friends: You are an old friend of Pat, who is
the nicest person on Earth.
• Quotes: “You’re so pretty. He just wanted to
pay you a compliment.”
”It’s not that bad…”
“You should be flattered!”
SCENES
Starting the Scene
Begin with Pat and Claude waiting at the
restaurant. Soon after, Charlie chooses a suitable
point in the dialogue to arrive with Ella.
Ella will explain why she’s late. This scene
builds toward…
The Argument
Each character presents their opposing points of
view, and the group discusses the subject at will.
They can debate the issues of street harassment,
all the while trying to comfort the victim.
Ending the Scene
Any player can choose to end the scene when
they feel the subject has been completely
handled. The following sentence will be the code
to end the scene, anyone can say it: “Should we
go to another place to have dinner?” This will
be the signal for all players to end the scene,
and let their characters depart.
Debrief
Reflect on the subject.
Have you ever heard of victim-blaming before?
How do you react to it?
In what ways might you help in situations of
street harassment?
Now, she feels
guilty about
the whole experience.
46
Background
Each player in Driving to Reunion represents
a woman who is returning for a college reunion
at an elite single-sex institution: Witherspoon
College. Each woman graduated in a different
decade, and all four characters were involved
in the Black Student Union (BSU) during their
time at Witherspoon.
Black Student Union History
Black Student Unions are special interest clubs
that are found on North American college and
university campuses. Historically, Black Student
Unions have stemmed from a need to voice
African American concerns when attending a
predominately white institution. Many Black
Student Unions were founded as a continuation
of the Civil Rights Movement.
Setup
Arrange four chairs to resemble a car, which
all scenes will begin in or around. When seated,
characters are in the car. When the car is
stopped, characters may leave their seats for an
out-of-car scene.
Read this script aloud or give each player the
opportunity to do so silently (5 minutes).
Decide who will play which character
(5 minutes).
Have each player select the scene they will take
responsibility for (2 minutes).
Decide how these characters have come together
to carpool to this reunion (2 minutes).
Play the four scenes (5 minutes each).
Debrief (5 or more minutes).
Play
The game is comprised of four scenes that take
place on the way to the reunion, with a short
time leap between them.
One character is the focus of each scene.
The scenes are:
1. Meeting Up
The ladies are meeting together to pack the
car and get the road trip underway.
2. Dinner Stop
Fast food and frank conversation.
3. Stranded
A flat tire or worse has waylaid the
characters on the side of the road. While
waiting for help, discussion continues.
4. Arriving at Campus
The highway exit is in view and familiar
sights abound.
During your character's scene, you have two
responsibilities—to frame the scene and to
end it.
To frame a scene, describe where the players
are, how much time has passed between the
last scene and the new scene, and what your
character is doing in relation to the other
characters.
During your scene, your goal is to feel
understood by another character. That goal is
accomplished by interacting in and around
the car.
The scene ends when the focus character
either feels like they are understood by
another character, or that they are completely
misunderstood by the other three characters.
End the scene by saying “cut.” Each scene should
last about five minutes.
Monologues
At any time, a player may point to themselves or
another and say “monologue.” The monologue
should be a brief statement, where the player
reveals their character's hidden desires. Other
players may use the revealed information to play
toward or against the character’s desires. After
monologuing, play resumes.
End of Play
After the final scene has ended, each character
gives an epilogue. She expresses, in a few
sentences, how she feels towards Witherspoon
after this road trip and what her future
plans are.
4
Players
45
Minutes
Intensity
Supplies:
Four chairs to play.
Keywords:
Intersectional
black feminism,
generational
relationships,
higher education.
By Laura Simpson
Driving to Reunion
ON THE MOVE 47
About the Designer
Laura Simpson (US) is a user experience designer by day and a game designer at night. She lives and works on indie
games in Queens, New York with her partner, Dev Purkayastha, as Sweet Potato Press. She has also designed the game
Companions' Tale.
CAST
Lee, Class of ‘75
At Witherspoon:
• Co-founder of Black Student Union.
• Led a campus protest and occupation of
Senior Dean’s Office.
After Witherspoon:
• First Black Trustee of Witherspoon College.
• Independently wealthy through real estate
holdings.
Why is she returning:
• She is returning to launch a new Black
Student Scholarship.
She wants to be understood.
• Wants to be recognized, listened to and
receive accolades as a leader.
• She wants to see forward progress on
campus and will look toward recent
graduates for signs of this, especially Imani.
Maya, Class of ‘95
At Witherspoon:
• Active in Queer Women of Color Collective.
After Witherspoon:
• Joined the tech boom and came away with
substantial holdings.
Why is she returning:
• She is returning to become a Black Student
Union alumnae leader.
She wants to be understood.
• Maya felt that the campus climate for
queer black women was unwelcoming
when she attended Witherspoon. She also
found tech to be similar in its degree of
microaggressions. She was ambivalent
about her college experience for many years.
Only recently has she become motivated to
return and engage with the Witherspoon
community.
Angelique, Class of ‘05
At Witherspoon:
• Uninvolved with Black campus life until
racially motivated incidents spurred her to
join protests.
• Active in a cappella and drama.
After Witherspoon:
• Faced setbacks with her career and had to
move in with her parents for a few years.
• Upgraded her career and increased student
loan debt by going to graduate school.
• Currently balancing student loan payments
with motherhood.
She wants to be understood.
• She seeks community within the larger
commonality of Witherspoon’s Black
Alumnae. She is economically conflicted.
Her large student loan debt from attending
Witherspoon impacts many of the career
decisions that she makes.
Imani, Class of ‘15
At Witherspoon:
• Was Black Student Union President,
2014-2015.
• Organized Black Lives Matter movement
on campus.
After Witherspoon:
• She’s held some unpaid internships while
moonlighting as a blogger and podcaster.
She wants to be understood.
• Imani is uncertain about her future. She
knows that the world is different from what
Lee and Maya faced. She is deeply invested
in the power of social media and using Black
Twitter to bring about change.
Debrief
Sit in a circle with your co-players to wrap up
your characters' storylines and talk about your
experiences playing the game. Here are a couple
exercises to get you started:
While still in character, address the other three
characters by name, and apologize for how you
misunderstood them.
After each player has completed her apologies,
set aside your characters and discuss a moment
from the game that you enjoyed. Address each
player by their actual name.
48
4
Players
30
Minutes
Intensity
Supplies:
A smartphone
with internet.
Keywords:
Street harassment,
bros, intervention,
dancing.
Background
“HEY BABY! HOW ARE YOU DOING?”
Ignore them, just ignore them and keep walking.
Head down, and look as uninterested as possible.
“COME ON BABY, GIVE US A SMILE!”
Not in your wildest dream, jackass... More
distance. Distance is good! Around the next
corner is a more crowded street. I hope they
won’t follow me.
You are going to play three versions of the same
catcalling situation, showing how bystander
intervention can make a difference.
Setup
Roles:
The roles are: Catcaller, Two Friends, and
the Target
Clean slate ritual:
Choose a song you all like—it must be
danceable! It will be used at the end of the game.
Setup:
Read the rules, decide who will play each of the
roles, and then play.
When dividing the roles, think about what
experience you want—players will play the same
role throughout the game. Your gender should
not influence which part you play in the game.
Each scene takes place with the Catcaller and
their friends present at a bus stop—as the
game progresses, the Catcaller’s friends
increasingly intervene.
Play
Intro:
Play the song “Blurred Lines” by Robin Thicke
and really listen to the lyrics.
Scene 1:
In this scene, the Catcaller and Friends are
hanging out at a bus stop. The Target stands in
front of the group with their back turned and
eyes closed. The Catcaller should start catcalling
the Target while the Friends help with short
follow-ups or encouragement, using their body
language as well as their words. The catcalling
goes on for about 2 minutes or until it naturally
dies out.
Intermezzo:
The Target has a short monologue about the
thoughts and feelings they had during the scene
(about one minute).
Scene 2:
The Catcaller and Friends are back at the bus
stop. The Target stands in front of the group but
with their body turned sideways, in the direction
of Friend 1. The Target’s eyes can be open or
closed; they do not speak. The Catcaller starts
catcalling the Target again. Friend 2 helps with
short follow ups or encouragement. Friend 1
tries to stop the situation and defend The Target
using only short sentences or single words.
This goes on for about 2 minutes or until it
naturally dies out.
Intermezzo:
The Target has a short monologue about the
thoughts and feelings they had during the scene
(about one minute).
Scene 3:
The Catcaller and Friends are at the bus stop
again. The Target stands in front of the group,
facing them with their eyes open. The Catcaller
starts catcalling the Target. Both Friends defend
the target and try to stop the situation (no
restrictions). This goes on for about 2 minutes
or until it naturally dies out.
Intermezzo:
The Target has a short monologue about the
thoughts and feelings they had during the scene
(about one minute).
Outro:
Play your chosen “clean slate” song and dance
the experience out of your body. Then sit down
and talk about your experiences.
byTora de Boer
Catcalling
About the Designer
Tora de Boer (Denmark) has been a larper for eleven years, but this is the first time she’s written anything, so be gentle!
ON THE MOVE 49
The extremists are afraid of books
and pens.The power of education
frightens them.They are afraid
of women.The power of the voice
of women frightens them.
—Malala Yousafzai
PLAYING WELL
WITH OTHERS
52
Background
This is a game about society’s unrealistic
expectations of how to be a woman.
The game is set inside Ava White’s head where
all of the most important aspects of her identity
are holding a board meeting. Each player will
portray one of these aspects as if it were a
fiercely passionate politician with a very specific
agenda. Each aspect will take all measures
necessary to secure a spot for themselves in
Ava’s identity.
The purpose of this board meeting is to make
Ava White the ideal woman, perfect in every
way according to society’s expectations. What
alliances will be made? Which aspects will be
betrayed? Who will Ava White become in
the end?
Setup
Read the background, setup, and play sections
aloud to the group, or let everyone read it
silently.
Each player chooses an aspect to play during
the game. If you are three players, you will only
use aspects 1 through 3; if you are seven players,
you will use aspects 1 through 7, etc. If you are
more than 10 players, feel free to make up your
own aspects.
Aspects (Roles)
• The independent careerist
• The promiscuous sex-bomb
• The caring housewife
• The innocent prude
• The emotional one
• The strong feminist
• The humble empath
• The damsel in distress
• The protective mother
• The vain pretty face
A word about playing your characters: You
don’t need to play your role with the same
characteristics as your aspect, but you might
take inspiration from it. For example, the
humble empath is not necessarily humble in the
discussions, while the emotional aspect might
appeal to everyone’s feelings in order to get
what it wants.
Play
Find a location where you can sit comfortably
in a circle, preferably around a table. This
board meeting will last for a set amount of time,
somewhere between 20 and 50 minutes. Decide
how long you’d like to play for, then set a timer,
and let the debates begin.
There are two rules for the debates:
1) You cannot all be in agreement. If more
than half of you are in agreement on any
subject, the rest of the players have to
disagree in some way or another. This rule
is more important than the consistency of
your aspect’s opinions.
2) Ava White’s final persona can only contain,
at most, half the number of aspects in play,
rounded up. For example, if there are five
players in total, Ava White’s final persona
can only contain three aspects.
You might or might not write down Ava’s
decided characteristics in the end. You might
have created the perfect woman or not created
anything at all. The purpose of this game is
not to come to a decision, but to play out the
debates and conflicts leading up to that decision.
Subjects to discuss:
Personality: What should Ava’s most prominent
traits be?
Skills: What should Ava’s primary skillsets be?
Priorities: What should Ava think are the most
important things in the world?
Expectations: How should Ava be perceived by
the rest of the world?
by EvaWei
How to Be Ava White
3+
Players
60
Minutes
Intensity
Supplies:
A timer and
preferably a table
to sit around.
Keywords:
Identity, societal
expectations,
argument.
