Rosenstrasse (box set)

Description

Rosenstrasse is a roleplaying game about the loss of civil liberties in Berlin under the Third Reich, and a historical women’s protest.

1933 Berlin. As the Nazi party rises to power, lines are drawn in the sand to separate who is German and who is not. This line runs straight through marriages between Jewish and “Aryan” Germans. Over an in-game decade, players explore how the Reich’s racial policies, restrictions, and violence strip away liberty, security, and dignity for these families. Though their marriages initially shelter them, the Jewish men in these partnerships will not escape. When they are finally seized for deportation, the women in their lives have one last chance to keep them alive. To do so, they must stand up and defy the Third Reich.

In the very heart of darkness, is such resistance even possible?

Rosenstrasse is an elegaic, immersive historical roleplaying game for 2-4 players and one facilitator. It runs in one session of two to five hours, depending on group size. and can be played as either a tabletop role-playing game or a semi-live larp. No historical knowledge is required to run or play the game, but players will leave play with a rich, accurate, historical understanding of what it was like for people like their characters in Germany’s Third Reich. It has been designed to be usable in Holocaust education settings, and as such, is structured to be friendly to both new role-players facilitators.

• 228 page Director’s Guide
• 8 character cards
• 94 card Rosenstrasse deck
• 20 risk tokens in a velvet bag
• 4 star patches in a velvet bag
• 20 postcards

Honours:

• Nominated for Best Storytelling at Fastaval 2017, Denmark Indiecade 2017
• Official Selection, October 6-8 2017, Los Angeles
• Featured at the Stockholm Scenario Festival, December 1-3 2017, Stockholm
• Winner: Honorable Mention for Best Non-Digital Game at Michigan State University’s Meaningful Play Conference, October 11-13, 2018, East Lansing Michigan

Content Warning:

Rosenstrasse is a game about the Holocaust. It addresses antisemitism, systemic neglect, persecution, and genocide. State violence, depression, suicidal ideation, sexual harassment and (non-violent) child endangerment may be encountered in specific scenes. Although Rosenstrasse can be used in educational and academic settings, it should not be used as a mandatory part of a curriculum, and is intended for players that are 18+ due to the difficulty of the material.