In This World and the Artifacts of the Ephemeral

This post is actually two different topics meshed into one post.

The other day I got a chance to play In This World (affiliate link), a game by Ben Robbins. Ben is well known among indie game developers and players thanks to games like Microscope and Kingdom. In This World is on-brand for him as it is a game that focuses on collaborative world-building rather than characters. I would go as far to say that In This World feels more like brainstorming session rather than a game (I know definitions of the term "game" fluctuate and can be subjective so I won't delve any further here). As a quick take on this game I would say avoid it if you want to scratch the TTRPG itch that involves characters, scenes, combat, and/or story. However, definitely play this game if you want to get the creative brain juices flowing or enjoy worldbuilding games in general. 

Unlike many other collaborative worldbuilding games, In This World focuses on a singular aspect of a world, like religion, music, transportation, education, etc. The players then choose elements of that topic and subvert them to change how they work in this new fictional setting. For example, a player could say that instead of education being required of people ages 5-18, they state that in the fictional setting that education is required from birth until marriage or military service. Or maybe that instead of teachers, children are taught by sending their conscience across time to observe historical events as they happen. You can see how idea generation like this could really snowball into wanting to continue worldbuilding. However, the game stops after a couple of rounds and then a new world is created by another player with new elements changed about that topic. The previous world that was recorded is now bound to a single sheet of paper as an artifact of the play session and play proceeds until everyone has created a setting based on the main topic. 

That brings me to the second part of the post. Artifacts.

Playing tabletop role-playing games is a very ephemeral experience. The small details of the story, world, emotions, or character moments only exist between the players for the session but not anywhere else. Sure many games leave behind artifacts of the play or the creations. The piece of paper from In This World, character sheets, maps, drawings, index cards, GM prep, and session recordings/streams are all artifacts of a TTRPG session. Of course a session recording/stream is able to capture the session in it's entirety rather then a few disparate bits of evidence like maps or character sheets. 

Some people find no reason to have or keep artifacts from their games. Personally, I love gaming artifacts. It's like proof that I was there and was part of a creation that was shared with other people. Maybe I hold onto them because of nostalgia or sentimentality over a shared experience. 

I was at a loss of what image to use on this post so here is a public domain image from 1577 of Aztecs making chocolate.

In recent years there has been an explosion of actual play content being posted online and the growth in TTRPG streaming points to more and more gaming artifacts being shared. Even I have previously recorded gaming sessions and posted them on YouTube as well. Which is strange because I don't enjoy actual play media very much. Sure, I can see value in actual play media as a reference for learning a new system but the entertainment value falls way short for me. Maybe I hoped someone at some point would find reference or entertainment value in the sessions I shared.

But do our games really need to be shared?

On a recent episode of A Different Kind of Hex, it was said that describing a TTRPG session was the same as describing a dream to someone. I found that to be a great analogy because I always found the conversations one-sided and awkward when talking about a game I had played that the other person was not there to experience for themselves. Does the other person really need/want to hear about your dream or your make-believe halfling berserker? 

Big name actual plays like Critical Role or Dimension 20 have gained large followings but I believe a lot of that has to do with the performances of the players and the production value of the actual play. The vast majority of other actual plays online are not of voice actors on sets with multiple cameras, professional lighting, or high-end audio engineering and as a consequence will attract much smaller audiences. Does that make the thousands of other actual plays meaningless or of less value?

I think not. Although I am not the target audience to view actual plays, the archivist in me believes we should all share some part of our games, even if it is just a little snippet on social media, in conversation with someone else, or in blog form. For me, it makes that fleeting, ephemeral experience seem just a little more real and meaningful.

Do you like to keep the artifacts of your games?

Do you like to participate in actual plays or share them online?

Do you personally find value in preserving a TTRPG experience or are you okay with it being an experience shared with only those at the table in that moment?