MEMENTO
AARON, ANASTASIA, MARYAM
MEMENTO IS A GAME THAT TAKES PLACE
FOLLOWING THE DEATH OF THE LEGENDARY
KIYOKO— A RELATIVE/ACQUAINTANCE OF
YOURS WHO EMBARKED ON CRAZY
ADVENTURES AND ACCOMPLISHED EVEN
CRAZIER FEATS.
LIKE A COOL BUT CRAZY WINE AUNT ON
STEROIDS, KIYOKO ALWAYS HAD A STORY
FOR JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING, EVERYWHERE,
AND EVERYONE.
FOLLOWING AN INVITATION TO KIYOKO’S
ESTATE, AS PER HER WILL, PLAYERS FIND
THEMSELVES RUMMAGING THROUGH KIYOKO’S
KEEPSAKES IN AN ATTEMPT TO PIECE
TOGETHER HER HISTORY.
WORK TOGETHER TO CREATE AND ANALYZE
TRINKETS TO RECALL A PIVOTAL OR
COMPELLING MOMENT OF KIYOKO’S LIFE, AND
FIGURE OUT WHO SHE WAS AS A PERSON.
MEMENTO WAS DESIGNED WITH 2-4 PLAYERS IN MIND. TO BEGIN, EACH
PLAYER WILL CREATE 2 TRINKETS USING 2 PROMPTS ON THE NEXT PAGE.
TRINKETS SHOULD BE WRITTEN DOWN ON FOLDED SLIPS OF PAPER.
PLAYERS CAN CHOOSE HOW SPECIFIC THE ITEMS ARE. WE RECOMMEND
ADDING MORE SPECIFIC ADJECTIVES AND DETAILS (EX: A COLORFUL
BEADED FRIENDSHIP BRACELET THAT READS “SAM”) IF YOU ARE LESS
COMFORTABLE WITH IMPROVISING. VAGUE DESCRIPTIONS ARE ALSO OKAY IF
THE PLAYERS WOULD RATHER IMPROVISE THE DETAILS THEMSELVES.
*WE RECOMMEND PUTTING THEM INTO GACHAPON CAPSULES FOR THE
TACTILE EXPERIENCE (PLAYERS CAN REPLACE THE CAPSULES WITH
EASTER EGGS). REAL TRINKETS CAN ALSO BE USED FOR AN EVEN MORE
AUTHENTIC GAMEPLAY EXPERIENCE.
TRINKET CREATION (SHOULD BE TANGIBLE OBJECTS):
#1: SOMETHING YOU WANT BUT YOU DON’T HAVE.
(EX: ONE MILLION DOLLARS)
#2: SOMETHING OTHERS WANT THAT YOU HAVE.
(EX: DESIGNER CLOTHES)
#3: SOMETHING THAT HOLDS SENTIMENTAL VALUE.
(EX: NECKLACE)
#4: SOMETHING THAT SCARES OR HURTS YOU.
(EX: KNIFE)
#5: SOMETHING YOU LOST AND CAN’T FIND.
(EX: CHILDHOOD PHOTO)
#6: SOMETHING YOU HIDE AWAY.
(EX: ILLEGAL SUBSTANCES)
#7: SOMETHING THAT BRINGS JOY.
(EX: PRESERVED FLOWERS)
ONCE TRINKETS ARE CREATED, PLAYERS WILL
ROLL A D6 FOR THEIR CHARACTER ROLES USING
THE SUGGESTIONS BELOW, THEN ANSWER THE
QUESTIONS ON THE NEXT PAGE.
1.) LOVER
2.) EX-LOVER
3.) PARENT
4.) CHILD
5.) BEST FRIEND
6.) RIVAL
OR COME UP WITH YOUR OWN
GIVE YOUR CHARACTER A NAME AND INTRODUCE YOURSELF TO ONE
ANOTHER. ADDITIONALLY, ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS (EXAMPLES
ON THE NEXT PAGE):
HOW WELL DOES YOUR CHARACTER THINK THEY KNOW ABOUT KIYOKO?
TELL ONE FAVORITE FAVORITE PERSONAL STORY WITH KIYOKO.
KIYOKO’S DEATH WAS SUDDEN; SHE BROUGHT A LOT OF UNANSWERED
QUESTIONS WITH HER TO HER GRAVE. WHAT IS A QUESTION ABOUT KIYOKO
YOU WANT ANSWERED BY THE END OF THE NIGHT?
