Pyramid Review
Under the Bed
Published by Glyph Press
Designed by joshua a. c. newman
50-Page 2¼ by 3½-Inch Black & White Saddlestitched Booklet & 38 2? by 3?-Inch Black & White Cards; $16
As children there were things that we were scared off, perhaps lurking beneath our bed or in the dark recesses of the closet, or even out beyond the confines of the back yard. At such times when we were alone and frightened, we fell back on our comforters and the closest of our companions, our toys. Except sometimes they had their own agenda.
Under the Bed is a little game -- quite literally given the components -- that explores this time in our lives and asks the question, "What are you so afraid of?" In answering that, the players must help a Child face his fears by playing his Toys. Each Toy is not just helping, but trying to help the most and thus make himself his Child's favorite Toy, the one that the Child turns to in times of need. Under the Bed is a storytelling game designed for three to six players, who --- using dice, cards, and tokens -- take it in turn to narrate conflicts for the other Toys. Win a conflict and a Toy gains status in the eyes of the Child who will turn to him again in times of crisis and conflict. Aid the Child successfully enough times and a Toy will become his favorite.
The game does not come complete, needing a means of storage. Mine is in a ziplock bag, but nevertheless, Under the Bed is an easily lost game. It also requires seven eight-sided dice, a cup or cloth bag . . .
This article originally appeared in the second volume of Pyramid. See the current Pyramid website for more information.
Article publication date: October 6, 2006
Copyright © 2006 by Steve Jackson Games. All rights reserved. Pyramid subscribers are permitted to read this article online, or download it and print out a single hardcopy for personal use. Copying this text to any other online system or BBS, or making more than one hardcopy, is strictly prohibited. So please don't. And if you encounter copies of this article elsewhere on the web, please report it to [email protected].