Motorway South

This is a game about people unravelling.
A journey across the pale; an unmappable, unknowable void that separates continents. Overexposure to the pale can affect a person’s memory and thought-processes - some characters are well aware of these risks, others view it as part of the dull background of everyday life.

This is a game about introspection.
It draws some inspiration from solo roleplaying games, and all characters are defined by complex thoughts and feelings which may never be expressed to anyone else. It asks players to build a deep understanding of a character’s mindset, then pare it down to a core.

This is a game about public transport.
Eight strangers riding on a bus until they reach… wherever they are going. How do people connect (or not) in such a transitive, temporary environment? Some might forge deep connections, some might try to act like the others aren’t even there.

This might be for you if you like:
Philosophical, existential themes.
(The experience may raise a lot of questions, but deny explanations or answers. It wants to consider essential questions of identity, consciousness and loss.)

Pre-written characters.
(This is a game with an established cast of eight characters, each encapsulated in 2-4 pages of writing. They will be assigned to people based on the preferences they express at sign-up, and leave space for a healthy amount of interpretation.)

An introspective experience.
(Each character will have their own personal inner conflict, which they could reasonably choose not to share with anyone. There will however still be plenty of cause for people to interact.)

This might not be for you if you want:
A game with a plot.
(Quite a lot might happen over the course of the game, but characters will not be faced with big decisions or actions. There may well be stretches of time where each character sits in silence, alone with their thoughts. In addition, though there will be a lot of mystery and uncertainty during the game, the “truth” of events will be up to player interpretation. There will be no “here’s what was really happening” reveal when the game ends.)

A block-buster experience. (There is no complex set-dressing planned - just a plain room with some chairs and a few props. We will however be using audio tech and soundscapes to build an immersive sonic space.)

A Disco Elysium game.
(It is a key source of inspiration, including elements of setting, but there will be no murder mystery, Kim Kitsuragi, or horrific neckties.)

Still not sure?
Try a game with similarities:
If you’re unsure about whether this will be right for you, I would encourage trying one of these introspective games, and seeing how you get on:

It Is Hungry Too - stay home alone, cook a meal, feed a monster - free download here.

Alice Is Missing - a silent game for 3-5 people, played over text message - buy the pdf here.

Thousand Year Old Vampire - journal your way through centuries of vampiric existence - £12 pdf download here.

Play “Disco Elysium”:
I know I said this isn’t a Disco Elysium game! But its tone, setting, and general self-indulgent weirdness are key inspirations.

Ask me questions:
There are things I am not sharing here, but there are no secrets or spoilers. If you would like to know more details about the game (maybe read one of the character briefs, or learn exactly what will happen over the course of play) just get in touch: jonolocks@gmail.com

You should expect to spend a relatively large proportion of the game alone with your character’s thoughts. There will be no shortage of things to keep the game moving, but all events and mechanics are ultimately designed to push the characters to reflect more deeply on who they are:

Tasks
The core of this game is that each character has some kind of Task, which is both something engaging for them to do during the course of play, and in some way a reflection of who the character is at their core. Character briefs will go into these in some detail.

As an example, one character will be the driver of the bus. Their Task involves driving the bus, carrying out various strange but ultimately menial procedures that maintain momentum through the impossible Pale landscape. It does not demand their constant attention, but will be returned to over and over again. The character explores themes of control, choice, work-life balance, obsolescence; and the act of driving the bus helps bring them to the forefront.

There is a lot of diversity within the Tasks to suit different styles of play. They can loosely be grouped (with some overlap) by the following three categories:

• Routine and repetition - whether simple or complex

• Creativity and expression - most likely writing or drawing

• Empathy and evaluation - reflecting on the people around you

The expression of interest form will include the opportunity to say which of these you are most drawn to.

Pale & Noise
Not all characters will be aware of this, but the Task is also what keeps a person anchored to themselves in the impossible face of the pale. At certain points during the game the sound of radio white noise will play throughout the room for anywhere between a few seconds and several minutes. For as long as it can be heard it is impossible for characters to do anything other than their Task. If they stop, they will begin to fall unconscious, waking up only when the noise can no longer be heard. It’s up to the individual what counts as a “stop.” You could make it an active decision by you as a player, or decide to fall unconscious just because your mind wandered for a moment. While unconscious you can take no other action other than to think.

It’s important to note that if you need to stop your Task for out-of-character reasons that is always absolutely legitimate. All of this will be covered in more detail in a short pre-game workshop.

While white noise is playing, an organiser may enter the room and make minor changes to the space - potentially giving or taking things from characters. You should ignore their presence, and not react to anything they do until the noise stops.

If you will struggle to respond to audio cues, there will be the opportunity to say so in the expression of interest form. We can figure out an additional component - such as a flashing light, or an organiser tapping you on the shoulder.