WHAT IS ONE EXTRAORDINARY FEAT YOU’VE HEARD ABOUT KIYOKO? TRY TO
ONE UP ONE ANOTHER. EXAGGERATION AND HYPERBOLE ARE WELCOME.
AFTER ALL, KIYOKO WAS A PRETTY MAGNIFICENT WOMAN.
IT’S ALRIGHT TO BE VAGUE, GRIEF CLOUDS JUDGMENT. BY THE END OF THIS,
YOU WILL ALL COLLECTIVELY HAVE A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF KIYOKO.
EXAMPLE RESPONSES / GUIDE
HOW WELL DOES YOUR CHARACTER THINK THEY KNOW ABOUT KIYOKO?
FOR EXAMPLE, A PARENT MIGHT *THINK* THEY KNOW THEIR DAUGHTER WELL. ON THE OTHER HAND, A LOVER MAY
HAVE GOTTEN TO KNOW KIYOKO ON A MORE INTIMATE LEVEL. THIS DOESN’T HAVE TO BE ANSWERED OUT LOUD.
TELL ONE FAVORITE PERSONAL STORY WITH KIYOKO.
EX: THE CHILD MIGHT RECALL: “AH, I REMEMBER IT LIKE IT WAS YESTERDAY. I WAS SO WORRIED MOM WOULD GET
MAD AT ME FOR ACCIDENTALLY BREAKING HER FAVORITE VASE… BUT INSTEAD, SHE COMFORTED ME AND TOOK
ME TO THE POTTERY STORE AND HAD ME PICK A NEW ONE!”
WHAT IS ONE EXTRAORDINARY FEAT YOU’VE HEARD ABOUT KIYOKO?
EX: “I HEARD SHE ONCE SKYDIVED OUT OF AN AIRPLANE INTO A BURNING ORPHANAGE WITH JUST A PARACHUTE
AND A FIRE EXTINGUISHER, AND MANAGED TO SAVE ALL THE CHILDREN AND MAKE IT OUT WITHOUT A SINGLE
SCRATCH.”
WHAT IS A QUESTION ABOUT KIYOKO YOU WANT ANSWERED BY THE END OF THE NIGHT?
EX: THE EX-LOVER MIGHT WONDER, “KIYOKO AND I WERE CLOSE ONCE BUT EVERYTHING FELL APART JUST AS
SUDDENLY AS HER DEATH. I KNEW SHE HAD SOMETHING ON HER MIND BUT SHE ALWAYS REFUSED TO TELL ME. I
WONDER WHAT SHE WAS HIDING FROM ME?”
MEMENTO TAKES PLACE OVER FOUR ACTS. PLAYERS SHOULD FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS ON EACH ACT CARD
CHRONOLOGICALLY AND ANSWER THE QUESTIONS. THE PLAYER WHO OPENS THE TRINKET SHOULD START BY RECALLING
HOW THEY REMEMBER KIYOKO TELLING THEM ABOUT THE TRINKET (EX: “AH I REMEMBER THIS…”).
THEN, OTHER PLAYERS WILL TAKE TURNS BUILDING OFF ONE ANOTHER AND ANSWERING THE QUESTIONS ON THE ACT
CARD IN CLOCKWISE ORDER FROM THE PLAYER WHO DRAWS THE TRINKET. EACH PLAYER SHOULD TRY TO ANSWER ALL
THE QUESTIONS ON THE ACT CARD. WE RECOMMEND HAVING EACH PLAYER ANSWER THE SAME QUESTION, BEFORE MOVING
ONTO THE NEXT QUESTION, AND SO ON. FEEL FREE TO ASK ONE ANOTHER FOLLOW-UP QUESTIONS.
ACTIONS (SUCH AS DRAWING TRINKETS OR MOVING ONTO THE
NEXT QUESTION) SHOULD BE MADE AS A COLLECTIVE.
AN ACT ENDS ONCE ALL PLAYERS AGREE ON THE MEANING /
SIGNIFICANCE OF A TRINKET OR STORY.
ACT I: A DEATH SHROUDED IN MYSTERY
WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU SAW / WERE WITH KIYOKO?
HOW DOES HER SUDDEN DEATH MAKE YOU FEEL?
DRAW THE GACHAPON.
THIS WAS THE LAST ITEM FOUND WITH HER.
DO YOU RECOGNIZE THIS ITEM? WHERE DO YOU THINK IT’S FROM?
HOW DO YOU THINK KIYOKO GOT A HOLD OF IT?
