Castle Game #4: Minesweeper

[Deleted]

" attention players :
the forth game is about to begin ! "

Talk about a legal nightmare, who knew you needed a permit for running a death show in the Capitol? Holly figured it was free reign, but the entire production had to halt after the Council caught wind a Capitolite got murdered on television by a districter. At least she's a career, right? 

Shit.

So after a two week brief, a meeting in front of the fine jury & a $10,000 fine, Holly's finally released back to set. Ridiculous, seriously, she had to blow half the budget on mini-games to keep the last 5 players mentally stimulated enough to refrain from beating their heads against the wall. As the schedule became more and more drawn out, the budget gets thinner and thinner. 

But who's that stopping?! Not us! "Alright alright bitches, I think it's time we get this show on the ROAD!" Holly says, uncrossing her legs and standing from her podium stool. The VIP's got a little vacation from their castle vacation, ZeusTV got its first broadcast ban warning, it is what it is. She takes a shot of tequila in unison with her VIP's, wiping red face paint on the glass as she does.

"Friends and friends of friends, it is so exciting to welcome you back to my home: the Balthazar Castle." Speech speech, notes, "it's been a while, yeah? How's everybody been! You-?" Ugh gross, she didn't mean to point to the mourning 001 stan, poor guy lost a few millions off that one. 

"Damn," would you look at that, "is it game-show time or what!"

It's quiet as the curtain draws - unlike the other three games, this valley of a room is a complete sleek black. The dollhouse aesthetic has left the building and 100 glass tiles have taken its place, Holly grins as the VIP's taken in the sight.

"Minimalism is so in right now."

"ugh, I know that's right!"

She'd traded half of what she planned for the finale for these explosives. "I call this one..." click, BOOM!

"MINESWEEPER!"

---

 

" attention players :
I will now read the rules of the fourth game "

---

Semi-finalists, welcome to your forth game: Minesweeper! This game will play out in three matches taking place in the far depths of the Castle Dungeon. For the first match, the players will start with a 100 tile field that emits a dim white light. When a tile is stepped on, it'll flash 3 options: a bright white light, a red number or a ticking bomb. White is safe, numbers are a warning and bombs, well.

Bombs go boom!

Minesweeper is a game based off war experiences from the Dark Days - emulating that of a scout squadrant entering a mine field to disarm its traps. In the game of Minesweeper, players will attempt to discover the numbered tiles and piece together where exactly the bomb is on the playing field. Players may work together or independently; however, even in a perfect game, the match will not end until all tiles (including the bomb) have been activated. 

Each round, players will roll a 1d8 scout roll. This represents how many tiles your player must activate in the round before the next player can go.  A real-time spreadsheet version of each field will be provided in the #Castle-Game-Players slack channel. Players may move in any direction including diagonal (which counts as 1 movement). Players cannot jump over tiles or walk between them; however, activated tiles may be stepped on to reach the next tile. When a player activates the bomb tile, a glass box will rise encasing them and the explosion safely from the other players. 

The final 2 players will proceed to the 4.5th Castle Game. 

Initiative for the first match is in order: Player 003 ( Python ), Player 004 ( ✨ zozo. ), Player 013 ( Tom ), Player 011 ( gamemaker kelsier ), Player 006 ( kap ) as rolled here.

** Crunch Time: the players have 12/6/3 minutes to find the bomb per round, when <50% of time remains, crunch time begins and turn order is disabled. 

Play Dirty: time to get handsy - if a player ends a turn on a tile neighboring another player, they may make a 1d20 strength roll to attempt to push that player onto the tile directly behind them. The victim will roll a contesting 1d20 on the next turn. On a success, the victim will not move; regardless, the victim will have a +1 to their scout roll after being pushed. 

Lastly, but most importantly: remember to have a blast! 

  

[Python]

What do you say after killing a person for the first time?

"Good game, sorry."

"Had to do it for the money."

The dead can't hear. Sorin was fairly certain that poor girl couldn't hear his apologizes after he put a bullet in her chest. There was no real reason why he had chosen her. He didn't have some "master plan" against her; he didn't even know her name. She happened to be there, and he needed a target to survive the game.

