Translated from the Czech Original:
Jan Hrkal, Radek Hanus: Zlaty fond her II (Golden Fund of Games II), Extract from games and programs created for the courses of the Vacation School of Lipnica, Portal 1998, 165 p.
Authors: Antonin Rosicky, Jiri Walder
Development of communication, argumentation.
Drama game. Two Houses/Tribes are fulfilling different tasks in the background/during of the regular program of the day. BUT - at the beginning of the game nobody knows to which house do other players belong.
| Physical Effort | 3 (out of five) |
| Psychical Effort | 3 (out of five) |
| Time for preparation | 30 min |
| Animators for prep. | 1 |
| Time for game | 48-96 hrs |
| Animators for game | 1 (in text as Game leader GL) |
| Number of Players | 6-36 |
| Age Category | any |
| Environment | anywhere |
| Day time | anytime |
| Year time | anytime |
| Material | CD player, playing cards (made ID Cards), Information Poster, Tape of Spiritual Quintet with the song The War of The Roses or other suitable music |
...after the end of the 100 year war with France returns the English Nobility home and starts fighting for the governing of the Land. Land is divided based on sympathies towards the two concurrent houses of Lancaster and York, which were fighting for the Crown. This war was then called The War of Two Roses, because Yorks had in their sign a white rose and Lancasters red rose. In the year 1455 started Richard, the Duke of York the civil revolt, which turned into a cruel war. The victory was switching sides. At the end the Yorks got the predominance - Richard fell in the battle, but his son Edward had become in 1461 the English King after the Battle of Towton...
It is suitable to prepare a motivation in a form of an audio-program about England of the 15th century. At the beginning and at the end it is advised to use the same song (in Czech version "The war of the Roses" of Spiritual Quintet), which would then in next days accompany announcements of tasks and of intermediate results.
"The War of The Roses" is a peculiar game. Peculiar in a sense, that participants of the course/camp do not have to take part in it at all and when they do, they can play it at any moment of the course or camp.
The game runs parallel to other programs even for a couple of days. It creates interesting situations when meeting in the night, when being uncertain by establishing a contact or disclosing a rival. It teaches how to gain trust of co-players, how to organise and make decisions under uncertainty. This game is loved by "real" players and hated by "weak" characters. Everyone has to try playing it at least once...
After the end of the audio-program (Motivation part) every participant obtains an envelope with a Card - ID. The majority obtains a clean card, but it is publicly known, that some players have got the cards with letters L=Lancaster or Y=York, written inside. As from now on, both houses have to fulfil various tasks. The tasks are announced by the Game-leader (GL) at times when all Participants are gathered together (breakfast etc.), always accompanied by the Song (from motivation).
The main Aim of the two houses is to fulfil these tasks. The character of the game presets, that majority of tasks is to be accomplished in the darkness of the night. The house has to at the same time gain as many new members as possible from those who do not have any of the two letters written in the card. Tasks would become more and more difficult and it would not be easy to accomplish them without a numerous, well co-operating team. The members of houses have to keep themselves undisclosed by the rival house members. That is why it is crucial to affect all the tasks secretly and with maximal carefulness.
The Player is becoming The Member of the House at the moment when L or Y is written down into his/her card. Afterwards they are not allowed to change it. If the players are behaving carefully, it is difficult to find out who is member of which house.
In case that Player feels like s/he knows a member of the rival house, s/he can come to the GL and "disclose" that person. The GL first controls the card of the "disclosing" player in order to see whether s/he is included in the game (having card with L or Y inside). Thereafter the GL discretely asks the "disclosed" player to show his/her card. If this player is really the member of the rival house, s/he is DISCLOSED, his/her card is confiscated and the name is announced at the Information-Poster (placed visibly). Participation of this player in the game is ended.
In the case, that the pointed player is still neutral (clean card) or even a member of the same house (to the house of the disclosing player), the card (and with it also life) is taken to the mistaken disclosing player. This is publicly announced at the Poster. Especially at the beginning of the game, when only few players are gained for the houses, such a loss might have "catastrophical" consequences. Once the player is disclosed, s/he might not take part in the game anymore.
Success in gaining new members for the house is very much depending on the ability to be assertive / lead diplomatic discussions / convince other players. Big role plays the ability of members of the same house to "unseen - unheard" communicate and co-operate.
Classical first task is: Tomorrow morning have to be, visibly to everyone, flags of both houses hanging on the tree / beam / & The flag of the rival can not be destroyed/removed (it has to be emphasised, that what one house creates, the other house may not destroy. The principle of the game is to create contacts, widen houses and discover / disclose members of the rival house).
Hanging out of the written Program Declaration; execution of some work useful for the camp/course - preparation of wood for fire, cleaning of the forest. The night tasks are getting bigger and require participation of bigger amount of persons: which house would present bigger stone to be placed on front door with visible L or Y on it, who builds a bigger construction...