WHAT DO YOU SPECULATE ITS SIGNIFICANCE TO BE?
WHAT MEANING DO YOU THINK THIS HOLDS FOR KIYOKO? DOES IT HOLD
ANY MEANING FOR YOU?
ACT II: A POSSESSION MOST PRIZED
KIYOKO ACCOMPLISHED QUITE A FEW MAGNIFICENT FEATS DURING HER
LIFETIME. THIS NEXT ITEM IS AN EXAMPLE OF ONE OF SUCH
ACCOMPLISHMENTS.
DRAW GACHAPON
WHAT ACCOMPLISHMENT DO YOU THINK THIS ITEM SIGNIFIES?
THIS IS ALSO AN ITEM THAT KIYOKO TREASURED DEARLY.
WHAT MEANING DOES IT HAVE FOR YOU?
WHY DO YOU THINK KIYOKO VALUED IT SO MUCH?
ACT III: GRIEF AND GRIEVANCES
THOUGH MAGNIFICENT, KIYOKO WASN’T PERFECT. THIS NEXT ITEM SHOULD RECALL AN
UNSAVORY MEMORY / INTERACTION YOU’VE HAD WITH KIYOKO.
DRAW GACHAPON.
WHERE / HOW DID KIYOKO OBTAIN THIS ITEM?
WHAT GRIEVANCES DID YOU HAVE ABOUT KOYOKO? YOU CAN START BY REEVALUATING
YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH HER. IT’S OKAY, DON’T HOLD BACK, SHE’S DEAD ANYWAYS (SHE
CAN’T HEAR YOU).
WHY DO YOU WANT TO EXPRESS THESE GRIEVANCES?
HOW DID KIYOKO MAKE YOU FEEL?
ACT IV: A SECRET LIFE
IS THERE ANYTHING SURPRISING ABOUT KIYOKO THAT YOU’VE LEARNED SO FAR? HOW
DOES THAT MAKE YOU FEEL?
DO YOU FEEL LIKE THE KIYOKO YOU KNEW IS THE SAME AS THE KIYOKO OTHERS SEE HER
AS?
DRAW GACHAPON.
THIS FINAL ITEM REPRESENTS A HIDDEN SIDE OF KIYOKO. AN ITEM KIYOKO’S RARELY
TALKED ABOUT, ALMOST AS IF SHE WERE TRYING TO HIDE IT.
WHAT IS THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THIS ITEM TO YOU? WHAT DO YOU THINK ITS SIGNIFICANCE
IS TO KIYOKO? WHY MIGHT KIYOKO HIDE THIS ITEM?
IS THIS ITEM SURPRISING? WHAT DOES IT TELL YOU ABOUT KIYOKO? HOW DOES THIS
CHANGE YOUR IMAGE OF KIYOKO?
WHAT DOES THIS REVEAL ABOUT KIYOKO’S TRUE NATURE?
FINAL FAREWELLS
WAS YOUR ORIGINAL QUESTION ANSWERED? WAS THE ANSWER WHAT YOU
EXPECTED?
DO YOU HAVE ANY FINAL REMARKS FOR THE OTHER PLAYERS?
IT IS TIME TO SAY GOODBYE. LEAVE A FAREWELL MESSAGE FOR KIYOKO.
AS PER HER WILL, TAKE A MEMENTO WITH YOU TO REMEMBER HER BY.
WHAT MEANING DOES IT HAVE FOR YOU?
MEMENTO WAS CREATED IN HONOR OF OUR TIME IN JAPAN
AND THE COUNTLESS
GACHAPONS WE COLLECTED THROUGHOUT OUR MONTH
TOGETHER.
MEMENTO IS A GAME ABOUT NOVELTY, NOSTALGIA, AND
THE KNICK-KNACKS THAT WE TREASURE. IN A WAY, THE
SOUVENIRS WE COLLECT BECOME IMBUED WITH OUR
MEMORIES AND BECOME PHYSICAL MANIFESTATIONS OF
SUCH. SO EVEN WHEN WE’RE GONE, EVEN AFTER WE’VE
LEFT, THE THINGS WE’VE COLLECTED KEEP HOLDING ON
TO THE PAST.
IN LOVING MEMORY OF KIYOKO
AND THE MANY, MANY GACHAPON CAPSULES
WE COLLECTED…
REMINDERS OF OUR CRIPPLING ADDICTION TO
GAMBLING AND LACK OF SELF-CONTROL.