PLAYING WELL WITH OTHERS 53
About the Designer
Eva Wei is a Swedish lawyer, larp designer, and lecturer. She has been involved in several larp productions including Once Upon
a Time, Beyond the Barricades and Sigridsdotter. She has held several lectures about dealing with racism and sexism in the larp
community. She is currently chairing Sweden’s largest war-campaign Heart of War and working on several new larp projects.
She likes to write playful games with tight-knit relationships, strong emotions, and political undertones.
Debrief
When the game ends, stay seated in silence for
as long as you feel comfortable. When you feel
ready, go around in a circle, and, one at the time,
each of you should state your name, what aspect
you portrayed, and how you feel right now.
Share a situation when you experienced
unrealistic expectations about how to be a
woman. If you do not have first-hand experience
of being gendered as a woman, please sit back
and listen.
Share a situation where you have expected
something from a person solely because you
gendered them as a woman.
Then discuss following topics:
• How do these unrealistic expectations affects
women in society today?
• Is there any way that these unrealistic
expectations can be prevented?
Ava White...
perfect in every way
according to
society’s expectations.
54
Background
Shoutdown to Launch is a short freeform game.
The elevator pitch is “a bunch of engineers need
to fix a problem with a rocket engine in the
dwindling time before launch. It won’t go well.”
Setup
What you need to play:
• Four or more people (No engineering
experience is needed!)
• 30 minutes
• Handouts: Rocket Engine Diagram 1 (x2),
Rocket Engine Diagram 2 (x2), Jargon
Sheet (x3), Instructions to Group A (x2),
Instructions to Group B (x1)
• A timer or stopwatch
• Two hats if six or fewer players, otherwise
three hats.
Play
When you are ready to play, somebody read this:
Engineers, follow these instructions to divide
yourselves into two groups, A and B. In a game
with six or fewer players, there should be two
engineers in Group B. With seven or more
players, Group B should have three engineers.
Tall, action-oriented players should volunteer for
Group B.
Separate the two groups in the play space for
the moment.
Further divide Group A in half, and position
them in separate parts of the room. Each half of
Group A gets:
• Instructions to Group A handout.
• One copy of the Jargon Sheet
• A copy of one of the two Rocket Engine
Diagram handouts. Each half should have a
different handout.
Note: Members of each group are only
allowed to reference their own Rocket Engine
Diagram handout.
Group B gets:
• Instructions to Group B handout.
• One copy of both Rocket Engine Diagrams
to share.
• A copy of the Jargon Sheet to share.
• Hats to wear to indicate their affiliation.
Debrief
Although quick and light, this game’s debrief
should be taken seriously, since it addresses
something everyone will have directly
experienced in one way or another. It may evoke
strong feelings, so be respectful and take care of
each other.
Some questions to discuss:
• In what ways is interruption normalized?
• How did it feel to be in your Group?
• Were you in the Group you are also in in real
life? Were you misgendered?
Make sure everyone has a chance to speak and
be listened to.
Then, someone should read this aloud:
Contemporary research makes clear what should
also be pretty obvious—women are interrupted
in conversations more than men, and those
interruptions are often attempts to assert power.
Research by Adrienne Hancock suggests that the
important factor in this communication dynamic
is the gender of the person being addressed
rather than the person speaking.
This game is designed to showcase both the
unnecessary and counterproductive interruption
of women by men, and how men appropriate
and take credit for women’s ideas.
Some interesting articles for follow-up:
• Hancock, Adrienne B., and Benjamin
A. Rubin. “Influence of Communication
Partner’s Gender on Language.” Journal
of Language and Social Psychology(2014):
0261927X14533197.
• Hancock, Adrienne B., Holly Wilder Stutts,
and Annie Bass. “Perceptions of Gender and
Femininity Based on Language: Implications
for Transgender Communication
Therapy.” Language and Speech (2014):
0023830914549084.
by Jason Morningstar
Shoutdown to Launch
4+
Players
30
Minutes
Intensity
Supplies:
Copies of the
handouts (see
breakdown in
“Setup”), a timer,
and two hats,
or three hats if you
have more than
six participants.
Keywords:
Gender bias,
stereotype,
interruptions,
selective hearing.
PLAYING WELL WITH OTHERS 55
INSTRUCTIONS TO GROUP A
Read this sheet quietly and pass it along until
every member of Group A has read it.
Look at your Rocket Engine Diagram and pick a
part. Remember its number and name. Love this
part—you probably designed it yourself—and
defend it against any doubt, suspicion or direct
attack. If there is any confusion about part
numbers, your part number is correct.
Note the members of Group B. Be constantly
alert for their input.
Whenever a member of Group B offers input
into the conversation—whenever they make
a suggestion, correction, or any relevant
statement—immediately cut them off with your
own thoughts on the matter at hand. If they
keep talking, just raise your voice.
If a member of Group B somehow does make a
cogent point, immediately repeat it, rephrasing it
slightly and claiming it as your own. If another
member of Group A beats you to it, credit them
for the suggestion and move on.
After you’ve read these instructions raise your
hand and wait patiently.
Is your hand raised? Good. Pass this sheet
along, then.
INSTRUCTIONS TO GROUP B
Put on your hat.
Review the Rocket Engine Diagrams and Jargon
Sheets together as you wait for Group A to
finish reading their preparatory materials. When
they all have a raised hand, they are done. Then
have somebody read this out loud:
OK, let’s begin. You can lower your hands,
thanks.
Today the Ad Astra One is launching—a
manned spacecraft headed for the moon.
We are a team of propulsion engineers who
designed and built the rocket engine that will
launch the ship into orbit and beyond. Every
one of us took part in the engine’s design, testing
and construction and we are all highly qualified
experts.
This morning during routine pre-launch systems
checks a problem was discovered. If we can’t
figure it out in the next 20 minutes the flight will
be scrubbed and it will be our fault.
The problem is with one of the engine
component parts, which are referred to by their
number and function. For example, Part One
is the Gimbal. We don’t know which part is
malfunctioning, so we need to discuss each in
the time we have remaining and decide which is
the culprit.
Don’t worry about the real-world engineering—
this is a game about pretending to solve an
imaginary problem, so use the jargon provided,
listen to each other, and accept whatever
technical mumbo-jumbo you hear as truth. The
journey is more important than the outcome.
The situation is desperate! We must find a
solution, and we only have 20 minutes!
Ready? Go!
Set the timer for 20 minutes, and start the
countdown.
When the game ends, read the Debrief section
and have a group discussion about your
experience playing Shoutdown to Launch.
About the Designer
Jason Morningstar is a game designer who lives and works in Durham, North Carolina, USA. You can see more of his games at
www.bullypulpitgames.com.
56
Jargon Sheet
Grab bits from these lists, or string them together to form statements, as you prefer.
THIS THING...
• The injector and dome assembly...
• The mainstage control solenoid valve...
• Fuel and oxidizer high-pressure ducts...
• The four-vane rotor...
• The propellant feed system…
• The main fuel valve...
• An augmented spark igniter...
• The thrust chamber injector...
• Injector face mountings...
• One of the ASI spark exciters...
• The fuel and oxidizer flowmeters...
• The turbine-driven, axial flow pumping unit...
• The inducer and seven-stage rotor...
• Interconnecting electrical cabling and
pneumatic lines...
• One of the high-pressure helium gas
storage tanks...
• Electrical solenoid control valves…
OR MAYBE THIS THING...
• The first stage turbine wheel...
• Exhaust ducting...
• Helical-vaned, rotor-type flowmeters...  
• The electrical sequence controller...
• Flanges utilizing dual seals...
• Any one of the 180 triangular openings
between the tubes of the combustion
chamber...
• The duct, bellows, flanges, and coils of the
shell assembly...
• Some of the 614 hollow oxidizer posts...
• The single-stage centrifugal pump with direct
turbine drive...  
• A propellant utilization valve…
• The dome manifold...
• Three dynamic seals in series...
• A 0.30 millimeter longitudinally stacked and
furnace-brazed unit...
• A compact, highly loaded universal joint
loaded at 140,000 kiloPascals...
• The Teflon/fiberglass coating that provides a
dry, low-friction bearing surface...
• The gap between the oxidizer turbine
discharge manifold and the thrust chamber......
DOING THIS...
...used at component connections…
...mounted in the turbine exhaust duct...
...boosting the liquid oxygen capacity...
...providing uniform propellant injection...
...generating four electrical impulses
per revolution...
...turning approximately 3,700 RPM at
nominal flow...  
...triggering the controlled ramp opening of
the main oxidizer valve...
...pneumatically operating on a poppet-type
valve...
...operating at 27,000 RPM...
...operating at 8,600 RPM at a discharge
pressure of 7,400 kiloPascals...
...working at a flowrate which develops
5,800 kiloWatts...
...pumped through high-pressure ducts...
...increasing the pressure of the liquid oxygen...
...causing opening pneumatic pressure decay...
...drawing from 16,000 cubic centimeters
of helium...
...adjusting the flow to ensure simultaneous
exhaustion of fuel and oxidizer...
PLAYING WELL WITH OTHERS 57
...RESULTS IN THIS
...will close pressure through a thermalcompensating
orifice!
...will keep it spring-loaded in the
closed position!
...can derive pneumatic pressure from the
normally closed port!
...might only operate through limited
temperature ranges!
...will provide pneumatic pressure to the gas
generator control valve!
...is going to maintain a 27.5:1 expansion
area ratio!
...will exceed the operating pressure of
6,900 kiloPascals!
...might help regulate the initial flow of oxidizer
and fuel to the spark igniter!
...may result in off-nominal deflection of the
thrust vector!
...will increase hydrogen pressure from 210
to 8,450 kiloPascals!
...will prevent the pump fluid and turbine gas
from mixing!
...will delay heating and expanding helium gas
for use in the third stage!
...might tap off liquid oxygen in the oxidizer
high-pressure duct!
...will guarantee that helium is routed to the
heat exchanger coils!
...can route hot gases to drive the fuel and
oxidizer turbines!
...will allow liquid oxygen to enter the
outlet volute!
BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY
• Even a child could see that.
• It’s patently obvious.
• Trust me, I know what I’m talking about.
• If you can’t see that I don’t know why you’re
in this room, frankly.
• That’s my baby, I should know.
• This is elementary physics.
• Unless you want to get the crew
killed, anyway.
• I ran the original tests on the JX-1.
• I modeled this a dozen ways and this is the
only one that works.
• This isn’t rocket science, people. Oh, wait.
• Think about it logically.
• Take a moment to think about it.
• You know I’m right.
• Only an idiot would do it differently.
• I ran the numbers, I’m right on this.
• If you have a better idea I’m all ears.
58
Rocket Engine Diagram 1
PLAYING WELL WITH OTHERS 59
Rocket Engine Diagram 2
60
About the Designer
Evan Torner (US) is a German professor who specializes in East German cinema. He is also a Co-Editor-in-Chief at the
Analog Game Studies journal, who writes freeform games for Origins, GenCon, Intercon, Fastaval, and the Golden Cobra.
He hopes that through increased understanding of what emotional labor is, the women who perform it will be recognized
and compensated for their work.
4
Players
30
Minutes
Intensity
Supplies:
One or two chairs,
with enough room to
move around.
Keywords:
Flight attendant,
feelings, emotional
labor, stress.
“Something to Drink
with That, Sir?”
by EvanTorner
Setup
Choosing to play this game means you will care
for and respect your fellow players. Do so.
The person reading this scenario will play the
Airline Passenger. He sits down in a chair. The
other players remain standing as the passenger
determines what roles they will play: the Flight
Attendant, the Attendant’s Feelings, or the
Attendant’s Emotional Labor. The Attendant
will treat the space next to the passenger as if it
were an aisle of an airplane. Her Feelings and
Emotional Labor stand on her left and right,
following her wherever she goes.
The Passenger is gendered male, the other
characters female. Player gender does not need
to match this.
Play
The Passenger presents the first situation (below),
then begins to act it out.
Before the Flight Attendant comes over to deal
with it, the Attendant's Feelings reminds her of
her personal life and the Attendant's Emotional
Labor reminds her that her job depends on her
caring about the passengers.
The Flight Attendant comes to the Passenger and
tries to deal with the situation.
