Dec 15, 2020
By Larry Neal
Christmas Designs
Act I. Theory
Regina Franklin was a precocious child, something of a prodigy really full of light and life, curious to no end. She was also a bit of a budding game designer as she had designed several games to play with her mother Elizabeth and her father Ross who were themselves fairly serious Board Gamers. Many were the nights when the family would sit and patiently listen as little Regina went over the rules, assigned playing pieces and then got into the very serious business of playing the game. No time more serious or cherished than at Christmas time.
This year things were different, she was turning 12 in the spring and even to her parents she seemed a bit more serious, if not distracted, this whole season. You see she had begun a tradition a few years prior of working on a larger wholly original game all year and unveiling it at Christmas with her family to play all season long. The last two in particular were very good, and the family regularly played them in their usual rotation.
“Whats wrong Regina?” Ross was admiring the determination on his daughters face.
“Nothing Dad, really. I was stuck for a little while, but I got it figured out now.” She stated.
“Oh, so when can we expect the big unveil of Regina’s number, oh what is it now? Up to five or six?” Elizabeth knew the inventor in their daughter came from her own father, and she could not be happier.
“Mom! Its officially number eight and you know it!” Regina said suppressing a giggle.
“Oh so we are going to count those first ones where you sort of smashed our game of Catan mid way through and left with the pieces?” Ross was laughing at the memory.
“I knew what I wanted to do, but I just could not tell you yet!” Regina retorted.
They all laughed at the shared memory and moved on to their various chores around the house. Ross had to get wood for the fire and make sure the outside lights were all secure for the big night! Elizabeth had a few more finishing touches to put on the tree and the Christmas Day dinner was nearing perfection in the oven. Stopping by the record player to start Nat King Cole, and once satisfied with the volume moved into the kitchen.
That left Regina, gazing wistfully at the tree and all it’s beauty, lights shining, ornaments recalling Christmases past, her favorite garland, you know the little fabric ones, her mother’s grandmother made long ago. Hand made wooden ornaments made by her Fathers Grandfather highlighting every branch they were hung from. There was so much past family on the tree, yet this one was theirs. She wondered what she would take when she was grown for her own tree, and more even what she would pass on to her own children, for theirs.
“Young Lady, you better get a move on if you are going to get that game set up to play tonight!” Her Father called to her as he brought in the yule log.
“Oh yeah, right Dad, I’ll go get it now!” She darted for the stairs and her room
“You need some help?” He asked.
“No thank you, I have it!” She danced up the steps.
Well if that is not normal for her this time of year, I don’t know what is, he thought as his daughter bounded for her room.
I wonder what she has in store for us this time?
Act II. First Submission
Regina bounded up the stairs and down the hall, decorations and holiday scented things transformed the trip into something of a wonderland. Live Wreaths livened up the space with scent, as did the festive arrangements her mother strategically placed throughout their house, window sills, picture frames and lamp tables, all places where they could contribute both sight and scent throughout the entire house. The entire winter was a special time for Regina, despite being a spring baby, as her mother put it. Snow, bundling up, warm things to eat, spending time indoors with loved ones and of course, the games they would get to play. Oh and Christmas too of course!
Entering her room she checked her desk, the rules were in order each in it’s own folio, she liked to do it this way for her parents. Then the components; Figures, Dice, Map, Player Boards, Standees, terrain. It was all here. Pulling parts from games in her own collection and past gifts the colors didn’t match, but she had done a nice job with shapes, and it had come to grow on her. Regina’s Christmas VIII, was ready to go! Or was it?
She sat dejectedly at her desk, looking over her master rule book and game screen. This time she thought, she really had it! A co-operative adventure sandbox where the family could role play while relying on their own true strengths to solve the puzzle. Only it did not feel finished to her, even by her standards, oh it had rules and all the usual trimmings, from last years gift from her parents full of bits for budding board-gamers, but something, something she could not quite seem to put her finger on was missing.
She got up and opened the window, snow fell on the already blanketed scene outside, adding a layer of dreams to the already scrumptious slice of winter magic that is Christmas Snow. She smiled and then turned to her book cases on the opposite wall. Lined with games of all kinds (and some books) she noticed the boxes were a little off. She was usually very good about keeping them just so.
“How did this happen?” She mused to herself out loud.
“If I answer, will you help me fix it?” The voice was small and strange yet familiar at the same time.
The voice did not come from anywhere, but was everywhere, it seemed inviting.
“Who said that?” She peered closer at the shelves.
“I did” said the voice again.
“Hey down here!”
Regina looked and saw what appeared to be her first attempt at a home made game piece from years ago! She hadn’t seen it for some time, and had forgotten about it.
“Where have you been?” As she reached out for the piece she recognized it and was very fond of it.
“Oh, I’ve been around, I’m here now because I knew you would need me!” It answered.
“I do?” Regina was perplexed, as it hopped into her open hand.
Pointing at her game spread out on her desk across the room, the little figure nodded.
“Yes, you do! And we better hurry so we don’t miss Christmas!” It exclaimed
“Do we have time for this, my family is waiting on me now.” Regina was a little anxious.
“It will be fine, trust me we will make it back in time if we hurry now!”
Regina nodded hesitantly and noticed the small opening on her second shelf, it was eye level for her and held her most played games, it was glowing white! The figure jumped from her hand onto the shelf and motioned for her to follow.
Heading into the light behind her little friend she disappeared!
Act III. The World
The transformation of Regina’s room was as startling as it was complete. Where her bed once was stood a wonderful desk of oak, complete with folders, a cup for pens AND pencils, protractors, rulers and even one of those lights on an extension arm, she had been asking her parents for one of those for years it seemed.