It cost a lot to get this far. He couldn't yet decide if it was worth it, but he knew he wanted to go home. Winning was his only chance at turning his home into a safe space again. Right now, it might as well be a coffin. It was no different than the building he was trapped in now.

There were only five competitors left, and he was first in line to begin the next game. With absolutely no information to go off of, he knew this would be a rough start. Luck of the draw.

He closed his eyes and stepped forward.

jxm8tyjW9m1-8

[chosen squares coming soon]

1-8

[✨ zozo.]

"See you soon" - and he wasn't joking. Since the meet and greet I've been running on autopilot, looking like I've seen a ghost. I have seen a ghost, sans the bullet I put in his chest -- we'd taken a week-long pause, they told us it was to set up for today but I knew I'd done something wrong by pulling that trigger. So I know they're going to want me gone today, every breath my last. They won't take second-chances reviving someone like me.

Then again, I've been thinking my last hundred thousand breaths were going to be my last and last I checked I'm still here. Still breathing.

Maybe I did something in a past life. Maybe I've got a guardian angel. Who the fuck knows. At this point I'm just a shell, or trapped in one and waiting for the shell that is my body to break. I linger close to 011, his allyship in the last few games not forgotten -- but not too close for comfort. If I'm going to die today, I hope he ends up winning.

He deserves it. Almost as much as I do.

I keep my eyes trained on 003, waiting for the blast and feeling my heart skip a beat in its place when the room stays silent. My turn, someone shoves me forward - I get it, I think with a scowl. I've done this enough times now, autopilot.

Muscle memory, I breathe in and step forward.

table by rave !

CDf3q8sQ2X1-8

1-8

[Tom]

Excitement builds through his chest; brick by brick, he can't contain himself when he saw who was left. 010 was gone, but not so gone. A disappointment in the functionality and fairness of the game, but he didn't care. The smell of gunpowder clings to him just like the panic of the dead's eyes staring back at him. The games were ending up to be more and more fun as time went on. Out of the ones left, he was happy to see 006 again, just to be able to play more games with the guy. Breaking people is a lot more fun than letting them go easily. He wasn't going to make another mistake like 002. 006's death would be glorious to see, especially because it'll be his own hands to cause it.

As they reach the game, Leo could feel the laugh wanting to leave his throat. The rules were simple enough, survive the mines, but Leo wanted to see the light leave their eyes. Out of the ones left, none of them deserved to be the last one standing. 003 was only alive because of his solid advice. 011 and 004 had made it through without being in his line of site. 006 was only alive because he'd survived his own bullet. Leo watches 003 go out onto the field as he shouts.

"Oh look out, there's a mine!"

Only for a second to pass by with him shouting again in a snicker.

"Just kidding!"

As 004 goes, he doesn't hesitate to run his thumb across his neck. The girl would be dead soon enough. A fatal mistake would be going up against him. A laugh comes from his throat as he turns to 006 and smiles the biggest grin he's got. A whisper in his voice as he speaks. "Wasn't last round fun? Did you enjoy the excitement of death that was so close to getting you, but yanked away at the last second? Oh I hope we'll get to have some more fun again." His smile falls into a blank look as his eyes go wide. "It'll be a blast." As his voice leaves the last words there. He smiles and turns back to the board.

This was going to be a breeze. All it took was memory and choosing the right spaces.

There would only be one winner.

It wasn't going to be any of them.

e1W0PX1Lfb1-8
(results coming soon)

1-8

[gamemaker kelsier]

Ochre stands there with this smile on his face like he's finally lost his fucking mind.

About time.

Two weeks of nothing spaced out between these weird little games where nobody died but Ochre was certain he was going to each time. Started to get complacent though after the first few. Part of him thought maybe it was going to go on like that for forever, just an eternity spent in purgatory playing little games.

It's a little more like hell though.

004 and him make up a new language in the downtime. An eyebrow wiggle means, what do you think this is? and a little half-smile means I'm okay.

Not very inventive but they don't have to reinvent the wheel, right? There's not enough time for that.

It feels so precious.

He lays there at night in the dark and he doesn't want to sleep because he can hear the clock ticking, he's going to die soon, he's just a kid and he's going to die. The next game maybe or the one after that, doesn't matter. One of them is going to kill him and he'll never see the outside world, he'll never see his sister again.

