Disquiet


Before starting, get two portable radios and set them to play Gregorian chants. Turn the radios on, but keep them at inaudible volume.

One person plays a priest accused of a crime. The other portrays their accuser. All other players are faceless interrogators questioning both characters. Separate the accused and accuser, putting the former in a space that’s too hot, and the latter in a space that’s too cold. Each space must have a radio.

Interrogators move between spaces, asking questions (the interrogators are not necessarily police; they may be family, church officials, or even voices of self-deprecation from inside the characters’ own minds). Characters can respond to them, or be silent.

Whenever any player feels personally uncomfortable with something said in the narrative (I’m talking about YOU the player, not your character—though it’s certainly possible for both to happen simultaneously) they can turn the radio up a bit. Try to turn the radio up in increments that roughly indicate your discomfort (more volume change = more discomfort).

When hearing questions becomes impossible, the accused or the accuser can throw their radio against the wall. The last person with a working radio can then speak their piece, ending the game.