Always on my Mind: A Relationship Storytelling Game

Always on my Mind

A relationship storytelling game powered by Wolfgang Warsch’s The Mind

By Kirsty Bunting, Chloé Germaine, Paul Wake

Overview

In romance stories the outcome is a sure thing. Of course there will be hiccups along the way, but we know the characters will get it together eventually. The fun is experiencing how they get there. In games, as in life, however, things are not so certain.

Always on my Mind is a relationship storytelling game powered by Wolfgang Warsch’s The Mind . In Warsch’s curious game, players are dealt cards (from a deck numbered 1-100) which they must play to the centre of the table in ascending order without communicating . Staring into each other’s eyes, players play their cards when they feel that the time is right. With each round the number of cards increases (one card at level 1, two at level 2, and so on…) until someone makes a misstep or the players reach level 12, at which point they win. Providing the mechanics for our game, The Mind combines interpersonal connection with a tension that builds as the difficulty level increases and the stakes, for the characters, become higher...

How to play

All that is needed to play is a copy of The Mind and 2-4 players with a shared desire to explore a relationship that might not have a happy ending. Before you read on, make sure you understand the rules of The Mind .

(Be)foreplay: Prelude to Happiness

At this stage, you will need to determine the genre (e.g., erotic, contemporary, western, or historical, paranormal, inspirational) and the heat rating of the story you are creating. In other words, how much detail, if any, will you share of your characters’ intimate encounters. Are they ‘closed door’/‘fade to black’ or ‘on the page’? Once you’ve selected a genre and a heat rating that everyone is comfortable with, you might also wish to use other safety tools to frame your play. We suggest establishing lines (forbidden topics) and veils (topics that should only be referred to indirectly). We also advise the use of the X card (an agreed signal to veto content during play).

At this point you could work together to create a 12-song playlist to accompany your game (take turns picking songs on your favourite music streaming app). Constructing this soundtrack can be an enjoyable way to discuss the genre, heat, scenes and pace of the romance. What will you choose as your final song? Will it be Whitney Houston’s ‘I will Always Love You’ or the Kings of Leon’s ‘Sex on Fire’?

Find more how to play guidance and an example play-through in our Print and Play download...