But he can see that lady's face when he shot her, 007, she's dead now. Not back like 010, just dead. He killed her, Ochre's a murderer now. 004 isn't though. He can't talk to her about it, she won't get it, he knows she won't get it, right?

Like knowing it's not going to snow even though the clouds are so heavy.

He's decided it's okay if he dies now and maybe he probably should. Even if he makes out, he won't be able to look anyone he loves in the face. His sister will look at him and know what he's done. Kemali, so bright-eyed, always talking about that good place they've all got to get to.

Ochre doesn't deserve to go there anymore. He knows what he deserves.

He stands there at the start with this smile on his face, like he's lost his fucking mind, like he already knows how this is going to end.

Ochre nods encouragement at 004 and watches her take each step, hands clenching and unclenching at his side. He thinks about watching her blow up, can imagine it now after everything he's seen. Red all over and bone and muscle and all those other things all over the place and 004 just gone but all around in pieces but she doesn't deserve that. She didn't kill anyone.

Ochre killed someone.

013 draws a line across his throat at 004 and Ochre reads the threat. Something in him fractures a little more and this calm feeling starts to drip slowly through him like mountain melt meeting the ocean, he goes a little colder.

He's already killed one person, what's another?

It's his turn. Ochre looks up and it feels like everyone is looking back at him. He looks down at the playing field, sees all these lit up tiles where everyone else has already been. His choices are limited, Ochre's got a much higher chance of blowing himself up than they do.

He keeps smiling.

If he loses first that's alright.

ZO1BVFljIT1-8

ochre push leo!
1-20

1-8·1-20

[kap]

After having killed someone? Toby didn't feel great. He felt guilt. Immense guilt. He'd wished he'd never gotten himself into this mess. The thing was, though, he still didn't want to die. There was still that strong part of him that wanted to win, and that's why he didn't just give up right away.

He wasn't going to just let himself be blown sky-high if he could help it. He couldn't imagine Bea seeing that from back home. That would just be traumatizing for her. That is, if she were still watching. This show was traumatizing enough to begin with: just about as bad as the Games, if not worse, in his opinion.

Still, there was that chance she could see, and he needed to live for her. He needed to win. The only other option was death, after all.

So, he did what he had to, and he played the game.

table by Rave

bP0BF0l7Eg1-8

1-8

[Python]

The lack of maturity was astounding. "Oh look out, there's a mine!"

Sorin's foot paused only for a moment. It was impossible to see mines, and this guy was trying to play mind games. He slowly turned his head and stepped on the same square to assert that he did not care. I do care. But words would not affect him nor make him second guess his choices.

The torment of choosing squares was long-lasting. Sweat pooled across his back, making the fabric of his shirt stick to his skin. Every step was a chance that he would be blown to smithereens. No remains to be buried or cremated. He would un recognizable.

At least it would be quick.

Miraculously, he maneuvered his way to the middle of the board without any deadly incidents. There was a warning label beneath his feet, but he had time to think about his next move as the others began their turns. Time to figure out what this means. Was the bomb one square away?


1z17Qtsy111-8

1-8

[✨ zozo.]

Cautious, cautious, and Ruth has forgotten what anxiety feels like. Something like this, pinpricks of eagerness dancing beneath her chest ,but different. Instead of panic, she feels glee. A twisted grin, a quiet huff of laughter trapped between her cheeks as 011 sneaks up beside 013.

She nods, their silent language of an unspoken alliance. Do it.

Ruth thinks back to the first challenge and how this is not unlike it - yet she is a different person. She has killed someone and watched him walk out of death's doors, she has tempted fate and has the stain of frosting caked on her shirt to prove it. She was so scared of this life, going insane with each passing day - and now she feels manic, but a beautiful kind.

013 will no doubt put up a fight, so she hops toward 011 in case he needs backup. Careful, careful, she thinks she has this figured out - but despite her excitement she reminds herself that she can never be too cautious.

It's gotten her this far, hasn't it?

Here to help, wicked grin. A wink of her left eye sent to 011 as her feet dance over tile after tile, pausing at a space behind him.

table by rave !

