Games

It turns out that, by indulging in a little make-believe, you can learn skills to help you overthrow repressive regimes. Wow. All work and no play really does make Jack a dull boy.

Little Brother gives us lots of reasons to try LARPing and ARGs, not the least of which is the community building they create. Marcus explains that:

The Live Action Role Playing scene combines the best aspects of D&D with drama club with going to sci-fi cons. (18.2)

Whoa. And we didn't know that there were any un-best aspects to drama club, D&D, or cons. Sign us up—especially because over a hundred people are involved in a weekend game.

Marcus uses the skills he's gained through these weekends role-playing to start a movement that involves a Vampire flash mob (so many fake fangs!), and to use Clockwork Plunder as a place to meet other Xnetters.

And Little Brother isn't just creating a fairy-tale alternate universe where games somehow train you to enter dangerous situations. This precedent of games preparing people for the unknown is well established. Just check out the video game America's Army and how it's used for military recruitment.

Games, it turns out, can be serious business.