THE RULES OF MAPPALUJO

INTRODUCTION

1. Mappalujo is a writing game devised by Steve Beard and Jeff Noon.

2. Each narrative produced by the game is set in the imaginary land of Lujo. Gradually, as more narratives are added, the map of Lujo is extended, and further explored.

3. A character known as Mama Lujo appears in each narrative or, at least, is mentioned or referred to symbolically. Mama Lujo is the operational deity of the game, a kind of voodoo princess or shaman, who tends to the game as it is played.

4. The game allows two or more writers (or players) to jointly compose a narrative, consisting of an agreed number of chapters.

5. Players write chapters in turn, according to certain principles, with each completed chapter being sent to the next player in the sequence. This writer then produces a chapter of their own, based in some way on the piece just received. This process of action and reaction continues until the agreed number of chapters is completed.

6. The game is played on a grid system, or map, with each separate region corresponding to a chapter in the narrative.

7. The grid is numbered from top left to bottom right, along the horizontal axis. Therefore, the first chapter of the project occupies the top left square of the grid, and the last chapter occupies the bottom right square of the grid.

8. There are always an odd number of chapters. The shortest game is played on a square grid of sides 3x3, making a total of nine chapters. Games can also be played on a 5x5 grid (25 chapters) or a 7x7 grid (49 chapters). Although larger grids can be used, it is felt that 49 chapters represents the reasonable limits of the game.

9. The following notes refer to the game as it is played on a 5x5 grid, between two writers, known as Player A and Player B.

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