Other games
- The Fabulous Phenomenon Costume Contest
- Mission: Improvable - Rejigged — hosted by Nick Matthews
- Story games à la carte — brought to you by Oliver Granger, Dan L’Estrange & Jacinta Smith
The Fabulous Phenomenon Costume Contest
Every year at Phenomenon, we see a bunch of truly excellent costumes, that are sometimes never seen again. In an effort to catalogue these rare and fantastical outfits, we're announcing the Fabulous Phenomenon Costume Contest!
Becoming a part of the contest is easy:
Step 1: At the Rego Desk we will have a small area to one side with a camera. Grab the nearest org or volunteer and get them to snap a photo of you in costume!
Step 2: The photo will be uploaded to the Phenomenon Facebook Group! Once you're photo is up, you're entered!
The contest is split into three categories:
- Best Male Costume
- Best Female Costume
- Phenomenon's Choice
The Best Male and Best Female costumes will be decided by a panel from the Pheno Committee, while the Phenomenon's Choice costume will be decided by the photo with the most likes on the Phenomenon Facebook Group, with the winners to be announced at prizegiving! So come, get your photo taken, and be part of the fun!
Mission: Improvable - Rejigged
Your smiling host, Nick Matthews
Mission: Improvable is an improvised theater competition in the style of shows such as Whose Line Is It Anyway?, Theatersports, and the US version of Whose Line Is It Anyway?. Teams of gamers throw themselves into the arena of humorous acting games, challenging themselves and others for the chance to win the ultimate prize: A small plastic trophy worth no more than $10 and the begrudging admiration and disdain of their fellow competitors.
You're a software pirate who's only just realized that a life on the sea may not be the most effective way of doing his 'job'. 60 seconds ago you were performing showtunes about earwax removal devices. Who knows what the next 60 seconds will bring? Laughter! Excitement! Romance! Horrible Mistakes! You'll see it all!
Mission: Improvable will be held in the final session, with a warm up workshop followed by the main competition.
Teams will be formed at the event, but feel free to sign up as a group. Anyone can participate in the warmup workshop, but you MUST sign up to be in the competition and play for the Mission: Improvable completely and totally nonperpetual trophy.
In 2005, one improvisation competition changed how you thought about the comedic applications of Fish Soap(TM).
Then, in 2009, it vanished without a trace. People around the world still try to make up their own version of what actually happened.
Now, in 2013, a new challenger takes up the mantle.
Mission: Improvable was originally designed by Mike(y) McClure and Liz Argall, and is being run with their permission.
| Pheno ratings | ||
|---|---|---|
| Characterisation 4 | Genre N/A (Highly Variable) | Rules knowledge 0 (We'll provide everything) |
| Story/plot 5 | Seriousness ? (What now?) | Advisory rating We'll try to keep it PG, but it might skate into M. |
Story games à la carte
Brought to you by Oliver Granger, Dan L’Estrange & Jacinta Smith
We have three different keynote games, and a bunch of other interesting quick pick up games. Cast your vote and we will run the games you are most interested in.
These games require player creativity as they have no pre-ordained story; players drive the game, creating backstories and bouncing off each other. The GM will be the player's safety net: enabling the players to feel free to experiment; pausing and ending scenes when required; resolving disagreements and confusions; etc.
Mouse Guard
Defend the Mouse Territories against predators and dangers, in this game from the acclaimed Mouse Guard comic book series!
Fiasco
A game of powerful ambition and poor impulse control. Players take turns either setting up or resolving scenes involving their character, effortlessly building a story that spins wildly out-of-hand.
http://www.bullypulpitgames.com/games/fiasco/
3:16 Carnage among the stars
You play a soldier. You kill aliens. You try to make it off-planet alive. A light role-playing game with tactical board game elements.
http://www.gregorhutton.com/boxninja/threesixteen/
Quick pickups
Distinct from the keynotes, below are games at least one of us loves. But because we don't all know all of them, you better get in early if you're dead keen on one of them.
- Durance
- The Quiet Year
- Serpent's Tooth
- Apocalypse World
- Dungeon World
- A Flower for Mara
- It's Complicated
- Microscope
- Humanydyne
| Pheno ratings | ||
|---|---|---|
| Characterisation 3 or so | Genre 1 (mostly chosen by players) | Rules knowledge 1 |
| Story/plot 5 | Seriousness 2 (Fiasco), 3 (Mouse Guard) |
Advisory rating PG, M, MA (depending on the players) |