Bomb the Church (2016)

From the Introduction: The game is intended to be played in one class session, including role distribution and prep. Pedagogical objective: to encourage students’ understanding of and appreciation for the cultural value of art historical objects and antiquities. You are all villagers in a town that has a beautiful, old church in the town center. The church holds great importance to the town. Many marriages have begun there. Many children have been christened there. The architecture is solidly constructed, and its style is considered historically important. Every old bench and window has a plaque that names a prominent family who donated or restored it. The stained glass in the windows was crafted so long ago that the methods and materials used to make it are obsolete. Monuments to civic organizations or to citizens killed in wars are in the church. The church contains art and other priceless objects that are of extremely important value to the cultural history of your town. The art is by a famous artist from history that once called this place ‘home.’ The art is irreplaceable – one of a kind. The objects are also irreplaceable. They are made of materials that are rare and unusual. They have important connections to townspeople of many years ago; their descendants still live here. And today, there is a serious problem that you must solve...