The Passenger exhibits behavior that puts stress
on the attendant.
When things seem stressful, the Passenger says
“PAUSE” and everyone freezes for 30 seconds.
During these 30 seconds, the Flight Attendant
absorbs how she feels right in that moment.
Then the Passenger remains silently frozen as the
other 3 characters convene and do the following
for the next minute:
The Attendant’s Feelings tell the Attendant how
she feels and what she would like to do.
The Attendant’s Emotional Labor suggests a way
of feeling empathy with the Passenger and how
to make him feel at ease. Maybe she could treat
him like she did her grandfather when he spilled
his drink on his birthday. Maybe she could
nurture him as if she were her own son.
When Emotional Labor is finished speaking,
everyone freezes for another 30 seconds.
The Flight Attendant unfreezes the scene, then
does what she thinks is right.
Advance to the next situation, and repeat
as above.
Situations (to be read aloud by the Passenger):
1) “I have spilled a drink on myself!”
2) “I am sitting next to a mother with a
baby and would like to move to a
different seat.”
3) “The plane is experiencing in-flight
mechanical trouble and the pilots have
requested that passengers such as myself
to remain calm. You will need to calm me.”
Debrief
Shake yourself out of your roles. Now sit in on
the floor in a circle. Go once around, with each
person making a statement about how they feel
at the moment. Now go around a second time
and have each player recount a time when they
saw or performed emotional labor like the kind
found in the freeform.
PLAYING WELL WITH OTHERS 61
A Companion to “Something to Drink withThat, Sir?” by Emily Care Boss
Setup
Choosing to play this game means you will care
for and respect your fellow players. Do so.
The person reading this scenario plays the
Mother. She sits down in a chair. The other
players remain standing as the Mother
determines what roles they will play: Son,
Daughter-in-law, or Social Conditioning.
The Mother and Daughter-in-law are gendered
female, the Son male. Conditioning does not
have gender associated with them. Players do
not need to match the gender of any role.
The Son and Daughter treat the space next to
the Mother as the living room in her house.
CHARACTERS:
Mother
Elderly, ailing. Has diabetes. Had recent
accident. At home with daily nurse visits. Angry.
Intelligent. Trying to retain control of her life.
Son
Lives closest of siblings. Visits several
times each week. Frustrated. Father died some
time ago.
Daughter-in-law
Helps care for Mother-in-law. Does not really
“get” her. Anxious. Parents died recently.
Social Conditioning
Represents emotional training and social
expectations of Son and Daughter-in-law.
Script Cards
The Son and Daughter-in-law should each have
a set of four script cards with stock phrases.
Write each sentence listed below on its own card:
• Son: You’ve just got to do this. This has got
to stop. You’re being irrational. Don’t give in
to Ma.
• Daughter-in-law: What do you need? I
understand. Yes, of course I can do it. You
can’t handle Ma.
The Son and Daughter-in-law must play their
parts according to one Script Card at any given
time. Say a new phrase when switching to a
new card and then continue on with improvised
dialogue, but keep to the direction given by the
card in play. You may use a card multiple times
in a scene.
Play
The Mother presents the first situation (below),
then begins to act it out. With one exception,
Mother freely plays, focused on her own
limitations, wants, and obstacles set by others
and by illness. But if someone asks, “Can I help
you?” She answers “No.”
The Son comes to the Mother and tries to deal
with the situation.
The Daughter-in-law tries to help.
Social conditioning coaches the Son away from
empathy, and the Daughter-in-law towards
sacrifice.
Play continues until PAUSE is called for by Son
or Daughter-in-law when they hit a point where
they don’t want to use their script, or object to
what is going on.
(Continued on next page.)
“Ma, Can I Help
You with That?”
4
Players
30
Minutes
Intensity
Supplies:
Index cards and
pencils or pens.
Keywords:
Aging, death,
disability, families,
holidays.
62
About the Designer
Emily Care Boss (US) is an independent role-playing game designer/publisher and conservationist living in western
Massachusetts, USA. She designs analog RPGs in both tabletop and larp formats. Her designs include the Romance Trilogy:
Breaking the Ice, Shooting the Moon, and Under my Skin (which won the Player’s Choice Otto award at Fastaval in 2009).
Emily founded JiffyCon in 2006, a regional roleplaying game convention showcasing independent and small press games.
Find more about Emily and her games at blackgreengames.com.
This has got to
stop. You’re
being irrational.
During a Pause, all players freeze for ten seconds.
The Family members absorb how they feel in
that moment. After ten seconds, the player who
called for the Pause chooses one Card to destroy
or trade and explains why they do so. To destroy,
tear up one of your cards. To trade, exchange
your card for one from the other set. You cannot
take back a card when you trade, but you can
destroy one traded to you.
When the card work is done everyone freezes for
another ten seconds. Resume play. Shortly after,
someone should say “cut” to end the scene.
Advance to the next situation, and repeat
as above.
Situations (to be read aloud by the Mother)
• “I must do physical therapy exercises, but I
just want to watch TV and read the news.”
• “I want to eat my favorite chocolate-covered
donuts (or pastries) like I always have.”
• “I’ve been told I cannot cook for the
family at our holiday gathering and I’m
very upset.”
PLAYING WELL WITH OTHERS 63
We don’t all have to believe in the
same feminism. Feminism can
be pluralistic so long as we respect
the different feminisms we carry
with us, so long as we give enough
of a damn to try to minimize the
fractures among us.
—Roxane Gay, Bad Feminist: Essays
AT WORK
66
Background
Glitzy Nails is a freeform scenario about
intersectional feminism, interactions among
women, and nail salons. Half the players will
take the role of women employees at Glitzy
Nails and half the players will take the role of
women customers at Glitzy Nails.
Setup
Read through the game’s mechanics and
character sheets—everyone should be clear on
how communication works among employees,
and how the tip/emotional labor jars work.
Players should decide who will be taking the
roles of employee and customer. Ideally the
game will be played through twice, with the
players switching roles.
The game is played at a table. The players
should work together to set up the space with
the necessary supplies. Pool your change or
tokens and divide them among the players. The
players initially taking the role of customers
should leave the room. The game begins when
they re-enter the space as Glitzy Nails customers.
Play
Customer(s) should sit on one side of the table
and employee(s) should sit on the other.
The game is played while the customer(s) gets
a manicure from the employee(s). If you do not
have the necessary supplies you should mime the
steps of a manicure.
When the employees have finished the manicure
they should allow the customers to sit and let
their nails dry while they clean-up the space for
the next group of players. When they are done,
players should switch roles. The players taking
the role of customers should leave the room.
The game begins again when they re-enter the
space as Glitzy Nails customers.
MECHANICS
Employees Communicate with each other in
Another Language
You may decide where the employees have
immigrated from, but they always speak to each
other in their native language. The customers
cannot understand them when they speak to
each other.
Tip Jar and Emotional Labor Jar
Whenever the employee does something the
customer approves of or enjoys, the customer
should place a coin in the “tip jar.” Any time the
employee does something the customer dislikes,
she should take a coin out of the “tip jar.”
Any time the customer does something the
employee dislikes, the employee should put a
coin in the “emotional labor jar.” Any time the
customer does something the employee
approves of or enjoys, the employee should
take a coin from the “emotional labor jar.”
At the end of the manicure the employee gets to
keep any coins in the “tip jar.” At the end of
the manicure the customer gets to keep any
coins in the “emotional labor jar,” symbolizing
the emotional labor the employee has exerted
to earn her tips.
CHARACTERS
The Employee:
• You are an immigrant to this country.
Please be respectful in your portrayal and
avoid putting on a fake accent.
• You are a mother; part of why you
immigrated was to provide your children
with more opportunities.
• In your home country you were a
professional. You were good at your job
and were well respected.
• In this country you have been unable to find
work in that profession and have taken a job
at your relative’s nail salon, Glitzy Nails.
• Money is tight and tips from your job are
very important to you.
• The money you earn is used to send your
children to school. You also send money
home to help your aging parents.
by Kat Jones
Glitzy Nails
2+
Players
Can accommodate
any even number
of players, as long as
there is space.
60
Minutes
Intensity
Supplies:
One jar and ten
tokens or coins
for each player.
Manicure supplies
(bowl of water, hand
lotion, towel, polish,
file) are optional
but recommended.
Keywords:
Service industry,
emotional labor,
intersectionality,
racism, classism,
xenophobia.
Touching is an
important aspect of
this game. If you are
not comfortable with
this, you should not
play this game.
AT WORK 67
About the Designer
Kat Jones (US) is an intersectional feminist, sociologist, and game designer who uses games to playfully explore serious
topics. Whether it’s a game about sex toy parties at a feminist bookstore (Cady Stanton’s Candyland with Julia Ellingboe),
or discussing the marginalization experienced by zombies in Revived, Kat loves to combine her academic interests and game
design. Glitzy Nails was inspired by an ethnography of Korean-owned nail salons, The Managed Hand. She plans to use games
from #Feminism in her future courses.
• You are worried that you might not have
enough money to cover rent this month and
might get evicted from your apartment.
• Doing manicures is not easy work. You’ve
trained and learned tips from other
employees.
• You practice your language skills so you can
converse with your customers, hoping to
make more money in tips.
• You need tips, but you cannot stand rude
customers who treat you like dirt. You
deserve to feel respected!
Steps for the manicure:
• File the nails.
• Soak the nails in soapy water to soften.
• Massage the hands with hand lotion.
• Prep the nail—remove lotion with nail
polish remover.
• Apply color.
Things you should do as the Employee:
• Ask your client about her day.
• Compliment your client on her hair, outfit, or
nail color choice.
• Work quickly but efficiently.
• Comment on her hands and nails.
• Encourage her to take better care of her
hands or nails.
• Offer extra services on her next visit: acrylic
nails, massages, pedicures.
• Offer wine, water, or coffee.
• Encourage her to set up a regular
appointment with you.
• Talk to your fellow employees or ask them
questions about how to do the manicure.
The Customer:
• You are a professional woman working a
high stress job.
• You often feel undervalued by your male
boss and co-workers.
• Today you were passed up for a promotion.
It went to your male co-worker.
• You have two children. You are often
burdened with family responsibilities in
addition to your job.
• You have to get to a school concert tonight
so you don’t have much time to get your
nails done.
• After a stressful day you decided to treat
yourself. You’ve earned a little relaxation.
• You like coming to Glitzy Nails because the
employees take time to compliment you or
ask you about your day.
• You are paying for this service, so you want
to make sure the employee does things just
how you want them done.
• You hate it when the employees talk to each
other in their native language; it is so rude.
• You deserve to feel pampered!
Things you should do as the Customer:
• Tell her all about your stressful day.
• Complain about anything that’s bothering
you: your job, your children, your marriage.
• Complain if the Employee goes too slow, or
if she does something you don’t like.
• Ask for extra services: nail art, a longer
massage, coffee or water.
• Take an important call on your cell phone.
• Text/call your husband to make sure he is
taking care of things at home.
• Make small talk about the weather, current
movies, etc.
• Ask her about her country and culture.
• Tell her how much you enjoy something
from her culture: food, music, travel.
Debrief
When the scenario has been played through
twice, the players should all work together to
clean up the space, put away supplies, and
remove unwanted nail polish. Take time to
debrief and share experiences.
68
Background
Some do it to pay the bills while studying or
caring for a child; some do it because they enjoy
it. Some do it for as long as they can; some stop
after a few months or years and move onto a
different career path. Their body type, skin color,
or age may differ, but most strippers have one
thing in common: if they are open about their
job choice they face public shame and disrespect,
often from their own families as much as from
strangers. Many choose secrecy to avoid the
stigma.
This game is about lap dancers and strippers
who chose this path voluntarily, yet often end up
judged by their friends, partners, and families, as
well as by people they have never met before.
Setup
Before you read the rest of the scenario, each
player should grab a piece of paper and write
down how they personally feel about lap
dancers, strippers, strip clubs, and stripping.
Do you visit clubs? How do you feel about
people who work there? Do you think you
could do it yourself? Why? Why not?
