The Hunger Games and Fan Paratextual Participation - Game Play: Paratextuality in Contemporary Board Games - page 116

6
he Hunger Games and Fan Paratextual
Participation
May the odds be ever in your favor.
Eie Trinket, he Hunger Games
Of all the Districts in Panem, District 12 was the poorest. Its residents had
to scrounge for every bit of their food, clothing, fuel, and medicine. Katniss
Everdeen was made painfully aware of this situation during round 10, when
her meager collection of resource cards had to be given to the Capitol. One
food, one clothing, and one fuel went into the discard pile. It was either that or
add another Tessera into the Glass Ball—increasing her chances of being called
for the next Hunger Games. Although she still possessed seven resources, the
next instruction told her to discard down to six, so she reluctantly gave up
her last medicine as well. hings looked dire for the young woman—but the
same thing had happened to her fellow Katniss Everdeens, scattered around
the board.…
Weeks later and across the table, all the Tributes from all the Districts met for
the irst time during their Training Days . he actual Hunger Games were a week
away, but each of the Tributes had to demonstrate strength, agility, cunning, and
charm for the judges. Importantly, training also ofered the opportunities for
Tributes to make allies—one doesn't survive the Hunger Games without at least
a few. he female Tribute from District 8 desperately needed to win some more
approval: only by winning  50 approval by the end of the third day would she
have the support of the judges. She placed her bets and then crossed her ingers,
hoping that the roll of the die would be in her favor.…
When my board game group sat down to play both he Hunger Games:
District 12 and he Hunger Games: Training Days I asked each person a
question: “What do you think a game based on he Hunger Games would be
about?” Everyone answered the same: the game would take place during the