The Gates Are Open

A great rabbi once said the gates of prayer are sometimes open, and other times they are closed. But who guards those gates? In this game, you’ll portray someone who processes requests for a god or other mythic figure. (Gods are busy. That’s why they have staff.) Only one of today’s petitions might make it to the Big Boss, but which will it be? And what rituals will your team prescribe for each petitioner?

The Gates Are Open is a freeform larp for 3 or more players.  I consider it a TTRPG also, because the entire game can be played around a table, using pens and paper. You can play it in-person as a silent committee / note-passing / gesture game, or remotely through the mail. It’s loosely based on Dear God by Halden Ingwersen, an elegant and poignant game that has lived rent-free in my head ever since I first read it. I hope this game preserves some of the reverence and mystery of the original.

These rules include a recreational version similar to the original game, and a ritual version you might play with your coven, chavurah, or other working group. 

This game was originally designed for the 2023 Golden Cobra Challenge.