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Gioco Concreto / [AP] Novanta Minuti - Father Robert and Son Samson
« il: 2012-07-02 17:12:55 »
Last night I played Matteo Turini's new game Novanta Minuti with Epidiah Ravachol and Emily Care Boss. In this game, the characters are the Father, the Son, and Time. The father is dying, and the son has 90 minutes to reach him. On the way to the hospital, the son relives various memories, that the players create and then play. Basically, this is a short-form game that tells a good short story. We all had a good time, and we'd all play again. Here's the AP, with a review below, and you can find more about the game at the website: http://novantaminutirpg.wordpress.com/
We spent a little while going over the rules, sorting out who was going to play which role, and coming up with the memory triggers. The rules currently direct the Father and Son to each come up with 4 memory triggers, that are then shuffled and drawn randomly by Time, who starts the scene. Time also keeps track of the timeline, and based on what happens in the scenes, adds to the Father's time remaining, or advances the clock, making it less likely for the Son to arrive in time,
Eppy played Time, and he asked lots of questions. Part of Time's job is to put pressure on the father and son, and we got some great questions.
Emily played the father, Robert. He was an athletic, outdoorsy type, who climbed mountains and loved sports.
I played Samson, the son. I was into science and staying indoors and stuff. I had a wife, with a baby due in a month or so.
Our set-up was a sunny late summer day in southern California, mid-morning so the traffic's not too bad. On the way there, we had the following memory scenes:
1.Doing chemistry homework when I was 16
Samson needed help, and Dad was willing to try, but he really couldn't help me because he didn't remember anything from high school chem. Also, Time asked me; "Samson, what does Dad find in the book that you wish he hadn't?" A piece of paper saying "That was a great party last Friday - call me!" I was supposed to be studying at a friend's house. I wound up at a party instead. Dad was pretty mad, and laid on the guilt: "We had an agreement, Samson. You are supposed to call if your plans change, so we can come get you if you need us." I was doing the sullen teenager thing, when you know you're in the wrong but can't admit it. Time asked Dad if I had a way to call home, and I did. I had to say the cell phone was out of range. I felt bad for letting my Dad down. Eventually, I did apologize. IIRC, one white and one red token went to Time for that, and the scene ended.
2.My high school graduation, which Dad almost missed
Oh, I was pissed! And hurt. Dad was off climbing a mountain, and didn't make it there nearly until it was my turn to go on stage. Lots of old resentment about how often Dad had other things to do. Time asked questions about my girlfriend, who was standing there tapping her watch, like I didn't know my Dad was still not there. Then Dad busts in and makes a bit of a scene at the back of the auditorium. We had a little conversation after, when I sort of let Dad have it about how disappointed I was, and how I really had needed him to be there. One white token and two red - Dad put other things before me, and I was angry, but he said he was sorry and gave me a hug.
3.The family gathering a few months back where my wife and I told my parents about the coming baby
This was maybe my favorite scene. Dad was happy for me, and was trying to give me advice about how difficult pregnancy can be, and all I heard was his old-fashioned ideas about how difficult women can be. I was clearly pushing him away. Time asked Dad: "You know you are sick - how do you slip up and make some small reference to your illness?" Dad said "I accidentally say if I get to hold my grandchild instead of when." Samson rolls right over that, counting it down to Dad's out-of-date ideas about how women are the ones to care for the babies: "Of course you'll get to hold the baby, Dad. It's not like it used to be, when women were expected to do everything kid-related."
I don't remember what tokens were given for this scene, but we all saw how close it was getting and that the chances of Samson making it to his father's side were rapidly decreasing. We saw that this next scene had better have some anger in it, to push the time of death back a bit.
4.Taking the train to the winter Olympics when I was no more than 10
Oh, good. This'll work fine. I did not want to be there, going to a big sporting event with my Dad. Red token to Time for Dad putting his agenda before me and not actually thinking about what we might enjoy together. He was so enthusiastic, and I was so not. It really pointed out the differences between us, and how his hopes and expectations for me were actually fine, I was just a very different person than he was. Time had a pushy New Yorker swear and be generally rude in front of us, but Dad didn't lash out, and the guy moved on. I was unsettled by the near-fight, and showed a little bit of interest in the game schedule, to move on. Dad got really excited, made big plans for all the cool stuff we'd do. Time told about the pictures of us in matching souvenir jackets, Dad grinning and me looking painfully embarrassed. Lots or red tokens for the embarrassment of being dressed exactly like your father, at the Olympics, when you have no interest in sports.
I got to my father's bedside 1 minute before he died, and he was unable to communicate with me.
We wrote out the last questions and answers, then Time described the bedside scene with my Mom and sister. I went to Dad and took his hand, and told him I was sorry for any grief I had caused him, that I forgave him for any hurts he had caused me, and that I understood why he had done the things he'd done. I told him I loved him, he squeezed my hand and died.
REVIEW
This was a solid playtest of a good game. We had a few questions about the rules, which I think we mostly got right - we have some notes for Matteo, on things we wanted to check. The mechanics worked well, once we got the hang of them. The pacing of the game is perfect for a short-story, and seeing the effects of the memories on the remaining time was a good tensioning device.
The framing story - the father is dying and the son is rushing to see him - sounds emotionally intense, and it has a certain level of realism that some folks might not be at a place to engage, but the bulk of the game is about exploring the relationship through the memories. I come away from the game with a surprisingly strong sense of the family involved. Because all of the ephemera generated by the Father's player and the Son's player is burned at the close of the game, there was a lot of freedom to write things that were more personal than I might have otherwise. We did have one hitch - with two players writing 4 memory triggers each, the chance is there for all of one player's to be drawn, as happened in our game. This is a recommendation I'd take forward, to have each player generate 3 memory triggers, thereby ensuring that at least one from each player would be used. We put the last one back and drew again.
