SHARK ZONE

WARNING! You are about to enter the Shark Zone. Make sure that you and your crew are prepared as you face the shark that has been seen in these waters. Find someone to be your shark and join two other friends as you embark on this dangerous adventure for survival.

Please print the pdf file double sided and cut it in the middle so that it looks like the reference image.

The concept of this game was inspired by Jaws and my own passion for Sharks. While there is little that I do in my day to day life where this passion comes through, it is something that is somewhat always on my mind – partially due to the fact that I have a Pelagic Thresher Shark tattooed on my arm – and that I have included one way or another in my Magpie Book when possible. While representations of sharks as monsters is an issue and has influenced the surges in shark hunting, I do find some cathartic comfort in the opportunity to play as a shark who is hunting a group of people going after them, and that is what led me to making this game. There are two collections of aims for this game; the Shark’s Aims and the Crew’s Aims. The Shark’s aim is to sink the crew’s boat. On the other hand, the Crew’s aims are to survive or defeat the shark (remember, killing isn’t the only way to defeat it!). The Crew must also learn to work as a team with what is available to them as they try and survive the shark’s attack. The tone of this game is basically Jaws if the shark was a vindictive bitch with a bone to pick with three randos on a boat – of course, it is also up to the players how much they want to go into this dynamic. The subject matter revolves around survival, action, teamwork, and, of course, sharks and boats. The level of violence involved is up to the players – who should discuss what they are comfortable with prior to starting. 

When considering the themes and the mechanics, I believe that there is one that is clearly central: the sinking boat mechanic. Considering the general narrative – the shark trying to sink the crew’s boat – having a mechanic that reflects this same imagery allows for some more immersion and additional build in tension as water continues to get into the boat. This idea was inspired by the use of the tower in dread which also served to build the tension of the player’s actions as the story progressed. However, I also wanted something more literally connected to the theme of the game; a sinking ship, and that’s how I got to the idea of having a bowl of water that represents the ocean and a smaller bowl that represents the boat that slowly takes on water as it becomes more and more damaged. The movement mechanic through the map also adds additional benefits and targets and it serves to create both a more immersive experience but also allows to visualize the position of the players a bit more. It was also slightly inspired by tug of war and traditional cat-and-mouse games and it’s meant to mimic the push and pull between the shark and the players. I hope the players come out of this experience having had some fun and thinking about the feeling of being hunted.

I haven’t had the chance to test this game fully enough times to make sure the balance is as I want it to be, but I do hope that the mechanics make it clear that the Shark here has some advantages. This is a subversion to real life – where sharks are killed en masse by fishermen who carry with them a multitude of advantages – and I want those who are playing as crew members to fully experience the feeling of being hunted when the odds aren’t to their favor without losing their identity as human individuals.