Sleeping Rough

Overview

Our game offers players an insight into the common struggles and difficulties associated with being homeless. The game also features a cooperative and competitive element, which gives players the choice to either assist or obstruct other players.

Player Experience Goal

Players will gain a sense of awareness, understanding, and empathy for people who are or who have personally experienced homelessness.

Player Goals

Gain the most "Rebuild" points after three rounds and thus secure safe, permanent accommodation and escape the cycle of homelessness.

Target Audience

The target audience is people aged from 12 years and older, and people who have not personally experienced homelessness or the issues associated with being homeless.

Key Features

• The game mechanics demonstrate to players how people who are homeless can have little to no possessions or personal items, poor physical or mental health, and who society generally views as being unemployable
• Additionally the game mechanics demonstrate to players the various social and personal setbacks that a homeless person is often forced to deal with
• Players can be confronted with decisions such as performing actions that only benefit themselves, actions that benefit other players, and actions that are detrimental to other players
• As cards reduce during gameplay players are also confronted with making difficult decisions that may not benefit themselves and that may seem futile, or that will not benefit them until the end of the game

Number of Players

2-6 players

Gameplay Synopsis

• Simultaneous action play: each player will take their turn at the same time
• Making impossible choices: players will need to choose which card to take on each turn
• Multiple rounds: the game will progress through several rounds, allowing choices players make in one round to have an effect on later rounds
• Present day setting within an urban suburb (location not specified)

Notes

In addition to the resources available in the Download section, you will also need physical tokens to represent Health and Social counters for each player. Players begins with 3 Social counters and 5 Health counters, and will both gain and lose counters throughout each "Week" or round.

A notepad and pen to record each player's Rebuild points is also recommended.

Created by Jessica Gates, Aaron Gellion, and Donald Mackay.

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