Use one side only; keep the other side blank.
When you finish writing, turn the paper blank
side up and keep it this way for the rest of
the game.
Figure out which characters you are using and
decide who plays which one. For a group of
three players, use A, B, and C. With a group
of four, add D, and with a group of five, add
E. All characters can be played by a player of
any gender. Within the game, character A is a
woman; the gender of the other characters is
not important.
The characters are a group of friends. A recently
got a new job that no one seems to know much
about yet.
The character sheet contains either direct
information about your character or their
view on others. They represent a set of views
and ideas rather than the people themselves
throughout different scenes. It is important to
note that your character’s attitudes are fixed,
but you may find yourself in support or
opposition from scene to scene regardless.
When all players have read their characters,
the game can start.
Play
The game consists of four scenes played in
sequence, set in different environments. In each
scene, some characters are supportive of A’s
choice, while others oppose her, perhaps in
conflict with their personal agenda. Keep the
scenes short and sweet.
Each scene starts with character A’s opening line,
“I finally want to tell you about my new job.”
Each scene ends when A decides that she no
longer wants to talk about her new job.
• Scene 1: On their way to pick up their
children from the kindergarten. B (+ E)
support, C (+ D) oppose.
• Scene 2: In a pub after a few drinks. C (+ E)
support, B (+ D) oppose.
• Scene 3: At the university campus between
lectures. B + C oppose (D + E support)
• Scene 4: Dinner at A’s. No support/oppose
preferences given. Start and see what
happens.
After the end of the game, use the blank side of
your paper to write down your opinion on the
topic again. Has anything changed?
by Dominika Kovacova
Stripped
3– 5
Players
40
Minutes
Intensity
Supplies:
Paper and pencils
for each player.
Keywords:
Sex work,
emotional labor,
stigma.
AT WORK 69
About the Designer
Dominika Kovacova (UK) is a dedicated larper and dancer who loves to wear stilettos in the kitchen.
CHARACTERS
A:
You are enthusiastic about your new job as a lap
dancer in one of the most prominent clubs in
town. You have always enjoyed dancing and you
don’t feel any shame about your body. It might
not be your dream job and you definitely don’t
want to do it for the rest of your life, but there
is nothing wrong with doing it now, while your
body still looks young. The money is good and
the clients can’t touch you anyway, so what’s
the big deal? After all, almost every job involves
selling your body or soul, whether you’re a
dancer, actor, teacher, or programmer.
B:
How can A do this to herself? How can this
make her feel empowered? She just needs
someone to open her eyes. Maybe she isn’t
strong enough to speak up for herself. Maybe I
should help her see how much she is exploited
by the gazing perverts. She needs saving from
them for her own good. I should help her find
strength to fight them and to have a decent life
instead. But, at least it’s something she chose to
do herself.
C:
Of course A’s doing this for a living. Selling her
body and her soul. She’s just like all the sluts I
see when I sometimes visit strip clubs. They are
not worth anything; all their value is in their
pretty bodies and faces. They are probably all
stupid and uneducated anyway, and to be honest,
who really cares? Maybe I will bump into her
when I’m in a club? Could be fun to watch.
D:
A needs all the support she can get! Maybe I
should offer her financial support, or maybe I
should help her find a different job elsewhere?
If she gets stuck here, she will never get out of
it, right? All the terrible stigma that comes with
it—no one will ever want to employ her! Either
way she should know that I want the best for
her and I’ll do what I can to help her out. She is
a great person, after all.
E:
It’s her choice. Why is everyone so ridiculous
about it? It’s not like she couldn’t do anything
else for a living if she wanted to, and she doesn’t
seem traumatized by showing her body for a
living either. Lawyers probably sell more of their
souls than she does.
Note from the author:
I acknowledge that there are many issues with
lap dances, strip clubs, and trafficking. While
these issues are very serious and should be by all
means tackled, this game is not the place to do it.
This game also doesn’t include male strippers,
who also do a very hard job. I haven’t managed
to speak to any men doing this job while writing
this game, so I felt it would be unfair speaking
for them as well. If you are a male stripper and
want to discuss this game or your personal
experience, please send me an email.
I would also love to hear the game experiences
from anyone who has played. Please send me an
e-mail at dominika.m.kovacova@gmail.com.
...if they are open
about their job choice
they face public
shame and disrespect...
70
4
Players
60
Minutes
Intensity
Supplies:
A timer.
Keywords:
Intersectionality,
sex work, debate,
trans women,
inter-feminist
struggle.
Note: One
character is a trans
exclusionary
radical feminist.
Background
You are living in Akhaia, an empire that has to
constantly wage war to preserve its continued
existence. Luckily, Akhaia has good defense
systems—it mostly conducts preventive warfare,
rarely affecting your everyday life. Only leftwing
radicals are against the war, and they are
widely seen as traitors. However, since Akhaia
is a democratic state, they are tolerated. Akhaia
has just elected its first female president, a
successful lady general. She has openly called
herself a feminist and said that she wants to
outlaw prostitution.
Setup & Play
Prep
Use about 5 minutes to read the instructions
and to decide who will play which character.
Then further develop characters in a hot-seat
exercise—each player spends 2 minutes in the
“hot seat,” answering questions in character,
asked by the other players. (Time this exercise!).
Act I
Semele, who works in a feminist organization, is
going to give a media statement on the election
of the new president. To ensure a diversity of
views are represented, she has invited people
from different feminist groups to draft and
give the statement together. They have not met
before. They have 20 minutes for discussion
before the journalist arrives. (Time it!)
Break
Take a short break. One player should now shift
from their character, and take on the role of a
male journalist from a trashy paper, looking for
sensational content. (Time the break!)
Act II
The journalist will now interview the feminists
for 10 minutes and then leave. (Time it!)
CHARACTERS
Semele, an upper middle class, salaried
professional.
Cares about: equal pay for equal work, the
underrepresentation of women in executive
and political positions. Wants to concentrate
on gender equality and leave other issues
(e.g. war) out of the statement. Opposes
prostitution. Wants to meet all the people from
different organizations and to have dialogue,
but is actually expecting that they’ll pretty
much share her views. Loves high heels.
Klytie, a radical feminist.
Hates men. Thinks all sexual relations between
men and women are oppressive and thus wrong.
Thinks women should not wear makeup or high
heels. Acts aggressive and militant. Views trans
women as not being real women. Wrote on her
blog: “If you have a penis, you’re not a woman.
If you claim you are, I’ll come and rip it off.”
Stamatia, an anti-war activist.
Thinks the war is not about Akhaia’s existence,
but about colonialism, imperialism, and
oppressing other peoples. From her point
of view, the new president is a war criminal.
Believes war is a feminist issue: it’s women who
suffer the most from wars. Believes class is also
a feminist issue: low-income jobs (cleaning,
nursing, etc.) are typically done by women.
Works part-time in a strip club to finance her
studies. Wants her views to be heard but
lacks eloquence.
Adrasteia, a trans woman working in science.
Attempts to be rational and diplomatic. Thinks
that, as feminists, we should fight the patriarchy
together rather than fight each other over trivial
issues. Is savvy on gender issues but not really
interested in foreign politics. Believes sex work
is like other work and that sex workers will be
worse off if their profession is outlawed. Hates
fights and disputes.
by Kaisa Kangas
President
About the Designer
Kaisa Kangas (Finland) is a designer with almost 20 years of experience writing larp and tabletop role-playing games.
She has designed educational games for University of Arts Helsinki, and works as the fiction lead for the Palestinian-Finnish
larp Halat hisar. She holds a Ph.D. in Mathematics and a B.A. in Japanese Studies.
AT WORK 71
by Sarah Lynne Bowman
Background
Read this aloud to the players:
“By the time you’re twenty-five, they’ll say,
‘You’ve gone and blown it.’
By the time you’re thirty-five, I must confide you
will have blown them all.
Right on cue, just act surprised when they invite
you to take your curtain call.”
—Tori Amos
Ever wondered about the glamorous lives of
famous female musicians? Well, here’s your
chance to live the fantasy! In this scenario,
inspired by the life of Tori Amos, you’ll play
out several key eras in a fictional rock star’s life,
experiencing the highs and lows of her career.
You’ll learn the right moves to make yourself
famous, dress for success, draw the attention of
the right men, and keep your look youthful and
relevant in the competitive world of the music
industry. Life in the fast lane has its rewards—
just don’t crash! And as Amos once said about
aging, be prepared to “step into your grace”
when they invite you to take your curtain call.
Setup
This game consists of four scenes. Each scene
takes place during a different decades of the
Star’s life, from age 10 to 50. In each scene, one
player portrays the Star. The others play fans,
music industry executives, and the press.
• Cutting: If you are not playing the Star, then
you have the responsibility to cut the scene
when it feels right to end it. You can do
this by simply saying, “cut.” Or if you are
playing with a facilitator, that person has the
responsibility to cut.
• Fans: If you are not playing a central role in
a scene, then you are playing one of the star’s
fans. Fans are invisible within the scene, but
present in the back of the star’s mind. As a
fan, you can cheer for the Star, praise, boo, or
whisper criticism based on the events in the
scene. When infatuated with your idol, move
closer to her! When you’re disgusted with
her, recoil or cringe away. Take care not to
overwhelm the central play, but do respond
to it to help heighten the drama.
• The Star: Choose one player to play the Star.
• Interviewers, Music Industry Execs, and
Agent: Rotate these characters between the
other players.
Play
Phase 1: Introductions (3 mins)
One by one, briefly introduce yourself with your
name, and one memory of a female musician
who is special to you.
Phase 2: Safety (5 mins)
Read this aloud: The safety phrase is “stop the
game.” If you feel your boundaries are about
to be crossed, or if they already have been, you
can say “stop the game.” All play will stop,
and the other participants will try to make you
comfortable. If you’re concerned for another
player’s well-being, you can say “time out” to
check on them.
Everyone should say something about what kind
of physical touch they are comfortable with
during play. This could range from, “no touch,”
to “it’s OK to touch my hands or shoulders” to
“everywhere but the bikini zone.”
Music is optional, but suggested. Does someone
have wifi on their phone? Playlist here: www.
youtube.com/playlist?list=PLv4UPMay91
uwrIteWdvB1HQcLVqLgNlbI
Phase 3: Play (20-25 mins)
Quickly decide whether one person will play the
Rising Star or whether you will rotate the role
to a new person in each scene. Go over the rules,
and play the scenes.
Phase 4: Debrief (5 mins)
Each participant should mention one thing they
found personally impactful and one element that
connects with their notions of modern feminism.
GAME MATERIALS
Rules:
Scenes should last no longer than 5 minutes.
Before and after each scene, the Star delivers a
monologue about her current emotional state.
(Continued on next page.)
Curtain Call
3 – 10
Players
Facilitator
recommended.
45
Minutes
Intensity
Supplies:
A way to play
music, optional but
recommended.
Keywords:
Popular culture,
music, aging.
72
Prodigy Phase, ages 10-20: (Play first 30
seconds of “Baltimore”)
An interviewer questions the Rising Star about
her new song “Baltimore,” her experiences as
a childhood musical prodigy, and her interest
in boys. “Do you have your eye on a special
guy? How does it feel to be a pop star at such a
young age?”
Siren Phase, ages 20-30: (Play first 50 seconds
of “Leather”)
An interviewer flirts with the Rising Star,
questioning her about her new album, which
features intimate lyrics about relationships
and sexuality. “Do you get turned on when you
play your instrument? I hear you went
through a recent breakup. Does that mean
you’re available?”
Mother Phase, ages 30-40: (Play first 50
seconds of “Ribbons Undone”)
The Fading Star sits in a chair while male
members of her record company berate her and
eventually drop her from their label. “How
could you record an album about your daughter
and your husband? No one wants to fuck a
married woman with a kid!”
Crone Phase, ages 40-50: (Play first 50 seconds
of “Curtain Call”)
The Fading Star receives a phone call from her
agent about criticism in the media and on fan
sites. “People are harping on the botched plastic
surgery, the low album sales, and how early
menopause is negatively impacting your music.
