For you Gamers Out There

[Sealynx]

Sharon's post got me to thinking about how much an adventure game I recently tried to play reminded me of my family. This games odds were heavily stacked against the players. There was little strategy and almost complete randomness in terms of bad things happening.

 Here is a challenge. Think of your family as a game. What are the rules? What made/makes the game hard to win? What rules do you need to rewrite in order to make it work for you? Are you assuming that life will treat you the same way that the game did? What rules and strategies do you need to rewrite in your head to stop playing the game with your FOO and others in your life?

In my game the object was to close gates that monsters could come through. However the first step in closing the gate was to get sucked through it, separated from your game mates and left to fend for yourself alone in a nether world where you were forced to draw cards that were almost always bad. A dice throw could get you out (randomness) but only after several rounds of suffering. The worst part of this game was that new rules were always being introduced by the cards other players would draw. So many rules came into play that moving (doing anything) became tedius and made me want to quit trying to win (withdraw into myself).

This is exactly what it felt like to be in my family. I asked myself am I still playing that game? Do I assume when things get tough that situations are unwinable and that randomness will destroy my efforts??

[Redhead Erin]

Great thought, Sealynx.  I havea friend from a homeschooling board who says "Family is an Extreme Sport."  It's true. 

My game would be an adaptation of "Alice in Wonderland." I always feel like I went down a rabbit hole into an alternate reality. 

[Worn]

Oh yeah, I definitely find myself playing by the 'old' rules.  It's hard to tell if I am playing by the old rules unless I define them though. 
Here goes...
The characters you deal with will have one unchangeable rule about them, they will always change, often in unpredictable and bizarre ways. 
The rules will not be stated, you will have to find them out for yourself. 
The rules are also subject to change at any moment. 
While one day a particular action may bring you 'forward' in the game, the next day it may reset you to the beginning, or send you directly to jail. 
There will be no get out of jail free cards, release from jail is completely dependent on the Jailer's whim. 
The length of your sentence will not be told to you, neither will the reason you are in jail be told to you. 
The Jailer has all the power, if you try to reserve any power for yourself you will be severely penalized in the game.  Shackles may be placed on you to limit your mobility.
While trying to figure out how to play the game you will be constantly ridiculed for even attempting it.  You will also not be allowed to quit the game. 

So who wants to play?  Ugh, I want a new game.  Something that makes sense, has rules I know how to define.  Gonna go make up my own game.  And you, Jailer, are not invited!
Sharon

[Sealynx]

I think a good game design to start with is one where the characters make a list of "immunities" (i.e. boundaries). So if X happens, I know ahead of time that I need to use my immunity and not become engaged.