Difference between revisions of "Search and Replace"
(cleanup to make the story version the official one; clarify timing and latest rules) |
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|stuff=Category lists. Cameras. Scrabble tiles, or some other physical letters, or just a pen. | |stuff=Category lists. Cameras. Scrabble tiles, or some other physical letters, or just a pen. | ||
|crew=None. | |crew=None. | ||
| − | |preparation= | + | |preparation=Sorting tiles, preparing handouts. |
| − | |time= | + | |time=Twenty minutes. |
|place=Any urban space. | |place=Any urban space. | ||
|activities=Finding, photography, wordplay. | |activities=Finding, photography, wordplay. | ||
| Line 16: | Line 16: | ||
==Setup== | ==Setup== | ||
| − | Prepare a category list for each player - this should be a list of ten or so categories (such as: food, a city, a boy's name, an animal), which the players will try to find words to fit. | + | Prepare a category list for each player - this should be a list of ten or so categories (such as: food, a city, a boy's name, an animal), which the players will try to find words to fit. It's a bit more fun if you can work this into a fill-in-the-blanks story ("A person called [NAME] travelled to [CITY OR TOWN]..."), but a flat list is fine. |
| − | If you've got the resources, give every player a handful of Scrabble tiles, or equivalent lettered objects - it needn't be a full alphabet, | + | If you've got the resources, give every player a handful of Scrabble tiles, or equivalent lettered objects - it needn't be a full alphabet, five or six should give a good balance of freedom and challenge. If you're on a low budget, you can just give people pens, and a number of cardboard squares equal to half the number of categories. (And if you're playing this on an unprepared whim, players can just write letters on scraps of paper, or their fingers.) |
If you've got a lot of players, if not everyone has a camera with them, or if you just want a more social game, you can group people into pairs or teams, each team working together as if they were a single player. | If you've got a lot of players, if not everyone has a camera with them, or if you just want a more social game, you can group people into pairs or teams, each team working together as if they were a single player. | ||
| − | Hand out the lists and tiles, agree on when the game will end | + | Hand out the lists and tiles, agree on when the game will end. Around two minutes per category (so twenty minutes if you're using the attached handout) seems to be about right. |
==Gameplay== | ==Gameplay== | ||
| − | [[Image:Search and replace handout.png|thumb|A handout for the | + | [[Image:Search and replace handout.png|thumb|A handout for the game. You can put the instructions on the other side so that players remember what to do.]] |
Given a list of categories, you must find words or phrases that fit those categories, in the environment around you. Shop names, roadsigns, posters, newspaper headlines, café chalkboards - any printed or pre-existing written material is fair game. Find it, and take a photo of it. | Given a list of categories, you must find words or phrases that fit those categories, in the environment around you. Shop names, roadsigns, posters, newspaper headlines, café chalkboards - any printed or pre-existing written material is fair game. Find it, and take a photo of it. | ||
| − | The only restriction is that you '''must change or add one | + | The only restriction is that you '''must change or add one letter''', by holding up one of your Scrabble tiles when you take the photo. You can't just take straight photos of words that fit, you have to change or add a letter. |
==Scoring== | ==Scoring== | ||
| − | When the time is up, all players must return to the starting point | + | When the time is up, all players must return to the starting point and reads out their story - if you were going with a flat list, go through each category in turn, instead. If anyone doubts a word, they can challenge it - the player who came up with it has to show their camera screen to the other players. |
For each category you get a photo for, you get '''one point'''. If there's a moderator running the game, they can veto any word photos that they feel are too tenuous. If you're playing without a moderator, the players can call a vote on anything that's dodgy. | For each category you get a photo for, you get '''one point'''. If there's a moderator running the game, they can veto any word photos that they feel are too tenuous. If you're playing without a moderator, the players can call a vote on anything that's dodgy. | ||
| − | Whoever has the most points wins. | + | Whoever has the most points wins. You can vote on "best story" or "best word" as a tiebreaker. |
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==Play history== | ==Play history== | ||
''Search and Replace'' ran at [[Sandpit|Sandpit #12]] at the Soho Theatre, in June 2009, and at the [[Hide&Seek Weekender]] 2010. | ''Search and Replace'' ran at [[Sandpit|Sandpit #12]] at the Soho Theatre, in June 2009, and at the [[Hide&Seek Weekender]] 2010. | ||
Revision as of 13:13, 2 August 2010
| Search and Replace | |
|---|---|
| |
| Designer: | Kevan Davis |
| Year: | unknown |
| Players: | 2+ |
| Stuff required: | Category lists. Cameras. Scrabble tiles, or some other physical letters, or just a pen. |
| Crew required: | None. |
| Preparation: | Sorting tiles, preparing handouts. |
| Time required: | Twenty minutes. |
| Place required: | Any urban space. |
| Activities: | Finding, photography, wordplay. |
| This is a playable game - it's finished, tested and ready to play. | |
 | |
Grab a set of lettered tiles and head out into the city, to twist the roadsigns and headlines to your will.
Setup
Prepare a category list for each player - this should be a list of ten or so categories (such as: food, a city, a boy's name, an animal), which the players will try to find words to fit. It's a bit more fun if you can work this into a fill-in-the-blanks story ("A person called [NAME] travelled to [CITY OR TOWN]..."), but a flat list is fine.
If you've got the resources, give every player a handful of Scrabble tiles, or equivalent lettered objects - it needn't be a full alphabet, five or six should give a good balance of freedom and challenge. If you're on a low budget, you can just give people pens, and a number of cardboard squares equal to half the number of categories. (And if you're playing this on an unprepared whim, players can just write letters on scraps of paper, or their fingers.)
If you've got a lot of players, if not everyone has a camera with them, or if you just want a more social game, you can group people into pairs or teams, each team working together as if they were a single player.
Hand out the lists and tiles, agree on when the game will end. Around two minutes per category (so twenty minutes if you're using the attached handout) seems to be about right.
Gameplay
Given a list of categories, you must find words or phrases that fit those categories, in the environment around you. Shop names, roadsigns, posters, newspaper headlines, café chalkboards - any printed or pre-existing written material is fair game. Find it, and take a photo of it.
The only restriction is that you must change or add one letter, by holding up one of your Scrabble tiles when you take the photo. You can't just take straight photos of words that fit, you have to change or add a letter.
Scoring
When the time is up, all players must return to the starting point and reads out their story - if you were going with a flat list, go through each category in turn, instead. If anyone doubts a word, they can challenge it - the player who came up with it has to show their camera screen to the other players.
For each category you get a photo for, you get one point. If there's a moderator running the game, they can veto any word photos that they feel are too tenuous. If you're playing without a moderator, the players can call a vote on anything that's dodgy.
Whoever has the most points wins. You can vote on "best story" or "best word" as a tiebreaker.
Play history
Search and Replace ran at Sandpit #12 at the Soho Theatre, in June 2009, and at the Hide&Seek Weekender 2010.