Ticket sales are at an all-time low. How are you
going to fix your career?”
About the Designer
Sarah Lynne Bowman (US), Ph.D., teaches as an adjunct professor for several institutions in English, Communication, and
Humanities. Bowman is the author of The Functions of Role-playing Games: How Participants Create Community, Solve
Problems, and Explore Identity; the editor of the Wyrd Con Companion Book; and the lead organizer of the Living Games
Conference 2016. She designs edu-larp scenarios for her Humanities and Rhetoric classes. Additionally, Bowman has assisted in
creating Psychiatric Nursing simulations for Texas State University.
Life in the fast
lane has its rewards —
just don’t crash!
AT WORK 73
Globally, women are paid less
than men.Women in most
countries earn on average only
60 to 75 percent of men’s wages.
— UN Women, the United Nations Entity for
Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women
DIFFICULT
DECISIONS
76
Background
Last night the one you love was out partying.
Although you’ve only been together for a few
months, you think this might be the real thing.
Last night he came home a bit drunk after you
were in bed, fast asleep. He woke you up. He
was horny and wanted sex. You were really tired
and really not in the mood, but you ended up
having sex somehow.
Now, in the early morning hours, you lie awake
and listen to him breathe. You don’t know
what to think or feel. What really happened last
night? Who is really to blame? Was it rape? This
is the grey zone.
This scenario takes place within the mind of a
woman who had a “grey zone” sexual encounter
with her partner last night. Each player portrays
one of the quarreling voices inside her head.
What, exactly, happened last night? Who is to
blame? What should she do? Come to a decision
before it’s time to get up and the alarm rings.
This scenario is written about a heterosexual
couple with a female victim. If you want to
change it up and play the game about a male
victim or a same-sex relationship feel free to do
so. Reflect over what differences in the story
these changed dynamics give to the game.
Setup
Overview
• Read the whole game aloud.
• Establish boundaries for physical play.
• Choose voices.
• Set the alarm for 25 minutes.
• Play to decide what happened.
• Debrief.
Boundaries
Take a minute now to establish what level of
physicality and touch this group is comfortable
with. If you feel the need to leave during the
game you should do so. Other players should
not question this decision.
Voices
Everyone should choose one of the voices inside
the woman’s head:
• Guilt: It was all your fault. You didn’t really
say no. Anyway, he just did it because he
loves you so much. You should be happy that
he desires you. And it wasn’t bad. It’s not as
if it was rape!
• Anger: You said no, but he didn’t respect you.
It felt awkward and now you feel dirty. You
shouldn’t stay with someone who treats you
this way. It was rape! You should leave him.
• Rationality: He didn’t mean anything bad
by it. He was drunk and you were not clear
enough. Sure, he should have respected a
“no,” but did he even hear you say it?
• Fear: Somehow you just couldn’t speak up.
He scared you last night and now you are
afraid that everything is ruined. Will he hate
you if you accuse him of being a rapist?
• Desire: You love him and, even if you didn’t
really want to have sex last night, you still
kind of liked parts of it. Did he know that
you really weren’t all that into it?
Have someone set a timer for 25 minutes.
When it rings, the woman’s alarm has gone off,
and she must get out of bed, and the larp will
be over.
by Siri Sandquist
The Grey Zone
5
Players
45
Minutes
Intensity
Supplies:
A timer.
Keywords:
Sex, consent,
internal conflict,
date rape.
DIFFICULT DECISIONS 77
About the Designer
Siri Sandquist (Sweden) is an archeologist and feminist who has organized larps since 2014. For example, she organized
Suffragett! about the Women’s Right to Vote campaign in 1918, and Our Responsibility, about the peace movement of 1915
in collaboration with the Municipality of Varberg. She works as a teacher at Lajvverkstaden, which produces edu-larps for
school children.
Play
Begin the game lying down on the floor, eyes
closed. Someone should start the collective
monologue. During this monologue, all
characters speak simultaneously, describing
what they remember from last night and how
they perceived it. All versions of the story are
true. When you have finished telling your story,
become quiet, sit up and open your eyes.
When everyone is sitting up, one voice should
begin the larp by saying: “What really happened
last night?” Then you may begin interacting
with one another to arrive at a decision before
the alarm goes off.
Although you will begin play on the floor, this
is not a larp where you just sit still and talk—
moving brings energy to the game. In the mind,
everything has symbolic meaning; physical
actions represent emotional struggle. You may
also use “shadow techniques” on each other in
this game. This means you can touch, press, or
tap each other, whisper in the other players’ ears
while they are speaking, etc., to create a feeling
of uncertainty or otherwise change another
voice’s perception.
The game ends when the alarm goes off and the
woman must get out of bed, or when the voices
reach a consensus, whichever happens first. If
the alarm rings, the voices must quickly make
a decision.
Debrief
After the game is over, gather together and
check in with your co-players about how they
are feeling and if anyone needs anything there
and then.
What really happened
last night? Who is
really to blame?
78
Background
Read this text aloud:
Family Planning Clinic is a short larp about
women’s health. Players will act out five short
scenes of five to eight minutes each from the
daily life of a French family planning clinic, all
inspired by real stories. The game takes place
in Paris. Each scene has different characters.
During some scenes, you might sit out and serve
as an audience member, and keep an eye on the
clock to help make sure scenes don’t run too
long. Make sure to swap around the parts so
everyone gets some stage time.
Briefly introduce yourselves to one another
if you haven’t already. Then read the next
section aloud.
Setup
A Few Rules
Do not speak between scenes. Move to the next
scene, pick a new role, and play it out.
If you need them, you can use the safety tools of
“cut” and “brake.” If you feel your boundaries
have already been crossed, or are about to
be crossed, say “cut.” All play stops and the
other players try to make the person who cut
comfortable. You can also say “brake” if
you want the scene to slow down and go in
another direction.
As you play, you may have to improvise some
medical information. Don’t worry too much
about whether the information you are giving
is accurate—in this game, the feel of the scene
is more important than the details. If you aren’t
sure about something, you can always discuss
and look it up afterwards.
In Scene 3: The Mother, one of the players will
have to simulate a pelvic exam with a Pap smear
test on another player. You can do this by using
a plastic glove or cotton bud or both to touch
the tongue of the other player. If you are not
comfortable with this, that’s okay. You can skip
this part of the game. Tell the other players now
if it’s okay for you.
Play
How to Play Scenes
Read aloud the short, bold descriptions of the
characters, and pick a role. Quickly read your
character paragraph.
You don’t need to play the scene from hello to
goodbye. You begin at the interesting moment
and stop when the scene runs out of content.
Each scene begins with a narrator text, read
aloud by one of the players or the audience
member. The players should begin the scene
immediately afterwards.
When a scene seems over, someone should end
it by saying “end.” Each player has the ability to
end scenes.
Play the scenes from the scene list in order, and
then move on to the Debrief.
SCENES
Scene 1: First Consultation
(Narrator, two players, and audience member)
Narrator: “A young girl comes for her first
appointment at the Family Planning Clinic.
The counselor has just asked her to explain
the reason for her visit.”
Character 1: An Experienced Counselor
In front of you sits a young teen. It’s her first
appointment. She seems a bit lost.
First, you’ll listen to her. Then inform her
about the risks of STDs (sexually transmitted
diseases) and tell her about the different types
of contraception (pills, hormonal implants,
condoms, etc.), while trying to gather some
information about her family to see what’s
right for her. Try not to frighten her.
Character 2: A Young Girl
You’re 15. You just had sex for the first time
with your boyfriend, two weeks ago.
You’ve heard that condoms are not enough
and you’re looking for information. You
have tried asking some of your friends. One
of them told you that you can get pregnant
even if the guy doesn’t come in you, which
confused you. In your family, nobody ever
talks about sex. You have a computer at home
but can’t access it freely. You wouldn’t dare
tell your parents you came here.
By Baptiste Cazes and LeïlaTeteau-Surel with Laura Guedes
Family Planning Clinic
3– 4
Players
45
Minutes
Intensity
Supplies:
Optional but
recommended;
thin plastic or
latex gloves and
cotton swabs.
Keywords:
Women’s health,
teen sexuality,
abortion.
DIFFICULT DECISIONS 79
Scene 2: Problematic Fertility
(Narrator and three players)
Narrator: “A couple comes to ask a Family
Planning doctor some questions. The doctor
agrees to receive them together.”
Character 1: A Doctor
The patient has arrived with her partner. She’s
pregnant despite her IUD (intrauterine device).
Her partner looks angry. They came in for
information in this time of distress.
Information on contraception: hormonal or
copper IUDs, like hormonal implants, are
reliable 99 percent of the time, but accidents
happen. Two sterilization processes—the
tying of fallopian tubes and vasectomy, are
barely more reliable, even if the techniques are
almost irreversible.
Character 2: The Patient, Marina
Since your first time having intercourse,
you’ve been through a lot of medical
complications. You never found a reassuring
doctor to give you perfectly clear information.
Despite taking the pill, you became pregnant
and had to abort. Twice. Today, despite your
IUD (intrauterine device) and the fact that
your last doctor told you your chances of
getting pregnant were zero, you’re pregnant
again. You want to know what to do because
you never want to live through that again.
Your desire to have children is dead, and
you’d like information about sterilization.
Your partner, Thomas, came with you
because he shares your anger and also wants
information. You agreed, but you’re afraid of
his anger, which makes it difficult for you to
focus on what YOU need to do. It’s your body
after all.
Player 3: The Male Partner, Thomas
The woman who shares your life, Marina, is
pregnant. It’s the third time despite the fact
that she’s been taking contraception that is
supposed to be 100 percent effective. You
feel very angry. Does she not understand
what doctors told her or what? You’re here
to support her and get clear information
from this doctor. You won’t leave without
understanding everything and want no
blathering. How can they decide stuff for
other people and withhold some information?
You won’t let the doctor dominate the
situation just because Marina is afraid.
Scene 3: The Mother
(Narrator and three players)
Narrator: “A young girl comes with her
mother to the Family Planning Clinic.
She looks at her feet while her mother
asks questions.”
Character 1: The Novice Counselor
You have an appointment with a young girl
about getting contraception for the first time.
She came with her mother. If you’re ill at ease
at some point, or don’t know how to react,
keep going with your speechifying.
When you think the mother and daughter
are sufficiently informed, read the below text
and follow with a scene where you’ll play the
gynecologist who gives the girl her first pelvic
exam and Pap smear test. To simulate this, use
the plastic glove and/or cotton swabs to touch
the inside of her mouth. Don’t make it last
long. When it’s over, you can say a few words
and end the scene.
Narrator: “The young girl faces a gynecologist
for her first pelvic exam, just after the
appointment with her mother. She’s tense and
stands still.”
Character 2: The Young Girl, Anna
You asked your mother about contraception a
few weeks ago. She decided you‘d go together
to an appointment with a counselor to guide
you. Your mother is very protective towards
you. In this scene, be passive and stay silent as
much as possible.
Character 3: The Mother
You booked this appointment for your
daughter Anna after she asked you about
contraception. She’s young and doesn’t know
much, so it’s best for her if you’re the one
in charge during the meeting. Gather all the
information possible—and not only about
contraception. You can discuss it with Anna
back home. Speak for her, using “us” in
your sentences.
(Continued on next page.)
80
Scene 4: Vaginismus
(Narrator and three players)
Narrator: “A young couple came to the
Family Planning Clinic to ask questions about
their sexual problems. They’re embarrassed.”
Character 1: The Experienced Counselor
A patient comes in with her partner. They’re
a young couple. Try to figure out how they
communicate with each other. It could be the
key to helping them. Listen to them and ask
questions before recommending a specialist.
Character 2: The Woman, Claire
You’ve been seeing Lucas for two years and
are now engaged. You tried several times to
have sex in the past few months and it’s not
working. You just can’t; it’s too painful when
he tries to come inside. You think about it
every day. You wonder what’s wrong with
you. It’s been difficult to talk with Lucas
about the situation, but you both agreed that
you should see a professional. You’re afraid
of what you’re going to hear. What if nothing
changes? The counselor seems nice though.
