So earlier this year the idea of creating "play challenges" rather than "design challenges" got floated around on Story Games. That resulted in the rather awesome setting/system cross over play challenge. I've been mulling over the idea of doing a series of play challenges over the course of 2009 centered and major US Holidays. The core of the challenge is getting people to muck around with the whole concept of self-discovery and social vulnerability that permeates my ideas I call "Playing Passionately".

However, something came up in the monthly "Things To Watch" thread over on Story Games that has kind of prompted me to start a little earlier. Colin posted this link:

http://nymag.com/daily/entertainment/2008/12/the_black_list_2008_the_full_l.html

It's a list of film synopses that got a lot of insider buzz but didn't get made. Here's the challenge:

Pick ONE (and only one, no mixing and matching) and play it out in any game you like. Notice that most of them are focused on a single protagonist. Part of the challenge is to make that work. When you're done write up an AP post and in particular address the following points in as much or as little detail as you are comfortable with.

1) What, if anything, was at stake for the central character(s) in real world terms?

2) What did the created fiction end up saying about that?

3) In what way did that speak or fail to speak to you personally?

4) What, if anything, did you learn about yourself relative to the emotional content of the fiction?

5) What, if anything, did you learn about your fellow players relative to the emotional content of the fiction?

Back-Door Design Contest: If any of the ideas grab you that you feel compelled to make a custom game around the idea, that's fine. However, you only get credit for this contest if you move into the play-testing stage and answer the above five questions about the experience.

So what do you win? Well, I'll read the APs and comment on which ones I find the most "grabby." And the ones I find the most inspiring I'll immortalize them by linking to them from my Play Passionately blog.

Good luck!

Jesse