Empty Rituals

This is a series of games that aren't finished . They all have something in common, but I don't know what it is yet.

I'll probably update them as I discover more things about them or write new ones.

Eulogy

Assemble a group. Sit in a circle. Each of you write down 3 emotions on index cards. Shuffle them and give 3 back to each person.

Set a timer for 3 minutes. Close your eyes and imagine a person who doesn't exist.

When their time is up, starting with the person who most recently attended a funeral, whisper a quick sentence about this imagined person into the ear of the person on your left.

When you hear or make a statement, assume it is about your imagined person.

When you are done, slip them one of your cards.

When you are handed a card, you may take it into your hand, or you may toss it into the center of the circle.

If a card is in the center of the circle, know that whoever placed it there believes this emotion defined your imagined person.

When you've had enough, get up and walk away. Do anything else, but don't stay here.

The game is over when the last person in the circle walks away.

Love Letter

Assemble a group. Sit in a circle at a table with papers, pens, envelopes, and stamps. Prepare an envelope with your address but no name.

On a small piece of paper, write down, "I think I am the sort of person who..." followed by something made up about you. Tuck it into your envelope. Write a made up name for this alternate self onto the address line.

Pass the envelopes around. Open your new envelope and write a letter to that person as if you were still your alternate self.

Seal it in the envelope. Prepare the return address. Leave this place. Drop your envelope in the mail.

Check your mailbox. The game is over when you stop writing back.

Cleansing

Find someone to take a shower with. Put all your things on one end of the shower, and all theirs on the other. Stand on the side without your things to start.

Take a shower together. Don't talk.

The game is over when you are dry again.

Commute

Assemble a group. Each of you write a problem you imagine would be troubling to someone else on an index card.

Hold onto your card. Go outside. Form a single-file line. The person in front leads you around wherever they want to go. Follow.

Along the way, if there's a gap in the line, close it.

Along the way, you can hold out your right or left arm. Hold it for 5 seconds. After 5 seconds, turn that direction. Anyone behind you who wants to can split out of the line and follow you instead. You're this new line's leader now.

Along the way, if something catches your eye, you can hand any index cards you're holding to the person in front of you and completely disembark. No one behind need follow you.

Along the way, if you want to follow someone disembarking, you may hand your index card to the same person they did and also completely disembark.

Once you are disembarked, the game ends when you grow bored and return home.

Once you are a leader, the game ends when you can no longer bear the burden and return home with your index cards.

Vow

Assemble a group. Sit in a circle.

On your turn, tell everyone, "I am a [noun]."

One-by-one around the circle, each player will say, "I promise you..." followed by something they are offering. They can offer anything. They continue until you accept. You must always accept the offer of the last person before the circle would complete.

When you want to accept a promise, say you accept. Scoot backwards, leaving your space in the circle open. The player whose promise you accepted moves to your spot. Do not move again unless the player in front of you needs to move backwards to allow someone to sit in front of them.

Close the circle to remove the newly empty spot.

The game is over when the second-to-last player must accept the last player's offer.