Character 3: The Male Partner, Lucas
You’ve been seeing Claire for two years.
You’re now engaged. You tried to have sex
several times in the past few months, and it’s
not working. She’s in pain every time. You
don’t understand why and didn’t know this
could happen. Sometimes you feel guilty.
Sometimes you think she’s the problem. It’s
a black cloud over your relationship. You
both agreed to see someone but haven’t
talked much about the situation. You don’t
feel comfortable saying all these things to a
stranger either. It’s so private!
Scene 5: Minor Abortion
(Narrator, two players, and audience member)
Narrator: “Naya isn’t coming in for the first
time. She tells the counselor how she
learned she was pregnant while she wasn’t
expecting it.”
Character 1: The Novice Counselor
Naya is the first patient you ever had. She first
visited the clinic because she was having sex
and wanted to know how to protect herself.
She’s also isolated and always visits you
without telling her family. Today, she learned
that she’s 11 weeks pregnant. In seven days,
the legal period to abort will be over. She
needs to see a doctor quickly, one who will
explain to her how to go to Belgium if it’s
too late to abort in France. The doctor might
arrange train tickets and hosting for her there.
And if that’s too complicated, it’s still possible
to do it in France under the pretext of mother
rescue (abortion to save the mother’s life) but
it’s so rare that you hesitate to talk about it.
Anyway, to see a doctor for an abortion, a
minor needs to be accompanied by an adult.
Naya needs to find one.
Character 2: The Young Girl, Naya
It’s the counselor you saw the first time you
came, when you needed advice because
you had sex with your boyfriend but knew
nothing at all. You have just learned you’re
eleven weeks pregnant. You don’t know what
to do. Keeping the child is impossible. Telling
your family is impossible. You’re sixteen,
and they‘d throw you out in the street.
You can’t talk to anybody other than this
counselor, who is the only adult you know
and trust.
Debrief
Each of you should answer the following
questions with a short sentence. You can also
take time later to continue the discussion:
How do you feel right now?
How are the practices in your country, the same
or different? How do you think they should be?
You might have made errors while discussing
some topics in game. You can get reliable
information here: http://www.arhp.org/
About the Designers
Leïla Teteau-Surel and Baptiste Cazes are French larp designers. They have contributed to many progressive larps, conventions,
and publications about larp in the French community and abroad. In recent years, they’ve mostly designed games about social
and political issues.
In your family, nobody
ever talks about sex.
DIFFICULT DECISIONS 81
by CathrionaTobin
Background
Read this section aloud to the group.
Voluntary abortion is illegal in Ireland. What
follows is a timeline of laws and court cases
impacting the issue.
In 1861 the Offences Against the Person
Act criminalizes unlawful miscarriage, with
punishments of up to life imprisonment.
In 1983 a Constitutional Amendment is passed
in hopes of preventing the future legalization
of abortion. The amendment asserts that the
unborn have a right to life equal to that of the
mother, and that Irish law will respect, defend,
and vindicate that right.
In 1992 a 14-year-old who is pregnant after
statutory rape becomes suicidal and seeks
an abortion in the UK. The Irish Attorney
General successfully brings a suit to prevent
her from doing so in the landmark “X Case.”
The Supreme Court overrules the decision,
permitting the teen to have the abortion.
Although constitutional changes are proposed,
none of them become law.
In 2010 the European Court of Human Rights
decides the case A, B, and C v. Ireland. The
Court rules that Ireland has violated the
European Convention for Human Rights
because it has not established an accessible and
effective procedure to tell women if they qualify
for a legal abortion. As a result…
In 2013 the Irish government signs
the Protection of Life During Pregnancy Act into
law. This Act states that an abortion can only be
legally performed if the mother’s life is at stake
due to physical or mental illness, as assessed and
certified by multiple medical professionals.
This game examines the impact of these
regulations on Irish people.
Setup
Each player will create a pregnant character and
then two supporting cast members.
Create Pregnant Characters (5 minutes)
Every pregnant character is in the following
situation: You are living in Ireland in 2015 and
have recently learned that you are pregnant.
You can either keep your baby, or make an
expensive trip to the United Kingdom to have
an abortion. Such trips are risky, as rumor and
misinformation on abortion are rife in Ireland,
leading women who make the trip to dodgy
backstreet clinics because they are afraid
to go to authorities who could give them
good information.
Give your character a first name. Choose one
background below to represent your character’s
specific situation, or create your own:
• A woman in a committed relationship.
Her baby has severe fetal abnormalities and
will have a poor quality of life if it survives
the birth.
• An underage girl. Her consensual sex with
her beloved underage boyfriend will become
statutory rape if it is discovered.
• A trans man. He has fallen pregnant
unintentionally and is horrified by the
betrayal of his body.
• A woman with a severe alcohol or drug
dependency. She is concerned that the stress
of pregnancy will hinder her progress in the
fight against her addiction.
• A survivor of rape or incest. They are
pregnant with their rapist’s baby.
• A woman keen to have children. She was
diagnosed with cancer after she became
pregnant. The required chemotherapy could
be dangerous to the child.
Feel free to discuss your characters with each
other as you create them; ideally, each character
should spotlight a different situation. 
(Continued on next page.)
First Joyful Mystery
3– 5
Players
60
Minutes
Intensity
Supplies:
Paper and pencils.
Keywords:
Ireland, laws,
abortion, rape,
gender, cancer,
tough decisions.
82
Create Supporting Cast (5 minutes)
Next create two supporting cast members: one
who encourages your character to have an
abortion and another who discourages your
character from doing so.
For example:
• A kindly teacher who is concerned with the
pregnant character’s future.
OR
• The local Catholic priest who is concerned
with the pregnant character’s eternal soul.
• A close friend who wishes life will continue
unchanged.
OR
• A medical professional who is obliged to
advise against abortion.
• The baby’s father who believes the pregnancy
to be a mistake.
OR
• A parent who is excited about becoming a
grandparent.
Scene Structure and Safety (2 minutes)
Read aloud and discuss:
If you feel your boundaries are about to be
crossed, or already have been, you can say, “stop
the game.” All play should then stop, and the
person who spoke should be made comfortable.
Play
Sit in a circle.
Each player will play through a scene in
which their pregnant character considers their
options, with both of the supporting character
viewpoints represented. This can be one longer
scene with both supporting characters, taking
place in, say, a family home or a hospital.
Alternatively, it can be two different, shorter
scenes, each with one supporting character.
Each player will be a supporting cast member
for the players they are sitting next to.
Scenes (5 to 7 minutes per player)
Whoever wants to can go first. Choose whether
you will play one scene or two and frame a
scene, detailing the location, characters involved,
and when the scene takes place. Then, give the
players to your right and left a thumbnail sketch
of their supporting roles.
The players in the scene take their places and
the scene begins. Scenes with all three characters
should last no longer than five minutes; scenes
with just two characters should last no longer
than three minutes. A scene ends when someone
says, “cut.”
When the scenes are over, the players return to
the circle. The player of the pregnant character
gives a short epilogue for their character,
explaining what their decision is.
Play then proceeds clockwise to the next person
in the circle. The game ends when all the
pregnant characters have been played and have
delivered their epilogues.
Debrief
This can be a difficult topic. When everyone has
played their turn, return to the circle to debrief.
Allow each person a few minutes to discuss
their experience.
About the Designer
Cathriona Tobin (Ireland) is the Managing Director and co-owner of Pelgrane Press. She has been heavily involved in the
tabletop roleplaying industry in Ireland and the UK since the late 1990s as a writer, accountant, convention director, and
publisher. She likes coffee, hates mornings and is not a secret agent.
DIFFICULT DECISIONS 83
If you can’t trust me
with a choice, how can you
trust me with a child?
—Unknown
VIOLENT
ENCOUNTERS
86
Background
“Girls can wear jeans
And cut their hair short
Wear shirts and boots
‘Cause it’s OK to be a boy.
But for a boy to look like a girl is degrading
‘Cause you think that being a girl is degrading
But secretly you’d love to know what it’s like
Wouldn’t you
What it feels like for a girl?”
—Original quote by Charlotte Gainsbourg in
The Cement Garden, 1993; later adapted in
the lyrics to “What It Feels Like for A Girl?”
by Madonna, 2009
This game is about violence against women and
takes that violence seriously. If you’re in the
mood for something ludicrous or comic, this
game is not for you.
This game is an exercise in empathy, designed
for cisgendered men and a cisgendered or
transgendered woman moderator. The men
will portray girls or women who have just
escaped from a situation of abuse and violence
perpetrated by men.
The scenario takes place once the women have
reached a protected, but unfamiliar environment,
such as a hospital or women’s shelter. For the
sake of their psychological and physical health,
the women have abandoned something precious
to them. Now, they have the opportunity to
tell their stories in a group conversation similar
to group therapy. The cis or trans woman
moderator will play a mediator within the game
scene. She establishes the order of speaking for
the characters, acknowledges each speech act,
offers her thanks, can subtly encourage someone
to talk, etc.
The presence of an audience, especially
one consisting of cis or trans women,
is strongly recommended.
Once the characters have shared their stories,
the audience should ask the players about their
choices, stories, and behaviors; critique; make
suggestions; or even share their own personal
histories if they feel comfortable doing so. At all
times, please act with love.
The hope is that after this activity, male players
will have given some thought to what being a
woman in our society is like, reflected upon their
own privilege, and become more empathetic
towards women.
Setup
Making Characters (10 mins)
“One is not born, but rather becomes, a woman.”
—Simone de Beauvoir, The Second Sex, 1949
Hand out paper and pens to the players.
The players can chose to portray women whose
story they have read in a newspaper, so that they
can have a voice. They can create their character
based on real stories about domestic violence,
sexual aggression, discrimination, misogyny, and
so on.
Each player should give their character:
• A name.
• A history that explains how they arrived here.
• A sorrow, which is what they had to let go in
order to survive.
• An emotion about being here: either hope,
the faith that things will get better, or
• A disbelief, a melancholic certainty that
nothing will change.
The game consists of the characters telling their
stories in a group therapy session, and the game
ends when the mediator asks the characters to
hug. Ask if everyone here is comfortable with
hugging, and let people opt out of they need to.
By Livia von Sucro
Girl: A Game for Boys
3+
Players
Cis men players,
plus one cis or trans
woman facilitator,
and an optional
but recommended
audience of cis and
trans women.
50
Minutes
Intensity
Supplies:
Paper and pens.
Keywords:
Domestic violence,
sexual aggression,
discrimination,
misogyny.
VIOLENT ENCOUNTERS 87
Play
Everybody sits in a circle. Explain to the players
that the mediator will ask each character to talk.
When play begins, the first character should
introduce herself with her name and tell her
story with as many details as she feels fit. As she
tells her story, she must include her Sorrow and
end with her Hope or Disbelief.
Continue until each person has spoken for about
five to eight minutes. Interrupting is not allowed.
After the mediator thanks the last woman for
sharing, she must urge all the players to rise
from their seats and hug each other for a few
moments. She remains in her place.
Debrief
After the embrace ends, ask the audience to
participate. Remind them to act with love.
The players should also be able to freely express
their experience of the game. How are they
feeling right now? What was their experience
of the scenario?
About the Designer
Livia von Sucro creates emotional and political games in Brazil. She likes books, dogs, chocolate, and ten-sided dice. When not
blogging about RPGs, she spends her days working as a doctor—a psychiatrist—to be exact.
One is not born,
but rather becomes,
a woman.
88
Background
This game is about a mass shooting that takes
place on a college campus. It focuses on the
way that lone male gunmen often target women.
You’ll play 20-year-old Computer Science
majors working on a group project as the
shooting unfolds.
The playing time is divided into four phases.
Each phase lasts exactly five minutes, except
for the last one. The game’s tone should
start out quite light and move into starker
emotional territory.
Setup
Choose someone to act as facilitator—everyone
else will play a character. The facilitator should
read the Background, Mechanics, and Character
Creation sections aloud.
