HOW TO INVENT THE FUTURE:
Q: Do I have to play the game as myself? Or can I invent a character for the game?
A: We want you to play as yourself! Or, at least, your future self.
Remember: In the real 2019, you're still going to be you—not a fictional character. So REAL PLAY (and not ROLE PLAY) is the best way for all of us to get good ideas about our future together.
You don't have to use your real name. But you should answer your survival profile questions as YOURSELF. You're still you, but you're 10 years older.
Have fun imagining yourself in the future—feel free to be wildly optimistic, or invent a really unusual story for yourself. As long as you think it COULD really happen, you can be any future version of yourself you want to be!
Q: I don't actually know anything about the future. Do I just make stuff up?
A: Inventing the future definitely takes some creativity and imagination—but no, you're not just making stuff up! You actually already know more about the future than you think. Superstruct is design to help you unlock your natural forecasting abilities.
Just follow these easy rules:
Before you start playing, watch the Superthreat Videos, and check out our 21st Century Ideas Blog. The game content reveals key information about what they year 2019 might be like. It will give you lots of ideas for what to write and talk about.
Always make your "best guess. Tell stories and talk about things you think could really happen. This isn't supposed to be crazy science-fiction or fantasy. It's okay to have surprising or even strange ideas – but only if you believe they're truly possible.
Be true to yourself. We want to see 2019 through your eyes. Bring what you already know about into the game: your friends and family in 2019, where you live in 2019, your job or industry in 2019, your hobbies and interests and passions in 2019, and whatever else that matters most to you in 2019. Tell stories that only YOU could possible tell!
Pay attention to other players. The magic really happens when you start noticing each others' ideas and building on them. If you're not sure what to say, check out what other people are saying! It'll kickstart your forecasting imagination.
Q: What if I'm wrong about what I say will happen in the future?
A: Don't worry about trying to be "right." Just be honest about what you think might happen.
This isn't about predicting the future—it's about inventing it. So for now, we're just painting a picture of what the future MIGHT be like.
Once we know what the future MIGHT be like, then we can talk about what we really WANT the future to be like. That's how we'll learn to actually MAKE that best-possible future together.
Q: What if different players come up with conflicting stories about the future—like, I say London is rioting and another player says everything in London just fine? Whose forecast "wins"?
A: Competing visions of the future can exist side by side in this game. We won't throw out anyone's ideas. Feel free to disagree with other players and share a different vision of 2019!
However, some visions of the future will ultimately have more of an impact on the game than others. These "big impact" stories, discussions, and superstructures will be the ones that the most players see, like, and respond to. Content that is particularly well-written, or superstructures that have a ton of members, or stories that are told in really immersive formats such as video, podcast, or interactive websites, are likely to be the most influential in the game.