Other Aspects:
To build immersion and momentum, there will also be:

• An immersive soundscape playing throughout

• A telephone, through which each character will receive calls from beyond the Pale

• Indirect character links. Though none of them will know each other at the start, they all have cause to intersect in interesting ways - whether arguing, questioning, confiding.

Cost:
Tickets cost £50, with subsidised places available.

Spaces are assigned with a focus on who is the best fit for each character. Once the pot for subsidised places has been used up I will have to remove anyone who cannot pay full price from the list for consideration.

Money should be sent over PayPal within three weeks of being offered a place. Alternative arrangements can be made, like paying in instalments or a later deadline, just get in touch as early as possible. Refunds can be requested until a few weeks before the date, by which point I will have used your money to pay the final bills.

Booking:
The first half of the interest form will ask a few questions about the kind of character and experience you are looking for, and I will use these answers to offer each character to the person I think will enjoy them the most. This means that filling in the form does not guarantee you a spot in the game, but it does mean that those who do play are much more likely to get the experience they’re after.

The second part of the form covers access needs, and the third asks some optional questions on how you found out about the game and what drew you to it. These sections will have no bearing on your chance of being offered a space.

There will also be the opportunity to go on a waitlist for the game, and to opt in to receive emails about potential future runs, or other games I make.

Lunch:
No food is included in the cost of this game. I’m conscious that starting at noon means it will overlap with most people’s lunchtimes. Running from late morning to early evening is intended to make life easier for people who will be travelling to and from Sheffield on the day, and because it fits neatly around the venue’s opening hours.

If you would prefer to have lunch during the course of the game I’m very happy for you to bring something to eat in-character (packed lunches and supermarket meal deals would feel particularly “on brand”) or just step out of the room for a few minutes.

Costumes & Props:
This game will largely be running “blackbox” style, meaning though the characters are on a bus, as players you will be sat in chairs in a plainly dressed room. That said, I would like it if characters had costumes that reflected Disco Elysium’s ambiguously-late-20th-century style, however simply. Most could wear casual, practical, shabby clothes - jeans, overalls, graphic tees, baseball caps. More professional characters might wear a shirt or suit jacket. This pinterest search might offer some inspiration.

None of this is a hard rule, at the end of the day I’d rather you dress for your own comfort.

Certain characters will have significant props mentioned in their briefs, all of which will be provided. Some of these will be documents or devices, and I am very happy to make any adjustments to help people engage with them. There will be an opportunity to note any such requests early on.

When I say “this is a game about people unravelling” I don’t necessarily mean that as a negative, and this isn’t intended to be a game about suffering. However it would be reasonable for characters to respond to events with fear, anger, or confrontation. Above all I want to build a space where:

• everyone is confident to explore the themes of the game and characters together, knowing that they can avoid content which would make them uncomfortable or upset

• players are able to step away, and return, at any time

• safety mechanics are used freely, not just as a last resort

“OC:” - changing and deescalating
If something is happening which you would like to change or stop, you’re encouraged to communicate this by saying so, prefaced with “OC:”, which stands for out-of-character.

For example “OC: I’d prefer not to talk about this” or “OC: I need more space.” There is no limit to how or when you can do this, and if someone asks something of you please adjust as smoothly as you can.

Stopping the game
If something happens that requires urgent attention - like a medical emergency or safety hazard - call out “Stop The Game.”

Upon hearing this you should immediately stop roleplaying, pay attention to the source of the call, and either await instructions or take action as appropriate. Alert the game organisers and venue staff if they are not already present.

Leaving the room
This is a game set in a single, contained space, and feelings of confinement are central to the experience, however anyone is able to step outside at any time, for any reason. In-fiction the bus has an annexe with enough space for some storage, a toilet, and a small private compartment. This is entirely to give an in-character justification for characters leaving the room, and shouldn’t be used for roleplay outside.

If at any time you need to step away, but feel that your character would or could not - perhaps they are deep in a conversation, or unconscious - then the gesture of shielding your eyes can be used to signal that you are stepping away for out-of-character reasons. If you see someone shielding their eyes then do not obstruct their exit or acknowledge their absence, regardless of the context.

Themes
The following themes are central and unavoidable parts of the game:

• Harsh noise - radio static will play throughout the room several times over the course of the game

• Real-world political beliefs - the setting is fictionalised, but some characters will explicitly describe themselves as communists and conservatives

• Class - exploration and critique of modern capitalism, touching on social mobility, labour rights, generational wealth

• Memory loss - both short-term and long-term

• State and corporate bureaucracies - how seemingly trivial decisions can impact lives

The following themes may feature prominently for some characters, but could be avoided or ignored by others. As this game takes place in a confined space it will be very hard to miss them entirely:

• Work-life balance

• Negative self-worth

• Espionage and paranoia

The expression of interest form gives an opportunity to mention any content which would make it difficult for you to engage with the game. If I think there’s a chance it will come up I may ask other players to leave it out of the game.