Mechanics
At the beginning of each phase, the facilitator
should set a timer for five minutes and start it.
They should then read the Scene Text aloud and
players should play out the scene. After each
scene, characters will have a chance to send
tweets or text messages to people in their lives.
At the end of each phase, the facilitator will
read aloud a Fact about mass shootings before
moving to the next phase.
Character Creation (10 minutes)
Everyone will play 20-year-old Computer
Science majors who are cis or trans women.
Choose the name of a woman killed in a school
shooting: Anne, Genevieve, Natalie, Sonia,
Katie, Veronica, Kim, or Serena.
Working together as a group, decide:
• What each character’s most important
personal relationship is within the group.
• What each character’s most important
personal relationship is outside of the group.
• The topic of the group project and everyone’s
role in it.
Play
Phase 1 (5 minutes)
Scene Text: All four characters are in the library,
talking about their group project. The tone of
this scene should be relatively light, friendly, and
collegial. At the end of this scene, you should
know each of the characters better.
When the timer goes off: Tell them to take
a minute to write tweets or text messages to
people in their lives.
Fact: Since 2006, there have been 220 mass
shootings in the United States. There is a 98
percent likelihood the perpetrator of a mass
shooting is male.
Phase 2 (5 minutes)
Scene Text: All four characters are meeting
in the commons and discussing recent events.
TVs in the area are showing a news report
about a campus shooting in another state. The
characters should try to bond emotionally
while discussing their significant relationships.
Characters may discuss the shooting if they wish,
though they shouldn’t feel the need to dwell
on it.
When the timer goes off: Tell them to take
a minute to write tweets or text messages to
people in their lives.
Fact: In 2014, Elliot Rodger took the lives of
six people and wounded 14 others. He wrote:
“Women must be punished for their crimes
of rejecting such a magnificent gentleman
as myself.”
Phase 3 (5 minutes)
Scene Text: All four characters are in the library
after an emergency alert has just announced
a lockdown for their campus. They should
discuss whether they think the threat is genuine
or just “security theater.” During this scene,
the facilitator can increase the tension by
mentioning that the characters have heard a
noise or think they see something.
By Rowan Cota
Her Last Tweet
5
Players
Including a
facilitator.
45
Minutes
Intensity
Supplies:
Notecards or paper
and pens for the
players, one coin,
and a timer.
Keywords:
School shooting,
text messages,
women in STEM.
VIOLENT ENCOUNTERS 89
When the timer goes off: Tell them to take
a minute to write tweets or text messages to
people in their lives. However, only allow 30
seconds to write texts or tweets before asking
players to put their pencils down.
Fact: In the United States, 64 percent of mass
shooting victims are women. Survivor’s guilt
causes many of the women who survive
traumatic experiences, such as mass shootings,
to feel suicidal. Surviving doesn’t always
mean living.
Phase 4
The facilitator should flip a coin once for each
character and record the results. Then the
facilitator should flip a coin one additional time.
Any character whose result matches that of the
final flip has been killed by the shooter. These
players should read their final text or tweet
aloud. Characters who weren’t killed should
share a single thought about the fact that they
survived. This is not a full scene, just a single
concluding moment for each surviving character.
Debrief
As a group, sit in a circle and discuss your
experiences.
Here are some questions to get the conversation
started:
• Who was your final text/tweet to? How does
it feel to know those were (or could have
been) your last words?
• How did it feel to have the final text writing
phase cut short?
• If you survived, how does that feel? Are you
angry? Guilty? Relieved?
• If you died, how does that feel? Are you
angry? Sad? Heartbroken?
References:
Overberg, Paul, Meghan Hoyer, Mark Hannan,
Jodi Upton, Barbie Hansen, and Erin Durkin.
“Behind The Bloodshed: The Untold Story Of
America’s Mass Killings.” USATODAY.COM.
USA Today, 2013. Web. 28 Dec. 2015.
www.gannett-cdn.com/GDContent/mass-
killings/index.html#explore
Kluger, Jeffrey. “Why Mass Killers Are Always
Male.” Time. Time, 25 May 2014. Web.
28 Dec. 2015.
www.time.com/114128/elliott-rodgers-ucsb-
santa-barbara-shooter/
Follman, Mark, Gavin Aronsen, and
Deanna Pan. “A Guide to Mass Shootings in
America.” Mother Jones. Mother Jones, 20 July
2012. Web. 28 Dec. 2015. Updated: October 2,
2015 and December 3, 2015.
www.motherjones.com/politics/2012/07/mass-
shootings-map
About the Designer
Rowan Cota (US), an intersectional feminist, wrote this game as a response to the epidemic of misogynist mass shootings
in the US. When she’s not busy Having An Opinion she blogs, plays games, and engages in random acts of self-expression.
Her upcoming projects include an urban fantasy tarot game and a game about pirates.
In the United States,
64% of mass shooting
victims are women.
90
Background
This is a collaborative freeform storytelling
game where players, working together, will
describe the experience of a single female soldier
serving in active combat duty in the US military.
Setup
One player will lead, and keep hold of the
game text. Find a random object to serve as a
narrative control “button” and place it within
reach of all players. The leader will read out
the setup for the scene. Any player can pick up
the button and start to describe the scene. Scenes
do not need to follow a traditional narrative
arc. Players collectively make a descriptive
collage of memories, images, and feelings based
on the GIs experiences. They should keep their
contributions short and descriptive, and readily
hand off to new players as they are eager to
contribute. Scenes should only be about five
minutes long. The leader can end a scene that is
running long by narrating an end, and putting
the button down.
Play
Scene 1 Setup
Female soldiers enlist for the same reasons as
their male counterparts do: to serve, to travel,
for education, training, or simply because they
need a job. What kind of life did our G.I.
have before she enlisted? Why did she sign up?
Who was heartbroken, and who had never
been more proud?
Scene 2 Setup
There are no special accommodations made
for female soldiers. They go through the same
drills, pass the same tests, and use the same
equipment—all originally designed for men.
Sometimes they even live in co-ed barracks.
How did the drill instructors deride her when
she struggled on the rope climb? How did she
hide the fact that her pack was cutting into the
flesh of her hips? How did she prove without a
shadow of a doubt that she had the steel to kill,
coldly and efficiently?
Scene 3 Setup
In the field, female soldiers have access to
exactly the same jobs as male soldiers, and
most of them serve in co-ed units. When our
G.I. thinks about her greatest contribution to
her unit, what day does she remember? Who did
she have to kill to keep her unit safe? Who got
shot trying to save her? When the chopper went
down, who got burned and who was saved?
Scene 4 Setup
Female combat soldiers face a greater risk of
Military Sexual Trauma, or MST, than they do
Combat Trauma. Seventy-nine percent of female
soldiers in the US Military report experiencing
sexual harassment during their time in service.
Fifty-four percent report unwanted sexual
contact. Thirty percent report rape—one third
of which report multiple rape events and
14 percent of which report gang rape. When
and how was it that our G.I. came face to face
with the MST epidemic?
Scene 5 Setup
Those who report MST incidents or pursue
justice often don’t fare well. They face backlash:
violence, further sexual assault, transfers, and
discharge. Occasionally they win justice. MST
victims face sharply elevated levels of Post
Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), addiction,
depression and homelessness when they leave
service. Who shattered her by denying what
happened? How did they hurt her for speaking
the truth? What became of her when she left
the military?
By MoyraTurkington
Tour of Duty
2–5
Players
Including a
facilitator.
45
Minutes
Intensity
Supplies:
An object
to denote the
active player.
Keywords:
Military culture,
combat trauma,
sexual violence,
rape.
VIOLENT ENCOUNTERS 91
Debrief
This subject matter of this nano-scenario may
have strong emotional effects on some players.
Check in on each other and talk about the
experience to ensure everyone has a safe place
to land.
“Combat trauma is bad enough, but with MST
[Military Sexual Trauma] it’s not the enemy, it’s
our guys who are doing it. You’re fighting your
friends, your peers, people you’ve been told have
your back. That betrayal, then the betrayal from
the command is, they say, worse than the sexual
assault itself.”
—Susan Avila-Smith, MST Survivor Veteran,
Women Organizing Woman
References:
Sadler, Booth, Cook, & Doebbeling, Factors
Associated With Women’s Risk of Rape in the
Military Environment, American Journal of
Industrial Medicine 43:262–273 (2003)
www.arlingtonwestsantamonica.org/docs/Sadler_
Military_Environment.pdf	
Pavao, Turchik, Hyun, et al. Military Sexual
Trauma among Homeless Veterans, Journal of
General Internal Medicine. 2013;28 Suppl 2
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/
PMC3695264/
About the Designer
Moyra Turkington (Canada) is a larpwright, game designer, and practitioner with a background in Cultural Studies and
Theatre. Her designs include Crime & Punishment (which won Game Chef in 2006), and Run Them Again (which won the
Jury’s Special Prize Otto award at Fastaval 2014). She is also the curator and publisher of War Birds, an anthology of games
by female designers about the contributions of women in World War II which includes her games Against the Grain, and
Model Protectorates.
There are no special
accommodations
made for female soldiers.
92
Feminism is the radical notion
that women are people.
—Marie Shear
93HOW TO MAKE #FEMINISM
The world could use more unapologetically feminist
game design and you are just the person to do it. We’re
going to tell you how we made this anthology so that
you can borrow, remix and hack our methods to make
your own anthology.
In making #Feminism we had the following goals:
• sneak more feminism into our ordinary
gaming spaces
• persuade more women, particularly first-time
designers, to make games and mentor them
• get feminist games into the hands of others
• have fun
We assembled the organizing team rapidly. Lizzie had
an idea to make an anthology of feminist nano-games.
On the way to a small convention, she asked Anna to
come aboard. It became clear that Misha would be an
invaluable addition to the team when she spoke up at a
brainstorming session we organized there.
To make this project sustainable, we made specific
choices. We wanted games from the awesome feminists
that we knew and also from awesome feminists that
we didn’t. We also wanted to minimize hate mail. We
decided that, rather than make an open call for games,
we’d start with the core convention group and give every
person involved the option to refer a few others, who in
turn could refer others.
Within six weeks, we had a community of nearly 80
feminists on multiple continents interested in working
on the project. Whoever produced a game by the content
deadline was in. We ended up with nearly three dozen
games—the project had gotten big fast!
Grand ambitions require a beautiful print project. Skilled
designer Shuo Meng, whom we met because another
participant tagged her into the project, decided to
forsake writing a game in favor of giving others’ efforts
the luxurious layout they deserved. We covered print
costs through a successful crowdfunding campaign. We
produced this book, start to finish, in less than
six months.
Our calendar looked a bit like this:
• Early September: the idea was hatched, and those
who wanted game design mentors were paired with
more experienced designers within the project.
• Early November: First drafts were due. By this
time we had found Shuo and started talking about
layout ideas.
• Late November: Editing was completed and we
launched our crowd-funding campaign.
• Early December: Second drafts were due.
• Mid December: Copyediting was completed.
• Early January: We gave the entire manuscript to
our graphic designer for layout.
• Early February: The proofed manuscript was sent
to the printer.
If we had it to do over again, we would have made the
deadline for first drafts earlier, so that we didn’t have
to crash-edit everything during December. We hope you
learn from our methods and mistakes: get out there,
team up with your friends, write your own brilliant
feminist games, and make a collection! We look forward
to playing what you create.
#Feminism
HOW TO MAKE
94
The Editors
We’d like to thank the game authors, the diligent
copyeditors, and our amazing designer Shuo, for making
this possible. Thanks to the Indiegogo contributors,
who made it possible to provide a print product, the
SandCon community where this all started, and the
larger community around #Feminism, who helped us
find members, advertise, and generally cheered us on,
as well as providing sparring and playtesting. And thanks,
of course, to all the feminists who have inspired us,
past and present.
