TEXT: ONE MISSED CALL
  by Caroline Hobbs & Marc Hobbs
  
  2
  ONE MISSED CALL-SECRET HITS EDITION
  Copyright © 2016 by Caroline Hobbs
  Special thanks to the Downfall Kickstarter backers. Thank 
  you for making this publication possible. <3
  
  3
  OVERVIEW
  One Missed Call is a story game for 2 players about 
  loved ones separated by space, drifting apart or coming 
  together.
  Two people, playing characters, sit back-to-back during 
  play. The game takes thirty minutes to an hour to learn 
  and play. Do your best to play in a quiet space, away 
  from any noise that would make telephoning someone 
  unpleasant.
  Make sure both players have a character sheet and a list 
  of the key phrases. 
  
  4
  CREATE CHARACTERS
  Our characters are in a long-distance romantic, platonic, 
  or familial relationship, trying to stay connected despite 
  their distance.
  We’ll collaborate when creating our relationship, biggest 
  difference, and the distance between us.  We’ll have dif-
  ferent answers for our biggest difference, but we should 
  collaborate to make differences that seem appropriate to 
  both of us. 
  Work separately when deciding the reason you love the 
  other character and whether you want to come togeth-
  er or drift apart.
  EXAMPLES:
  Relationship: siblings, couple, friends, etc.
  Biggest Difference: beliefs, wealth, fame, etc.
  The distance between us: across the country, away at 
  school, on different planets, etc.
  I love you because: you’re family, you respect me, 
  you’re so kind, etc.
  Share everything except whether you want to come to-
  gether or drift apart.
  
  CHARACTER SHEET
  MY NAME
  OUR RELATIONSHIP (Same answer)
  OUR BIGGEST DIFFERENCE (Different answers)
  THE DISTANCE BETWEEN US (Same answer)
  I LOVE YOU BECAUSE (Different answers)
  Secretly choose one:
  I WANT US TO COME TOGETHER
  I WANT US TO DRIFT APART
  PLAY SEATED BACK-TO-BACK
  
  KEY PHRASES
  AS YOU SAY EACH PHRASE, CHECK THE BOX NEXT TO IT:
   
  □ I love you.
   
  □ Sorry I couldn’t be there.
   
  □ I can’t come.
   
  □ Remember that one time…?
   
  □ It’s been too long.
   
  □ You should’ve been there.
   
  □ I’ve got another call.
   
  □ Sorry I missed you.
   
  □ It wasn’t my fault.
   
  □ Goodbye, I guess.
   
  □ I’ll talk to you soon.
   
  □ I wish you were here.
  *Don’t tell the other player when you have said every phrase.
  Caller
  Make a Call
  reCeiver
  Take the Call
  OR
  Miss the Call
  Role-play
  Caller
  Leave a Voicemail
  OR
  Leave a Missed Call
  reCeiver
  Tell an anecdote
  CHECK A KEY PHRASE 
  WHEN YOU...
  • Use it in a conversation
  • Use it in a voicemail
  • Leave a missed call
  
  7
  HOW TO PLAY
  After creating characters, we’ll explore their growing or 
  disintegrating bond. Our characters won’t interact in 
  physical space–instead, their lives and relationships will 
  be revealed through their phone conversations.
  Each player has a list of key phrases that they should 
  use during the game. As your character says each phrase, 
  check the box next to it. You can use as many key phrases 
  in one call as you wish. You may even repeat phrases, but 
  this has no mechanical effect. 
  You can change the rhythm and tone of the phrases, but 
  you must say the exact words in the given order.
  The game may only end once a player has used all the 
  key phrases (but does not necessarily end at this point). 
  Do not reveal to the other player when you have said 
  every phrase.
  
  8
  PHONE CALLS
  Phone calls are fairly straightforward. One character 
  makes a call, and the other either picks it up or doesn’t. 
  Here’s a brief overview of what phone calls look like in 
  One Missed Call.
  The character initiating a phone call is the Caller, and 
  the other character is the Receiver. These roles change, 
  of course, from scene to scene. 
  Caller
  Make a Call
  reCeiver
  Take the Call
  OR
  Miss the Call
  Role-play
  Caller
  Leave a Voicemail
  OR
  Leave a Missed Call
  reCeiver
  Tell an anecdote
  
  9
  MAKE A CALL
  Once you’re ready to start role-playing, sit back-to-back. 
  Remain back-to-back for the rest of the game.
  When you’re ready to make a call, restate who your loved 
  one is and describe why you’re calling. Say “ring, ring” 
  to start the call. 
  Caller: “I’m calling my brother Tom because his 
  favorite team just lost the game and I want to 
  tease him about it. Ring ring…”
  There is no discussion of who calls first or what the call 
  order might be. There is always uncertainty about who 
  will call next. 
  Remain sitting back-to-back. The responding player can 
  choose to either Answer the Call or Miss the Call.
  
  10
  DO YOU ANSWER?
  After a player makes a call, the other player can choose 
  to Answer the Call or Miss the Call.
  ANSWER THE CALL
  Say “Hello” or whatever. 
  Then begin role-playing 
  the phone call as if you 
  were on the phone with 
  the other character.
  Check off key phrases 
  as you say them during 
  role-play.
  Role-play the phone call 
  until someone hangs up.
  MISS THE CALL
  If you don’t answer the call, 
  say, “It goes to voicemail.” 
  Don’t explain why you 
  missed the call. 
  The Caller then chooses to 
  either Leave a Voicemail 
  or Leave a Missed Call.
  
  11
  IF YOU DON’T ANSWER...
  If the other player did not answer your call, you must 
  Leave a Voicemail or Leave a Missed Call.
  LEAVE A VOICEMAIL            
  Role-play your character 
  leaving a voicemail. 
  You can use key phrases in 
  your voicemail. When you 
  do, just check them off as 
  usual. 
  End the call when your 
  voicemail is complete.
  LEAVE A MISSED CALL                                      
  You might choose not to 
  leave a voicemail. If you 
  don’t, you leave a missed 
  call. Say, “You have one 
  missed call.”
  The character that did not 
  answer the call then nar-
  rates an experience your 
  characters shared.
  Not leaving a voicemail 
  represents your dissolving 
  relationship.
  Check off a key phrase 
  each time you leave a 
  missed call (you do not 
  need to speak the phrase). 
  
  12
  ENDING THE GAME
  When one player has checked off all the key phrases, that 
  player may no longer make or receive calls. The other 
  player may still continue to call, but their calls will al-
  ways go to voicemail or appear as missed calls. Missed 
  call rules still apply–if you can’t pick up the call, you 
  have to recount an anecdote.
  Play ends when no more calls are made for roughly 3 
  minutes or one player stands up and turns around. Wait-
  ing for the time limit can be a time for introspection. 
  Standing up and facing the other player can represent 
  closure. It’s up to you to decide when and how to end 
  the game.
  EPILOGUE
  Once the game has ended, each character gives a short 
  epilogue showing their feelings about their long-dis-
  tance relationship. 
  Each epilogue is delivered as a brief, face-to-face mono-
  logue. Within your epilogue, state whether you wanted 
  to come together or drift apart. Whoever exhausted their 
  key phrases first starts. 
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Collections/Duet/RPGS/Relationships & Romance/One Missed Call.pdf