The board for Game One and Game Two consists of similar internal characters.  Half the class will be playing on Game One and half with be playing on Game Two. You must play in the appropriate game, and you may not switch back and forth between games. A move played in the wrong game will automatically be voided (see Refereeing, below).

We will choose characters in class, so as to ensure that roughly the same number of students is playing in each game.  Two people cannot play the same character on the same game.  You may not change characters once your play begins.  For purposes of this game, Victor, his creation, and Elizabeth are all off limits.

Moves

Your first move on the board of your game should serve to introduce your character, though you may choose not to reveal all his/her facets.  Please use the links provided to Romanticism sites in the menu above under “Helpful Links,” as well as class lectures, discussions and readings to construct your moves.

Types of Moves

There are two basic types of move (but you may think of others).  You may make either one, in any combination.

The first type of move is revisionary: it consists of rewriting a portion of the actual text of Frankenstein.  You must indicate the chapter and page number.

The second type of move is constructive:  it consists of expanding the imaginative horizon of the game by introducing additional texts.  Examples might be a series of mysterious notebooks discovered in the library at Inglestadt.

Some sample constructive moves:

• Clerval discovers Victor’s journal and writes a letter about the discovery to Victor’s father.
• A professor at Inglestadt circulates a memo to his colleagues about rumors of some unsavory research.

Your moves should build on one another, fulfilling their own narrative arc.  You should try to think several moves ahead, keeping in mind how you want your character to develop, what kind of interaction you want with the other characters, and ultimately what kind of imaginative intervention you wish to make in Frankenstein.

All moves are to be accepted by the other players as tangible interventions in the shared world of the game.  All players are responsible for reading the moves of all other players, and responding to them accordingly.

Refereeing

JT, our TA, and I will be the game referees and will reserve the right to void any move that seems disruptive or willfully violates the collective imagination of the game.  For example, a move that kills off Victor would stand a very high likelihood of being voided, unless it were preceded by some truly extraordinary play setting up the narrative conditions whereby such a move was legitimated.  A voided move will not count as one of your three moves for purposes of the requirements of the game.  Likewise, I will immediately void any move that is disrespectful or abusive with respect to another player.

Your Player File

You will each keep a separate player file, which is an ongoing journal where you reflect on your character’s actions or motivations and offer a rationale for the moves you’re making.  These will be done in Moodle; here’s the link.