Themes of discrimination and persecution are not explicitly written into any characters - whether as victim, survivor, or perpetrator - and all are designed with no particular identity or background in mind. However I don’t want to entirely erase these themes. It’s my personal experience that the stories of queer characters are most meaningful when they involve some element of real-world struggle - of oppression and liberation - and I wouldn't want to deprive someone of the chance to explore that here. The same goes for gender, disability, race, culture, religion.

I do ask for sensitivity in how these themes are brought into the game, both to their offgame reality and the comfort of other players, and especially ask that no one play someone with discriminatory beliefs or practices. If I think someone is playing in a way that’s inappropriate or disrespectful, I will ask them to change, or potentially leave the game. If you are ever unsure, we can talk about it.

(It would be totally acceptable to play the game knowing little to none of this, and anything essential will be covered in character briefs. It’s included here for anyone who wants a bit of flavour.)

The Journey
The bus is setting off from the Tether Archipelago into “the pale” - a formless, undefinable void that separates continents - bound for Dorten on the Greater Isola. The pale can’t be mapped in normal terms, but this journey is generally rendered as going in a southeasterly direction, as Dorten is on the northwestern coast. Just over a hundred years ago the two isolas were totally unaware of each other, until a ship from Tether managed to traverse the pale, and considerable technological advances in the intervening years have made paletravel a banal fact of life for many.

Tether
Tether is a republic made up of a dozen islands with a combined population of around 10 million people. The republic is many centuries old, originating in the capital of Loyger, and though it was forged over years of violent naval conflict between the islands this is now largely forgotten. Each island has its eccentricities and grudges but there is widespread cultural and political uniformity.

Tether is remarkable both for being the smallest isola, and entirely-self contained. Every other country in the known world has at least one border with another, but in Tether it is effectively impossible to leave without entering the pale. Its central role in discovering paletravel has given the Republic significant clout, but this has begun to fade as other countries have taken the lead in ensuring these journeys are actually safe and reliable.

The stereotypical citizen of Tether views themselves as proud, firm, and self-sufficient, and from the outside they often are often seen as self-righteous, uncompromising, and a bit odd.

The Greater Isola
The Greater Isola is a continent with a population of nearly 100 million, made up of two dozen smaller states - a patchwork of kingdoms, federations, and unions. There is a massive diversity of belief, culture, and philosophy, all supported and enriched (or, depending on who you ask, flattened and restricted) by the Greater Isola Group. Founded 250 years ago, the GIG seeks to ensure mutual prosperity and peace across the continent, with each nation sending an equal number of representatives to negotiate common laws. Communists and conservatives, volunteers and despots all rub shoulders in council meetings which are said to be anything but uneventful.

Dorten is a small federation which built a reputation for careful neutrality in the many “medieval” conflicts of centuries gone by, making it a popular choice to serve as the administrative capital of the GIG. Its own citizens have mixed feelings about this.

(Over the years the GIG has made several overtures to Tether offering various forms of membership status, all of which have been rebuffed. It is rumoured that the Republic is beginning to reconsider this staunch position.)

Millenium Gallery Sheffield has:

• Level access and wide doors throughout the building

• An accessible bathroom, on the same floor as the game space

• An onsite cafe
  

Though the site has dedicated parking spaces for blue badge holders, it has a maximum stay time of 3 hours. There is a large car park on Charles Street, around 350 metres away from the venue.

The Expression of Interest form has a section for noting any adjustments you might require to engage with certain parts of the game (audio cues and possible documentation) as well as a more open-ended space for requests. I am always happy to discuss these things further over email: jonolocks@gmail.com

• 7pm, 23rd August - Expression of Interest Form closes, list of potential players shared shortly after

• 7pm, 26th August - Last chance to make me aware of any potential players you could not play alongside

• 27th August - Character assignments finalised and full briefs sent to players

• 7pm, 6th September - Deadline for payment (or agreeing alternative arrangements)

Disco Elysium
The Pale is one of the most interesting parts of the game to me, not least because you could easily play the whole game through and never learn about it.

Thread (Dave Kibblewhite) & UPLOAD (Hazel Dixon & Erin Marsh)
Two formatively experimental games about identity, consciousness, reality and meaning. Both games start their characters off disorientated, confused and alone, and I wanted to turn that experience on its head.

MVEX (Char Holdway)
Though a tonally very different game, it helped me realise how much you can achieve with a handful of players in a room (and a lot of tech), and giving each character their own unique bit of game.

Various Songs
I often use music to find and express game ideas. This playlist has been a big influence on the writing process. I spent an afternoon trying to assigning a song to each character, but kept getting lost in the pits of meaning.

Motorway South first ran at Patriot Games Sheffield on 29th June 2024.

Run 2 will be largely the same, aside from tweaks to some of the characters following player feedback.

Some nice quotes people offered to share include:

• "I’m blown away that such a small larp can create such a rich mixing pot of experiences."

• "Beautifully captures the spirit of Disco Elysium"

• "It created the strangest set of notes I've ever had in an RP."