The final question and answer, which is never publicly revealed, comes at the perfect point in the game to provide actual catharsis to the the game. I'm looking forward to playing it again.
We spent a little while going over the rules, sorting out who was going to play which role, and coming up with the memory triggers. The rules currently direct the Father and Son to each come up with 4 memory triggers, that are then shuffled and drawn randomly by Time, who starts the scene. Time also keeps track of the timeline, and based on what happens in the scenes, adds to the Father's time remaining, or advances the clock, making it less likely for the Son to arrive in time,
Eppy played Time, and he asked lots of questions. Part of Time's job is to put pressure on the father and son, and we got some great questions.
Emily played the father, Robert. He was an athletic, outdoorsy type, who climbed mountains and loved sports.
I played Samson, the son. I was into science and staying indoors and stuff. I had a wife, with a baby due in a month or so.
Our set-up was a sunny late summer day in southern California, mid-morning so the traffic's not too bad. On the way there, we had the following memory scenes:
1.Doing chemistry homework when I was 16
Samson needed help, and Dad was willing to try, but he really couldn't help me because he didn't remember anything from high school chem. Also, Time asked me; "Samson, what does Dad find in the book that you wish he hadn't?" A piece of paper saying "That was a great party last Friday - call me!" I was supposed to be studying at a friend's house. I wound up at a party instead. Dad was pretty mad, and laid on the guilt: "We had an agreement, Samson. You are supposed to call if your plans change, so we can come get you if you need us." I was doing the sullen teenager thing, when you know you're in the wrong but can't admit it. Time asked Dad if I had a way to call home, and I did. I had to say the cell phone was out of range. I felt bad for letting my Dad down. Eventually, I did apologize. IIRC, one white and one red token went to Time for that, and the scene ended.
2.My high school graduation, which Dad almost missed
Oh, I was pissed! And hurt. Dad was off climbing a mountain, and didn't make it there nearly until it was my turn to go on stage. Lots of old resentment about how often Dad had other things to do. Time asked questions about my girlfriend, who was standing there tapping her watch, like I didn't know my Dad was still not there. Then Dad busts in and makes a bit of a scene at the back of the auditorium. We had a little conversation after, when I sort of let Dad have it about how disappointed I was, and how I really had needed him to be there. One white token and two red - Dad put other things before me, and I was angry, but he said he was sorry and gave me a hug.
3.The family gathering a few months back where my wife and I told my parents about the coming baby
This was maybe my favorite scene. Dad was happy for me, and was trying to give me advice about how difficult pregnancy can be, and all I heard was his old-fashioned ideas about how difficult women can be. I was clearly pushing him away. Time asked Dad: "You know you are sick - how do you slip up and make some small reference to your illness?" Dad said "I accidentally say if I get to hold my grandchild instead of when." Samson rolls right over that, counting it down to Dad's out-of-date ideas about how women are the ones to care for the babies: "Of course you'll get to hold the baby, Dad. It's not like it used to be, when women were expected to do everything kid-related."
I don't remember what tokens were given for this scene, but we all saw how close it was getting and that the chances of Samson making it to his father's side were rapidly decreasing. We saw that this next scene had better have some anger in it, to push the time of death back a bit.
4.Taking the train to the winter Olympics when I was no more than 10
Oh, good. This'll work fine. I did not want to be there, going to a big sporting event with my Dad. Red token to Time for Dad putting his agenda before me and not actually thinking about what we might enjoy together. He was so enthusiastic, and I was so not. It really pointed out the differences between us, and how his hopes and expectations for me were actually fine, I was just a very different person than he was. Time had a pushy New Yorker swear and be generally rude in front of us, but Dad didn't lash out, and the guy moved on. I was unsettled by the near-fight, and showed a little bit of interest in the game schedule, to move on. Dad got really excited, made big plans for all the cool stuff we'd do. Time told about the pictures of us in matching souvenir jackets, Dad grinning and me looking painfully embarrassed. Lots or red tokens for the embarrassment of being dressed exactly like your father, at the Olympics, when you have no interest in sports.
I got to my father's bedside 1 minute before he died, and he was unable to communicate with me.
We wrote out the last questions and answers, then Time described the bedside scene with my Mom and sister. I went to Dad and took his hand, and told him I was sorry for any grief I had caused him, that I forgave him for any hurts he had caused me, and that I understood why he had done the things he'd done. I told him I loved him, he squeezed my hand and died.
REVIEW
This was a solid playtest of a good game. We had a few questions about the rules, which I think we mostly got right - we have some notes for Matteo, on things we wanted to check. The mechanics worked well, once we got the hang of them. The pacing of the game is perfect for a short-story, and seeing the effects of the memories on the remaining time was a good tensioning device.
The framing story - the father is dying and the son is rushing to see him - sounds emotionally intense, and it has a certain level of realism that some folks might not be at a place to engage, but the bulk of the game is about exploring the relationship through the memories. I come away from the game with a surprisingly strong sense of the family involved. Because all of the ephemera generated by the Father's player and the Son's player is burned at the close of the game, there was a lot of freedom to write things that were more personal than I might have otherwise. We did have one hitch - with two players writing 4 memory triggers each, the chance is there for all of one player's to be drawn, as happened in our game. This is a recommendation I'd take forward, to have each player generate 3 memory triggers, thereby ensuring that at least one from each player would be used. We put the last one back and drew again.
The final question and answer, which is never publicly revealed, comes at the perfect point in the game to provide actual catharsis to the the game. I'm looking forward to playing it again.