“Wow, I wish my desk looked like this, this is my desk.” She mused out loud.
“Why yes, yes it is, why don’t you try it out?!” Her little friend was already standing on it.
She took a seat and immediately began to see possibilities of rules and mechanics she wanted to put in games. She instinctively reached into the middle drawer and there was her favorite pen! Opening the book on her left she scribbled furiously filling pages almost as soon as the pen touched paper. When she had completed one section she absentmindedly reached for a colored tab on her right, and they were there! She scarcely noticed and continued to write, not sure of where she was going, but not stopping until she was finished.
“So, would you like to show me around some more?” She asked barely noting her little friend was reclined on her paper clip holder.
“It can wait, you seem to be pretty busy there!” It said coyly.
“Yeah, I was stuck for a while, but visiting this place has opened it up for me.” She offered, still working.
“This World is only representative of the world of possibility in each and every box when its opened. You have mechanics down cold, you understand the math of it. Where we are now, is the Reason of the game. The potential to see the world you create, put that forth in every design you ever make, from now on! Wonderful isn't it?” It’s own wonder was showing.
It was standing now looking at the pawns curiously onlooking them, seeing the different game boards pass below, all representative of her ideas. Each idea its own world, with its own set of rules, just waiting to be personified in the physical and shared with the world, it was an impressive site indeed.
“Is that, are those?” She trailed off as she began to recognize her own ideas.
“Yes.” Was the simple reply
In the distance a clock began to strike.
“Oh dear we better hurry, are you quite finished?” It asked.
“I am not even sure what I was working on, oh, if only I had the time I needed to finish up this years game.” She was growing concerned, as the wonderful game world began to fade behind her.
“Are you sure? Why don’t you take a look at your finished pile over there?” The piece was smiling and hopped in her pocket.
As Regina looked at the folder she noticed her familiar handwriting and on it it staid ‘Regina’s Family Number Nine, Christmas Edition’, she smiled and was confused, when did she finish number eight, let alone get to number nine? She looked for her friend, her guide and wanted to take one more look around the world, it had completely faded however and she was back in her room.
“Don’t worry, you can come back every time you work on a game from now on, if you want!” It said from her pocket. She smiled, grabbed the finished folders with the new rules and box and bounded downstairs!
ACT IV. Christmas Release
Setting up the table and laying out the folders for her parents, Regina noticed something different, there was anticipation on their faces that she had not seen before.
“This looks amazing Dear!” Elizabeth Exclaimed!
“When did you have time to do this, just last night it was only cardboard, very impressive young lady!” Added Ross.
Regina looked at it for the first time herself, she had not remembered printing anything off of the printer, but the board was complete! Each players pieces were bagged in accordance to color and matching, Gold for Mom, Green for Dad and Purple for her.
“It’s part of the world.” She said almost involuntarily!
Her parents smiled and raptly listened as she relayed the rules and they set about their new Christmas adventure together.
Ross noticed the old homemade pawn in her pocket and held his hand out, Regina handed it to him and he placed it in front of her Mother Elizabeth.
“She’s first right? Her birthday is closest to Christmas, that's what you said in the rules. I didn’t see a first player marker, and you usually make a special one so when I saw this guy again I figured he was our first place marker this year!” He Explained.
“Oh I remember him! When you first said you wanted to make your own games for the family he was the FIRST thing you made! So cute!” Elizabeth remembered.
“What was it you called him, something clever I remember.” Ross trailed off.
“I don’t remember either.” Elizabeth answered.
She had made him first, then she remembered a lot more: He had been a part of several games, and she always had wide eyed wonder when her parents, avid gamers themselves, opened another box. She would be drawn into the world and loved every minute of it. That first time she remembered, was at Christmastime some years before.
Regina looked around and saw the scene that played out so many times across so many years; the tree, gifts, the fireplace, the sounds of family laughing and enjoying one another. The smells of holiday baking and the expectation that this was normal, this was how it should be, that goodness was not fleeting or a once a year thing. A whole other facet to THIS world that made it every bit as special as the worlds her board games always took her too.
*****
“Regina we better get going, the kids are already sleep! Are you coming?” Mark was perplexed.
“Yes, Honey I’ll be right there, my parents are expecting us before midnight.” She snapped out of her memory, closed her laptop, grabbed the last gift and headed for the car.
“So, you sure the time off wont be a problem?” Mark asked as they got underway.
“No, Honey, all the new games have shipped and I gave my teams the holiday off, being head of studio has its perks!” She smiled as she buckled in.
As they hit the road she looked in the mirror at her sleeping children and grabbed her husbands hand as he drove silently. She thought fondly of sharing the wonderful world her parents opened up to her, with them. She thought of everyone she shared games with through her present work, of all the wonderful worlds each and every game they designed and shipped opened up. She smiled deeply and remembered the first player marker that had been with her for her entire life. Taking him out and holding him in her other hand, she looked at him. Not just how he looked, but what he represented.
“Merry Christmas, little buddy, and happy Birthday M. Bark!” She said sweetly under her breath.
He winked at her, and her smile back was so infectious, her Husband Mark smiled as he drove and their little ones in the back seat dreaming of Christmas to come smiled as they slept.
This holiday season and beyond remember acts of kindness always touch those who need it. Joy spreads spontaneously, and most of all Love can be personified in countless meaningful ways.
These can be augmented around the game table for sure.
But work the very best in their native environment.
Merry Christmas.