Self-Facilitated Games

Games that require that the people involved in the gameplay ensure that the rules are being followed and require that these people perform any necessary book-keeping actions.

All games require effort to setup and update the game state. When there are no other people, or machines, dedicated to this the players themselves need to perform this work. These types of games are Self-Facilitated Games, which although they require work also allow the players to modify or ignore rules at their discretion.

Examples

Catch

Chess Go

Cluedo RoboRally

Illuminati Magic: The Gathering

Call of Cthulhu Paranoia Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay

Kingdoms DragonMud

Using the pattern

Real-Time Games Drop-In/Drop-Out Time Limits Randomness Dedicated Game Facilitators Drop-In/Drop-Out Agents Units Turn-Based Games Turn Taking AI Players Freedom of Choice Late Arriving Players

Even if Game Masters are considered Dedicated Game Masters, human ones have the same freedom to introduce, modify, or ignore rules that players have so games consisting solely of players and human Game Masters (like Roleplaying games such as Dungeons & Dragons or Paranoia) can still be considered Self-Facilitated Games).

Consequences

Excise Player Decided Rule Setup Evolving Rule Sets

Self-Facilitated Games do not make use of Dedicated Game Masters with the exception of when one considered human Game Masters as part of the people playing the game.

Relations

Can Be Modulated By

Game Masters

Potentially Conflicting With

Dedicated Game Masters

History

An updated version of the pattern Self-Facilitated Games that was part of the original collection in the book Patterns in Game Design.