The Wait
a game about waiting for the inevitable
“It’s time,” someone tells the nurse. Everyone in the room somewhat nods in agreement. What feels like hours later, the doctor and a different nurse enter the room. They begin removing the tubes and hoses from the patient, the multitude of blips and beeps slowing down, eventually ceasing.
After an excruciating 5 minutes, the doctor looks at the patient. “All we do now is try to make them comfortable. They could pass in two hours or two weeks. Let me or the nurse know if you need anything.”
The doctor and nurse walk out and close the door, giving you the privacy everyone is craving. For now, you all wait. Some in silence, some quietly crying, some numb to what’s actually happening. Everyone is sitting or standing awkwardly in the hospital room, not knowing what to do. But you must pass the time somehow as you wait for the inevitable, so you gather up the courage to say a few words...
In The Wait, you play as the friends and family of a patient who has been placed on hospice. The experience centers around gathering your thoughts in the silence, choosing what to share about the patient, and how you can best remember that person’s life. Together, you and the other players build and share the life and memories of a person you create, exploring the depths of joy or sadness, putting together the pieces of someone whose life is ending.
Successfully kickstarted in February of 2020, The Wait is a 16-page RPG Zine with fantastic artwork by Morrighan Corbel, 33 bridge-sized prompt cards, and 18 glass tokens. You can grab the PDF at Itchi.io.