The Monster's Last Request

The Monster’s Last Request is an educational American freeform larp designed to promote empathy-based decision making (or ethics of care). Each group of players must decide how their six forest animals will handle a dying mother bear and her cub.  The game is mainly for an ethics or science class of 10-11 year olds. 

Its primary themes are stereotypes and prejudice; sustainability of ecosystems; and end-of-life care. Teachers should emphasize whichever of these themes is most suitable for their class. This game was written as part of my first two classes in Uppsala University's graduate certificate program in Transformative Game Design, and is my first edu-larp for kids. The shorter version with the cover art came first. In the next class. after learning more about educational games, I expanded it into a plan for an all-day field trip to a forest or park.

The story begins in a secluded valley in the Allegheny National Forest, in the early 19th century. (All mountain lions and wolves in Pennsylvania were killed by about 1870.)

(CW: animal, sibling, & parental death; adoption; fatal injury; terminal illness)

Preparation:

For an ethics class, cover virtue ethics and ethics of care, at least a week before running this game. This may also be a good opportunity to talk about sustainability of ecosystems, as below. The game is also designed to facilitate class discussions around end-of-life care, if desired. In that case, begin a conversation about hospices, palliative care, and/or euthanasia, at least a week before running the game.

For a science class, cover invasive species and the effects of removing an apex predator from an ecosystem, at least a week before running the game. I suggest a discussion of the effects of reintroducing wolves to Yellowstone National Park, how Pennsylvania’s destruction of mountain lions and wolves has affected deer populations, and the false rumors about these species that led many U.S. states to put bounties on them.

For either type of class, if you are emphasizing the theme of stereotypes and prejudice, let your students keep their preconceived notions about their animals until the character creation workshop. Otherwise, teach them what wild bears and mountain lions do and do not like to eat, at least a week before playing. 

Use parental consent forms to explain that this is a game about the inevitability and consequences of death, including the adoption of a recently orphaned child. Ask parents to opt out, if their child has ever lost a parent or recently lost another family member (including pets), or if they have a death phobia. Also ask parents to consider opting out an adopted child, depending on how the child feels about discussing adoption in class. Remember to ask the children whether they consent to play. Make sure they understand there will be no penalty for opting out.

Prepare an interesting activity for the opted-out children, related to the theme you are emphasizing in the game, in a separate area. If possible, let these children feel special by explaining the whole class will be doing this activity another day. They can be experts on it for the rest of the class, when the time comes. End the activity with a group discussion inspired by whichever debrief questions you are using for the rest of the class.