2dR4leKrWT1-8

1-8

[Tom]

Each square brings a certain joy to his eyes, the knowledge of knowing that at any moment, he could explode. Kaboom. Just like the gunfire from before, smoke would fill the room. Every step is a feeling of excitement that bleeds into his chest. Each time someone watches him, he just smiles with that toothy grin, the memories of death upon his fingertips. All he has to do is keep moving forward. And for a moment, he steps on the last tile, where he doesn't see anything but an expanse of tiles before them. The excitement comes with a quick succession.

And then, everything comes tumbling down. 011 starts his turn and Leo isn't one to pay attention to the others. He's already contemplating his ideas of how to watch their lives fade away. The feeling of destruction beneath his fingers. All of it will be his. He wants to see them all perish. Only he will stand as the survivor, but he wants to see them die. There's only so many left. Except, he doesn't notice 011 coming forth. The shove is immediate and Leo can feel his blood pumping. The excitement of losing his balance and falling backward. No one gets to do this. There's an excitement to it though. Someone else wants to play this game. A bomb to be exploded and there will only be one winner. Excitement comes forth as he smiles a toothy grin and gets up.

Soon enough, people will see how much they don't want to fuck with him. This game was just about to get more interesting. His voice comes out with a mix of a mischievous tsk and excitable joy. "Ohhhhhhh 011! You want to play this game too! You don't know what you've just started." As he claps his hands in joy, Leo stands up, moves around a bit until he reaches next to 011. His hands go flat as he approaches forward, hands to 011's chest as he swiftly pushes with a laugh.

"I don't like boys who can't take what they dish out."

With a final shove, he can feel his heart in his throat. The excitement of what could come. Hopefully an explosion to be heard in the distance, but that's the thing. Cool guys don't look at explosions. A laugh from his throat as he pushes forward. Only time will tell who will explode. The excitement was already starting to get more and more prominent. A laugh from his lips as he continues forward.

"None of you are willing to survive? No one else wants to survive. All of you are coward? You won't even play the game to win. C'mon kids! Shove your friends. CMON LET'S PLAY!"

None of them mattered.

None of them would push themselves to survive.

A haunting laugh is all he has.

GHws5PzPRQ1-8
(7+1=8)

pushes Ochre back
1-20

1-8·1-20

[gamemaker kelsier]

Pushing 013 is so easy it's almost thoughtless. His hands find his chest and he shoves and he could be shoving him back onto a tile with a bomb in it but that doesn't bother him. It's supposed to bother him. The intent to kill shouldn't be this easy for Ochre, he's not a bad kid, he's a good guy. He's supposed to beat least.

There's this impassive look on his face as he watches 013 stumble backwards. It's like that dense, heavy feeling has permeated every inch of him, making it hard to feel. There's no more fear left in him, just quiet compliance. This game set out to make a monster out of them and it has.

He grins again as 013 lands. There's this look on the other boy's face like he's about to go feral and instead of being afraid like Ochre should be, all he finally feels is a spark of something. This is how society crumbles, in the hands of little boys playing soldier.

013 runs his mouth for a few long minutes and Ochre waits. It'd be a good time to grab 04's hand and escape across the board. He doesn't know where the bombs are but as long as he leads the way, she'll be fine. Maybe it's best to leave that until the end though, when he can assure that she'll live.

For now he should play it safe.

"What, are you scared?" he asks 013. "You think if you shout loud enough, it'll hide that?"

Then the other boy's hands find him and Ochre himself is falling back. Fuck.

[ochre defence against leo!]
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His feet hit the tile behind them and there's a soft click as his full wait takes up the spot. For a moment his heart jumps into his throat but no glass dome comes down over him. Ochre looks at 04 and nods. We're okay.

013 is leaving now though, and Ochre has to follow him. He swallows resolve and sets out on the tiles in chase.

1-8 +1 for being pushed.

ochre travel to c1 and push leo
1-20

1-20·1-8·1-20

[kap]

So far, everyone who entered the minesweeper game was still alive. So far, but that didn't mean it would end that way. In fact, Toby knew it wouldn't end that way. People were pushing each other. Bombs were planted. Someone was going to die soon. Multiple someones, if he was understanding correctly.

He just didn't want to be one of them. He wasn't here to get blown up. That wasn't the plan. The plan was to win, take home the money, and bring a little bit of fame along with it. He was doing this because he wanted to win, not because he wanted to die. Thing is, by being here, he had agreed that the risk of dying was worth it to get the money and the fame.

