Please Silence Your Cell Phones • 2018 rpg finalist

Read the following aloud: "Monstrosities live beyond these walls. They sense noise and emotion. Silence and temperance is how we survive. That does not mean, however, that we cannot communicate.

Please silence your cell phones. They are part of the game. You cannot set them down, and there is no talking beyond this point except to finish reading this. Using your phone, take 5 photos of your face with a variety of expressions. Your expressions can be wild and exaggerated. No re-shoots allowed.

No speaking. No facial expressions. No gesturing with the hand in which your phone is held. You may only communicate with slow, silent single-hand gestures and by showing the expression pictures on your phone. Anyone making noise or expressing emotion risks the lives of everyone.

Engage in scenes with one another. Introduce yourself to someone new, request assistance with a chore, thank someone for a gift, warn someone about a danger, tell a joke, or any other normally simple social interaction.

There is no talking until the debrief, which happens in 15 minutes. Begin."

Afterward, discuss how successful players were at communicating. Perhaps give a nod for most complex idea conveyed and most silent and deadpan player.