Indiegogo Supporters
:-), Anonymous (100+), Francesca & Simone, Mark
Redacted, Lady Bea, Orlov, Penda, Tok, Yes, Zekiye,
Rob Abrazado, The Adventure Game Store & Dragon’s
Lair, Electra L. Allenton, Natalie Arch, Richard August,
gal avnat, Johannes Axner, Thomas B., Nis Haller
Baggesen, Leonard Balsera, Sanna Barsk, Julia Becker,
Caitlynn Belle, Tobias Bindslet, Stefan Björk, Nathan
Black, Alex Blue, Emily Care Boss, Trent “Ax_kidson”
Boyd, Stephanie Bryant, Abigail Bunyan, Andi Carrison,
Stuart Chaplin, Menachem Cohen, Jon Cole, Jason Cox,
Philippe “Sildoenfein” D., Stentor Danielson, Kirt “Loki”
Dankmyer, Steve Dee, Angela DeLong-Andersson,
Steve Dempsey, Jeff Dieterle, Cecilia Dolk, Mark
Edwards, Sarah Einstein, Stephen Joseph Ellis, Linn
Eriksson, Enigmatic Events, Eirik Fatland, Kristin Firth,
Colin Fredericks, Aaron Friesen, Jennifer Fuss, Ole
Peder Giæver, Nick Golding, Björn Grafström, Stephanie
Habicht, Ara Hacopian, Arne Handt, Krista Harper,
Karijn van der Heij, Minna Heimola, Hélène Henry,
Mo Holkar, Flemming H. Jacobsen, Kayla Jacoby,
Raphaël Jarrige, Robin Jendryaszek, Seth Johnson, Carol
L. Johnson, Taisia Kann, Patty Kirsch, Emelie Klanac,
Christopher Kurts, Taylor LaBresh, Alexis Lamiable,
Sarah A Lancaster, Simon Larsson, Becki Lee, Jennifer
Lewis, Petra Lindve, Lapo Luchini, Mirella Machancoses,
Holger Marklund, Côme Martin, Andrew Medeiros,
Hila grgory meinrat, Patrice Mermoud, Eric Mersmann,
Marshall Miller, YG Mitchell, William Nichols, Julia
Nienaber, Emma Nix, Candi Norwood, Morgan Nuncio,
B. Ochoa, Daniel Offrell, Clark Olson-Smith, Tim Olsson,
Johannes Oppermann, Iti-Liis Orro, Craig Oxbrow,
Nathan D. Paoletta, Maria Pettersson, Juhana Pettersson,
Francesco Pregliasco, Michael Prescott, Jonas Richter,
Simon Rogers, Mendel Schmiedekamp, Francesco
Rugerfred Sedda, Rachel Shapira, Rachelle Shelkey, Júlio
Cesar “Stradh” da Silva, Gustaf Sjöstedt, Gretchen E. and
Richard C. Stark, Keith Stetson, Tayler Stokes, Annica
Strand, James Stuart, Leïla Teteau-Surel, Jim Sweeney,
Uffe Thorsen, Jeff Tidball, Cathriona Tobin, Evan Torner,
Jay Treat, Pierpaolo Vittoria, James Wallis, Jonathan
Walton, Rachel E.S. Walton, Christopher Weeks,
Laura Wood, Helen Yanolatos, Sam Zeitlin.
Game Authors:
Muriel Algayres
Thanks to Leïla Teteau-Surel for endorsing me and
bringing me into this wonderful project. And to
Thierry, Chloe, Laure, Juliette, Bruno, Julien, Claire,
Anne, Stanislas, Christelle, Christine and Elie, fantastic
playtesters at Le Dernier Bar avant la Fin du Monde.
Emily Care Boss
Thank you to Evan Torner and Fastaval for inspiring
the writing of this game. To Epidiah Ravachol, Sam
Anderson and Kate Freedman for support and feedback.
To the #Feminist editing and production crew for making
this all happen.
Sarah Lynne Bowman
Thanks to Jason Morningstar and Lizzie Stark for
reading the scenario and providing feedback. And a
big thank you to my playtesters: Michelle Elbert, Sadie
Hawkins, Terra Chirieleison, Mark Nau, Morgan
Nuncio, Seth Fogarty, Harrison Greene, and Theresa
Garcia. Finally, thank you to Tori Amos, whose brave
discussion about her life as a musician and public figure
inspired this scenario.
Leïla Teteau-Surel and Baptiste Cazes
Thanks to Laura Guedes, who was part of the
brainstorming process. Her advice as a healthcare worker
was vital.
Rowan Cota
For helping test my game, thank you Avonelle Wing,
Melissa Lewis-Gentry, Amber V., and Anon. For official
sparring: Grethe Strand. For unofficial sparring: Brand
Robbins, Jason Morningstar. For immense emotional
support: Moyra Turkington. For support through
making this game: the #Feminism crew! For partnership
and all it entails: Jesse Rupp
Karin Edman
I’d like to thank Teresa Axner and David Bergkvist for
being good sparring partners.
Julia B. Ellingboe
Thank you, Kat Jones and Kate Freedman. You have no
idea, or maybe you do. Let’s talk about it next week.
Thanks to...
95THANKS YOUS
Ann K. Eriksen
Thanks to my game testers: Nynne S. Rasmussen, Astrid
S. Andersen, and Signe L. Hertel. And special thanks
to Anita Sarkeesian for inspiration, feminism and
fighting back.
Katrin Førde
I’d like to thank my sister Ida for all the support.
Kajsa Greger
Thanks to the Swedish comic book writer Liv Strömkvist
whose “Kunskapens frukt” has been a strong inspiration
for these nano games.
Elsa Helin
Thank you Joel, Martin, Amelie, Åsa, My and Kajsa
for playtesting.
Kat Jones
Miliann Kang for her inspiring research on nail salons.
My amazing Metatopia playtesters: Jay, Tayler, Alex,
Graham, Joanna, Kate, Heather, Heather, Gavin, and
Clint. Evan, Julia, Emily, and Kate for conversations and
advice throughout the design process.
Kaisa Kangas
I would like to thank my mother for raising me with an
awareness of gender issues.
Dominika Kovacova
Thank you Stano Bustor, Rasmus Teilmann, and Peter
Holub for moral support and help with design. Massive
thanks to all the amazing girls who were happy to talk.
Kira Magrann
Thanks to Lizzie Stark for giving me such excellent
feedback and encouragement. Thank you to all the
beautiful people taking selfies every day, you inspire me!
Jason Morningstar
Thanks to Sarah Lynne Bowman, Harrison Greene and
the Round Rock playtesters!
Elin Nilsen
So many thanks to The Robbers’ Club, Underskog, Trine
Lise Lindahl, and Jørn Slemdal.
Siri Sandquist
All the love to my playtesters and friends: Elli Åhlvik,
Susanne Vejdemo, Mia Häggström, Erland Nylund,
Alexander Sandrén, Olof Hedberg, Sofia Stenler, and last
but not least, Sarah Lynne Bowman, who brought it to
the US.
Laura Simpson
Thank you to Dev Purkayastha and Lizzie Stark, for
being instrumental in the production. Thank you to all of
the brilliant and brave Black women in higher education.
This game wouldn’t exist without you.
Lizzie Stark
Thanks to my Metatopia playtesters: Barbara Ng, John
Stavropoulos, Kira Magrann, Kat Jones, and James
Mendez Hodes. Thanks to Jason Morningstar, Moyra
Turkington, and George Locke for their feedback. And
thanks to my loving parents, for encouraging me in
every pursuit.
Sofia Stenler
Frida, for coming up with this bright idea and allowing
me to develop it with her, and Annica for coming to play
with us and testing it out.
Livia von Sucro
I’d like to acknowledge the Brazilian Indie RPG group
and everybody who helped in polishing and playtesting
the game. Julio, thank you for your love and support.
Cathriona Tobin
Thanks to my thoughtful playtesters Jenny Donne,
Stiainín Jackson, Simon Rogers, and Karolina Sołtys,
whose beautiful, tragic play inspired a number of the
character options.
Evan Torner
Thanks to Kat Jones for inspiring this game, and to
Emily Care Boss for being inspired by it!
Moyra Turkington
My thanks go to the soldiers who have share their
MST experiences openly, and fight bravely for justice.
Though my game focuses on female soldiers (who face
an exponentially higher rate of MST per capita), I would
also like to note that MST is a critical issue for male
soldiers as well (who are diagnosed in higher numbers
of overall due to their greater demographic share in
the military).
Susanne Vejdemo
Thanks to the wonderful people who turned up at Sverok
Stockholm’s office for the play test, and to Tor Kjetil
Edland for brilliant suggestions on game design.
Anna Westerling
Thanks to playtesters Sofie Falk and Maria Ljung.
96
Players
Minutes
Intensity
Supplies:
Keywords:
Title
WRITE YOUR OWN #FEMINISM
Publisher
Pelgrane Press
For Pelgrane Press
Alex Roberts
Wade Rockett
Editors
Misha Bushyager
Lizzie Stark
Anna Westerling
Assistant Editor and
Graphic Designer
Shuo Meng
Head Copyeditors
Sarah Lynne Bowman
Marshall Miller
Jason Morningstar
Copyeditors
Vicki Borah Bloom
Kristin Firth
Josh Jordan
Kirsten Hageleit
Shervyn von Hoerl
Eric Mersmann
Heather Silsbee
Emma Leigh Waldron
Jonathan Walton
Autumn Winters
Accounting
Anders Hultman
Crowdfunding Consultant
Cathriona Tobin
Sparring Partners
Tor Kjetil Edland
Anna Emilie Groth
Kat Jones
Dominika Kovacova
Jason Morningstar
Dev Purkayastha
Brand Robins
Grethe Strand
Susanne Vejdemo
Annika Waern
Sara Williamson
Members of the
#Feminism Collective
Muriel Algayres
Tora de Boer
Vicki Borah Bloom
Emily Care Boss
Sarah Lynne Bowman
Baptiste Cazes
Rowan Cota
Tor Kjetil Edland
Karin Edman
Julia B. Ellingboe
Ann K. Eriksen
Katrin Førde
Kristin Firth
Kajsa Greger
Anna Emilie Groth
Kirsten Hageleit
Elsa Helin
Shervyn von Hoerl
Anders Hultman
Kat Jones
Josh Jordan
Kaisa Kangas
Johanna Koljonen
Dominika Kovacova
Frida Karlsson Lindgren
Kira Magrann
Eric Mersmann
Marshall Miller
Jason Morningstar
Elin Nilsen
Dev Purkayastha
Brand Robins
Liz Rywelski
Siri Sandquist
Heather Silsbee
Laura Simpson
Sofia Stenler
Rachael Storey
Grethe Strand
Livia von Sucro
Agata Świstak
Leïla Teteau-Surel
Cathriona Tobin
Evan Torner
Moyra Turkington
Susanne Vejdemo
Annika Waern
Emma Leigh Waldron
Jonathan Walton
Eva Wei
Sara Williamson
Avonelle Wing
Autumn Winters
CONTRIBUTORS
WRITE YOUR OWN #FEMINISM 97
This collection and arrangement © Pelgrane Press Ltd 2017, and is published by arrangement with
Fëa Livia. Pelgrane Press is co-owned by Simon Rogers and Cathriona Tobin.
First edition published by Fea Livia, a nonprofit organization, specializing in roleplay and larp-related
books since 1993, and printed by Tallinna Raamatutrükikoja oü, 2016.
The copyright of each game is owned by its respective creator.
#FEMINISMANANO-GAMEANTHOLOGYPELGRANEPRESS*STONESKINPRESS
#FeminismA Nano-Game Anthology
Looking at the world through a feminist lens reveals absurd, tragic, and fascinating situations.
Written by feminists from eleven different countries, #Feminism offers bite-sized takes on contemporary
feminist issues. Each of the 34 nano-games in this collection requires between three and five participants,
simple (if any) props, and up to an hour of play time.
The games range from silly to serious, including scenarios about selfies and rom-coms as well as
reproductive rights and domestic violence. And of course, enjoyment has no ideological boundaries—
there are games here for participants new to feminism as well as those experienced in making gender
arguments on the internet.