Toby moved ever so cautiously. He had taken three steps, avoiding the bombs thus far. Now, he just had to make sure he kept doing that.

"I've got this," he told himself quietly.

table by Rave

LBPn3Ti|jH1-8

1-8

[Deleted]

"Tick tock, bitches!!"

– round one update
– time elapsed: 7m:25s
– tiles remaining: 40


With less than 5 minutes remaining on the clock, turn order for the remainder of Minesweeper has been disabled! Players may now act as quick as they wish within the round. 

The deadline for Round 1 is now set to April 18th.

[Python]

Sorin decided on a new strategy: walk far away from these maniacs. Shoving each other and yelling like children, what would that accomplish? A potential win, if someone happened to step on the bomb, and Sorin realized that quickly. As clever and cruel as it was, Sorin did not want to be directly responsible for another demise. He had enough blood on his hands.

He swallowed thickly and tracked his next course. Each time he blinked, he could imagine an explosion ringing in his ears. Worse than the one he heard between his hands. He would see that girl's face for the rest of his life, but he was willing to endure that trauma if it meant seeing his home again. Using sins to wash away other sins didn't sound all that effective, but the sins back home were not his own.

Killing to compensate for somebody else's mistakes? Completely unfair.

But it was too fuckin' late to regret all of this.



My4dlYO1no1-8

1-8

[kap]

He was still alive. It surprised him, but it was true. It was quite a feat, avoiding those bombs, but he was still determined to get out of this with his life still in tact. Unfortunately, time was running out, and it didn't seem like it was going to be easy. So, he kept on moving. He muttered to himself as he went.

"Just another step, Toby," he whispered quietly. Step. Step.

"Keep going, man. You've got this," he told himself. Step. Step.

"It can't be that hard, right?" Step. Step.

"I'm doing this for me, and for Bea. Gotta keep going." Step. Step.

He took another deep breath before he prepared to keep moving. He watched as the others moved around, some shoving one another as they passed each other by. Toby tried to keep his distance from them the best that he could. This was vitally important: the game, that is. He'd never thought a game could be so important until he signed up for all this. Now, he'd risked his life multiple times and even shot someone.

What else did he have to lose, other than his life? Sure, his guts could explode on live television. That, or he could survive all this and make it home with the money.

-

207 words

table by Rave

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1-8

[Tom]

011 is the one to bring up fear first. As if a game of violence and death could scare him. The adrenaline was worth the excitement. The joy of watching the life fade away from each despicable kid who dared to even dream of being better than him made it all worth it. The sweet taste of victory upon his lips as he smiles with all the enjoyment in the world. Stepping on tiles where a bomb could be lead to the smell of gunpowder; heavy and filled to the brim with death. There's an aspect of fear that's always in everyone else, but not him. Leo's not afraid of anyone; of anything. Indestructible in every way possible; he's built up walls to keep himself. Killed the old child that used to cry inside. Smiled through the days where everyone wanted him dead.

Isn't it fun to be strong?

Isn't it fun to bring chaos?

Doesn't anyone understand that he's already killed and is unafraid to do so again.

"Scared? Me? I've never been afraid before." The taste of venom on his tongue as he lets his eyes focus on 011. The kid's got a death wish. Oh what a fun time. Leonardo Black was going to love tearing apart a kid like 011. If only there were more time to save it all in. A laugh comes from his lips, until he feels himself being pushed once more. Unsure of if he'll fall, he fights back against it. His own words on his lips now as he speaks. "Got some fight left in you, huh."

Except, it's his turn to move. Cheshire smile plastered across his face as his eyes glare in amusement at 011. Fingers itching to push the kid over and over and over, until the bomb explodes in his face. Blood and gore leaving behind nothing more than the empty words in the air. 006 is muttering somewhere else as Leo turns for just a moment. His eyes focusing on the other as he speaks. "Are you scared, 006? Wish we still had that gun to play with." A wink of amusement is thrown that way as he gets moving, step by step until he decides it's time for payback.

011 will regret messing with him.

"Smile for death! You're gonna die here, 011."

Defense against Ochre
Gelz7VKabC1-20

1-8
+1 = 3

Pushes Ochre back!
1-20

1-20·1-8·1-20