This is the freeform larp I should have submitted. Guess I’ll hold off ’til Fastaval.
Daddy Loves Cake
Content warnings: child abuse, privation, cake
This larp is played out in three acts. It is for a father and his daughter. Any two participants may play the game, but those are the roles.
Act 1: The Decision
Instructions for the father: go to the fridge and look for the last piece of cake. Now decide: do you eat it or not?
Additional considerations:
- Your daughter is not home
- There is nobody else in the house
- There are actually one and a half pieces left, but that pan is taking up an awful lot of room. And that half-piece is so very small.
Decide.
If you eat the cake, proceed to Act 2. If you do not, pat yourself on the back, you’re a better dad than me.
Act 2: The Eating
Instructions for the father: Eat the hell out of that cake.
Additional considerations:
- The cake is slightly stale
- You weren’t actually hungry
- That half-piece is just a little bit too much to eat.
Act 3: The Betrayal
Instructions for the daughter: go to the fridge and look for the last piece of cake. Of course you won’t see any. Now decide: accept a lesser dessert or wage endless war?
Additional considerations:
- That was the best cake you’ve ever tasted. EVER.
- It is gone forever.
- Daddy doesn’t even care that this is the worst day of your life.
Finale
- If the daughter agrees to a lesser dessert, everyone wins
- If the daughter does not agree to a lesser dessert, everyone loses
Oh! I’ve played this game. It was called “Why did you drink my last cherry coke? You don’t even like cherry coke! I’ve been thinking about that cherry coke all day damn you!’ When I played it and the roles were Boyfriend (the one who drank it) and Girlfriend (the one who was very upset).
Maybe needs a move where the father writes a famous poem about eating the cake and how cold and delicious it was?
Lesser dessert…
Dangit, now I want cake.
But where are the dragonflies?
Under the strawberries. Secret ingredient.
Mmmm, crunchy.
I’m guessing this isn’t available print-and-play?
My house rule for this game is for the father to feel guilty and promise rich desserts on some other day in compensation for the lack of a dessert presently. I call this the Wimpy Rule.
(for multiple reasons)
Jesse Cox bake and play
Paul Beakley
“Bake and Play”
This now needs to be the format of a miniatures war game where you consume the opponent’s downed units.
…and there needs to be a fantasy setting where this is the standard noble chess equivalent, which gets involved in a convoluted poisoning plot.
Possibly masterminded by a daughter resentful over the lack of cake.
these are serious emo feels Jesse
you’re making light of freeform here
As opposed to making free with it? Or making light of rules-light?
::smiles innocently::
Tonight’s playtest: everybody wins!
Look for the Kickstarter in a couple weeks.
Stretch goal: slightly stale cake.