How to Say Goodbye

Graphic design and layout by Vee Hendro (https://veerpgdesigns.com/)

a game for 2-4 humans

You are all good friends who have been together in this one place for some time.

Now it is time to leave; each of you to your own uncertain future.

It is time to say goodbye to the locales, the things, the people you love.

You will leave pieces of yourself behind, mark your presence in others, and take their pieces with you.

 

Decide together where this place is and how long you’ve been here together.

Each of you will have 7 pieces of your heart. Make sure you can write on these pieces.

Tell us, and write this down:

• Who were you before this place?
• What do we call you now?
• Who do you hope to be after you leave?

 

The one who has seen the most years go past begins.

You will each take turns setting scenes and playing them out with others.

On your turn, describe a scene and setting. Then choose one or more others to play this scene with you.

Each other playing then chooses one:

• What you collectively remember fondly here
• What you collectively regret here
• What incomplete business you are here to do together
• Who you are all here to see

Write this down and let this guide the scene.

 

Then, play to find out what happens.

Tell us what you each do here: what you say, what you taste, what you hear, what you smell, what you touch, what you think.

How do you say goodbye at this time and place?

 

What do you leave behind?

When you say what you leave behind, give a piece of your heart to that person, thing or place. Write on that piece what it is you leave.

 

What do you take with you?

When you take something with you, give a piece of your heart to yourself. Write on that piece what it is you take.

 

When everyone in a scene has either given or taken a piece of their heart, the scene ends.

Then, choose the next person to start a scene.

 

When all the pieces of your heart save one have been given or taken, you leave this place and your friends.

Tell us how you leave and what you intend to do next.

 

Keep playing until everyone has left.

The game is now over.

Say your goodbyes however you like to what you have made together.

 

Keep the last piece of your heart with you, for the future unwritten.

We hope it works out.

Goodbye.