A KIAMA Downs resident is inviting the community to use their imagination while immersing themselves in a costume party with storylines.
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The public are invited to attend and play test a new role-play game on Sunday, September 28 at the Kiama CWA Hall.
Mark Whalan, writer and presenter of Moon at Sunrise said the game is ‘‘like a costume party with a story’’.
The 20 to 75-player Australian freeform role-playing game is based on the universe of author P.G. Wodehouse universe, using the characters from Jeeves and Wooster, and Blandings Castle, both of which have been made into a BBC television series.
Mr Whalan previously wrote for the role-playing convention circuit for several years, running games in Sydney and Melbourne.
‘‘Freeform role-play has been called interactive literature,’’ he said.
‘‘If you love a story, you can read the book, see the film and now be immersed in the story as a character yourself.
‘‘The format is an Australian freeform, which means after reading a simple one-page brief, each player uses their character to make a unique story using group dynamics.
‘‘It is not a computer game but a social game, where conversation and plot decisions create shenanigans and plot resolutions.’’
Mr Whalan said this particular game was unique.
Each player is a writer and an actor at the same time, creating a unique one-off story together.
‘‘The main thing new players worry about is the difficulty.
‘‘The whole game concept is a structured group conversation.
‘‘If you can hold a conversation with one person, you can play.’’
Mr Whalan said it was not an expensive activity in terms of spending lavish amounts on costumes.
‘‘This is basically the three ‘p’s - people, paper and place.
‘‘As long as you have a room where people can interact.
‘‘It’s very challenging, because you have to think on your feet, and your character can die too.
‘‘You create this sort of immersion inside a social situation.
‘‘It can be quite dramatic and exciting; people kill each other, betray each other and interact.
‘‘This particular one is romance and shenanigans, so basically it’s much lighter than that.’’
Mr Whalan has written or is working on other games based around popular worlds as diverse as Game of Thrones, Monty Python, Harry Potter and Aliens, and often blended genres.
He also hoped to run regular events if the play test was successful.
‘‘It’s not something that’s being done anywhere else in the Illawarra,’’ he said.
‘‘One of the strange things you find is that people who are ‘nerds’, introverts, become extroverted to their skills.
‘‘So they get very good at talking to groups, because they do it all the time.’’
The free play test is on 1pm-4pm at Kiama CWA Hall, located at 70 Shoalhaven Street.
All ages are welcome.
To book characters or learn more, contact Mr Whalan on 0419 957 889 or at mwhalan@hotmail.com.