Dear Reactors,

Reacting has found a way forward for its Short Games (defined as requiring 2-4 class sessions inclusive of prep time and debriefing) and Microgames (requiring only a single class session for all such activities). The Reacting Consortium Board recently approved the recommendations of the Reacting Short Games/Microgames (SG/Ms) Working Group*, which you can read in full here. There is now a lot of work to be done to make this vision a reality, but here are three things you need to know right now:

• None of the SG/Ms currently listed on the Reacting website are going away in the near future. We know many of you have plans for these materials in the next two semesters, so we are keeping that content in place until we have conversations with the individual authors (see below).

• Authors of new SG/Ms should use the new Frameworks to guide their development. Those Frameworks can be found in the Game Author Resources page of the website under Templates, and can also be downloaded using these links (Short Games / Microgames) We are working now to build the intake processes for new SG/Ms. Our vision is that there will be separate systems for Small Games vs. Microgames, but both will be scholarly peer review systems so SG/Ms can count for CV credit. We also hope to eventually have more robust templates to guide development, similar to those that currently exist for Flagship Reacting. Look for more information in the first half of 2023.

• Authors of current SG/Ms should look for outreach from us in the immediate future. We would love to have all of the SG/Ms currently on the website converted over to the new format, but we understand that this will require significant intellectual labor on the part of their authors. We will contact every currently hosted SG/M author individually in the next 30 days about converting their games to the new frameworks. Conversion will put the games through the intake processes mentioned in the bullet above once we establish them. Games whose author elects not to convert them will be annotated as such on the website and will likely be taken down at the end of 2023 (or earlier if desired by the author). We will explore potential ways to archive non-converted games for historical reference. Time permitting, we will also reach out to SG/M authors listed on the BLORG who do not have content on the website yet.

We know there will be additional questions and concerns about this effort as it moves forward. Please feel free to ask them in the Reacting Faculty Lounge or reach out to us individually as you desire. Let’s make great games together!

Ray Kimball, ray@42ed.games

Reacting Microgame Coordinator

Bill Offutt, woffutt@pace.edu

Chair, REB Short Games Subcommittee

*In addition to the two of us, Scout Blum, Nick Proctor, Maddie Provo, and Jon Truitt all served on the Working Group. We are incredibly grateful for their hard work and candor in the group!

GDR-MicrogameFramework-Dec2022.pdf

GDR-ShortGameFramework-Dec2022.pdf

GDR-SGMWorkingGroupReport-Dec2022.pdf