Approved for release by the Golden Cobra Committee
Final Commencement uses tried-and-true freeform design principles to address a topic that is not frequently covered by games, namely university commencement. By loading the setting with the kind of melancholy that, well, we may be experiencing in the present, the game serves as a vehicle for self-reflection, as well as inter-character bonding.
This committee larp of the small gods reminds us that agency isn't everything, but communication is. We attempt to solve problems in our tiny spheres, and have to content ourselves with the outcome. But it also gives us an opportunity to don some beautiful masks we've created.
In earlier games, our community was preoccupied with AIs thinking they were human. LOOP GAIN reflects our era by staging the reverse situation: AIs as frustrating artificial constructs designed to keep the human users online as long as possible. It also lets us enact, in a physical space, an increasingly frequent online-space loop. The judges are eager to see how this one plays out, if only to discern the direction in which society appears to be headed.
Disturbing and also sexy, Our Queenblessed Bodies is a charming exploration of alien larvae turning each other into an attack force. The ritualistic and diegetic approach to consent and worldbuilding are evocatively written. Grotesque instructions detailing the surgery, as well as the instruction that all observing players “should vocalize squishing sounds and the sounds of power tools” delighted the judges as it encourages players to engage in pure play. This is a fun romp that we’re already figuring out if it’s playable in other low-clothing situations such as in saunas or hot tubs.
The sweet spot for horror comedy lies somewhere between hyping yourself to be scared and then finding a thing to scare yourself with. That's what this game does: engage the players in creative self-spookery through a smart framing of the social situation. The silliness can be found in playing it absolutely straight. Perfect reading of our modern media environment.
A larp award committee is always going to be all in on a ghost game, especially one with limited communication opportunities. The character creation system sets up all the drama for the actual playthrough. Lots of room for big feels in the best way.
We asked for games that would leave players feeling a lasting connection, feeling seen, or feeling capable of working with others, and this game delivered generously. The depth of communal worldbuilding and rich emotional potential make the star of this game not the intrepid Youth with an important calling, but the community of Kinfolk that supports them. This is the sort of game that could be run at a Golden Cobra sampler to showcase the sorts of interesting play the competition is known for.
We are going to drag this game under our couch and add it to the hoard of larps we want to play. This game is cozy, evocative, whimsical, and a little heartbreaking, with the scaffolding to back up a simple but effective play structure. The use of mundane objects to aid in storytelling brought to mind Hannah Arendt’s writing about objects providing a world that allows human memory to function. We look forward to displacing our emotions onto a tiny dragon.
Toasting and boasting turn out to be really fun! In Glory to the Dwarves, players take on the roles of dwarves from 3 clans who will naturally create a bustling atmosphere of a medieval fantasy tavern. The worldbuilding balances between accessibility and nuance, and the alibi to make loud, raucous claims in a group seems like it'll help build community in any good-natured group of gamers. "May your beard grow long, and may your belly know no knife!"
We invented an award category for this game, since it invited so much intrigue and discussion. A charming all-around entry to a very specific community history by way of embodying walls that gossip. This modern Greek chorus element, when mixed with today's contested media and suppressed communities, creates the perfect opportunity for players to dive right into engagement with the topic.
Credit-card companies are famously skittish, we hear. To be fair: Bonds of Fate is not *exactly* pornographic, just y'know edging that way. Players must physically rope themselves together and then contend with the unaddressed issues that drive their characters' relationships. The voice of the game is steady, informed, and mature. It absolutely toes the line between that which is permitted to be published and that which is quite subversive and subtextual.
Together, We Are Infinite is a celebration and reframing of a sort of friendship absent from many adult lives, a life-affirming friendship that maybe we actually need. And this game may spark the embers of that sort of friendship. The mosaic mechanic is simple, but provides such a powerful artifact of the memories (and friends!) you made along the way. The ending of this game, as one person struggles to carry the weight of the memories of their friendship, is beautiful and moving, while maintaining a triumphant air. The writing of this game is evocative and compelling. May we all be so lucky to have a friend group this close.
Approved for release by the Golden Cobra Committee