The Quiet Year Games night

Will be played in the foyer of The Edge in the bay windows. The aim of this game is to get the community working together, thinking critically and having fun. The learning that is embedded in this evening is social and critical literacy. The game also encourage collaborative design and an immersive experience where you invest yourself in trying things in 'your game community'.

Materials needed

Projector & Computer (or app on phone) to display powerpoint instructions

Powerpoint of the games rules to refer to when needed.

Facilitators notes to help with explaining

Contempt tokens (laser cut)

Coloured pencils/pens

Plane piece of paper for map

Paper for writing the Abundance & Scarcity

10 dice per table

Quiet year cards

Music for atmosphere

Preparation

Play the game beforehand

Recommendations

Only 2-4 players (including you) and a facilitator needs to be at each table.

Small table so that it is an intimate setting

Have cheat sheet projected throughout so that everyone can see it (last page on the powerpoint)

Keep the pace up at the beginning to get through all of the rules

Here are all the docs that you will need:

The Quiet Year

facilitator_notes_the_quiet_year.pdf

Further learning

See other Apocalyptic games-

Fiasco https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uuJizhyf-y4

Apocalypse world http://apocalypse-world.com/

Werewolf https://www.playwerewolf.co/rules/

Introduction

Explain why we are playing this game (The purpose is to develop an understanding of apocalyptic gaming and explore what is fun about that space)

Get started (refer to the facilitator notes and the rules)

Post Discussion

Call out for the group to reflect on their experience

Make mention of design elements (how we all contributed to the design. Collaboration.

Immersion into the experience (were invested) and affected us directly.

Share

Share any ideas that it makes the group think of

End

Find a way to say good bye and close the evening.

You may wish to get people to fill out surveys on devices or email that through to them later.

Reflection

We had a full house for this event! It was the first games night at the edge and it was a huge success. All people were engaged and stayed for the game. There were four tables set up. Each with an edge staff member at. Chips were available. I put a bowl on each games table when everyone had arrived and let everyone know that they could top them up and that there was cold water and glasses available. Help yourselves. Everyone did. It felt fluid and made the night relaxed. Each table had a chance to talk about the larger project which sparked some interest. It was a fun and engaging night with mixed ages and abilities!

Evaluation

Eventbrite Pre

Forms post

Pre

12 people signed up online (our capacity). We also had a wait list. We sent out an email on the Friday before seeing if anyone would not be able to make it along. Then swapped in people from the waiting list. I believe that this made for a complete attendance on the night for a free event.

Community Development

16% have no feeling of connnection

16% very much have a connection

33% of signs up have been coming for over 12 months to the Edge.

16% it is is their first time

Post

Community Development

Do you feel connected to The Edge community?

20% not at all

20% somewhat connected

40% not sure

Cultural participation

Did you feel engaged by the games night?

80% Somewhat yes

20% very much so

Community Development

Did you have a conversation with someone new?

80% Very much so

20 % Somewhat yes

Accessing Resources

80% very much so

20% somewhat yes

Idea building

60% somewhat had new ideas

20 % very much so had new ideas

Other

1. I had a great time! The Edge staff member who facilitated our game was very friendly and engaging, but wasn't very familiar with the rules. This made gameplay a bit confusing at times. There was very little opportunity to meet and talk to people in different game groups.

2. Like many of the Edge's initiatives, I feel like this is a great answer to the question of what function libraries can serve in the age of Google, Wikipedia, eBooks, etc. It's still about a library's fundamental purpose - making resources available to the public. It's just that the nature of those resources is changing; the focus is less on hard copy books, and more about (a) tools that no one person needs to own, but that benefits communities to have access to - extensive reference catalogues, sure, but also laser cutters, 3D printers, sewing machines, etc. And (b) the means to build and grow the communities they're a part of - shared spaces, collaborative processes, and community events like game night

3. I liked how we had a facilitator at each table because that helped our table of strangers to get talking and play the game

4. Loved it.

Photos