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Undisturbed is a solo journaling game about human cadaveric dissection. 

Human cadaveric dissection, or the practice of studying the anatomy of human corpses, has a long and complex history. The earliest recorded instances of human dissection date back to ancient Greece, where it was performed by physicians such as Hippocrates and Galen. However, dissection was not a common practice at the time and was generally limited to the examination of animals. It was not until the Renaissance that dissection of human cadavers became more widespread. During this time, there was a renewed interest in anatomy and physiology, and dissection was seen as a way to gain a better understanding of the human body. Anatomists paved the way for modern scientific and medical knowledge and led to further treatments for disease. 



However, the study was not without controversy, as cadaveric dissection raises ethical and moral questions about the use of human remains for scientific purposes.  Important questions emerged surrounding the exoticization of the human form, the consent a deceased individual could have, and the usage of minority bodies such as BIPOC and women by white male medical practitioners. As such, the practice of cadaveric dissection has had to evolve to address these concerns and remain an integral part of medical education.  Today, dissection is a key part of medical training and is an essential tool for understanding the human body and how it functions.

Investigating the history of the constant reinvention of scientific norms and social implications of cadaveric dissection portrays current scientific issues through a unique lens and illuminates a constructed demarcation between science and pseudoscience. To juxtapose the gruesome and unjust acts of body snatching and human cadaveric dissection, in this game you will becomes the body snatcher and medical student.  

I hope to encourage players to consider the implication of body snatching, the inhumane treatment of oppressed groups in the medical field, and decide what they would do in similar situations.

Consider these questions throughout play: 

• What is the cost of scientific ‘progress?’ 

• Is there a victor in scientific discovery? 

• How does one contend with the dark history of science? 

• How do social norms and perspectives define science?

StatusReleased
CategoryPhysical game
Rating
Rated 5.0 out of 5 stars
(8 total ratings)
AuthorGGoldmen
TagsGM-Less, Historical, journaling, Singleplayer, Solo RPG, Tabletop, Tarot

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Click download now to get access to the following files:

Undisturbed.pdf 18 MB
UndisturbedPlainTxtFile.txt 15 kB

Comments

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Well, I hadn't seen this theme before and I have to say it was a very interesting experience. The design is incredible, congratulations, and the prompts are very cool, I struggled a bit, because I didn't have the deck of cards, but I managed to emulate it in an application, everything worked out! I just wanted to suggest a low ink version, maybe, if possible, I'm that old school player who likes to have everything printed haha

Thanks for your comment, I’m glad the theme was new and interesting! A low ink version is definitely a good idea. I’ll work on adding that, thanks for the suggestion 

I was drawn by the topic of this game right from the start. The layout is stunning! The list of events and prompts are thought provoking, and pose greater questions about science, progress and ethics. This is a fantastic solo RPG!

One small question, how many cards are you supposed to drawn per act/suit?

(+1)

This is such a nice comment, I'm so happy you enjoyed the game. Thanks for playing it!

And good question–I intended on players drawing one card per act, but I suspect it also might work if players try to draw multiple cards. Definitely info to include in the future. 

Very interesting! It's always clear when an author feels strongly about the topic they're writing about, and that comes through in this. I ended up writing my character as kind of a thoughtless, naive young guy (maybe because it felt like I had to be a little thoughtless and naive to do what I was doing), but it'd be interesting to try again and see if I can do it again as an older, wiser character.

Here's the quick session report for my sweet little dumb-dumb, Frederick:
https://pastebin.com/Lq2PYXbw

Thanks very much for your comment! It's interesting reading your session report. Frederick does seem a little naive, but it sounds like he believes he's doing things for the best. I'm glad you thought the game was interesting and hopefully a little thought-provoking. It's definitely a topic I'm passionate about–thanks for checking it out!