Invisible Zombie Chase (Patreon)

• LMA Curriculum

This next shadowplay game works best in an enclosed space or near a wall. Visualize yourself being slowly chased by a slow-moving zombie.

What you'll always notice about shadowplay is my gaze because shadowplay is all about your gaze. Then from my movement, you can deduce the location and movement of a hidden object because shadowplay is about actions defined by an object rather than erratic and undefined actions.

Stay facing away from the zombie while periodically checking to see where the zombie is so you can easily transition to an escape.

You don't want to be overly reliant on constantly looking at your opponent and space to know where everything is, as that puts you at a time-space disadvantage.

Completely turning your head or turning around makes you slower and more vulnerable to the zombie.

The aim of this game is to avoid being touched by the zombie. That means maintaining distance without being pinned against a wall or a corner. Since you're confined, use your movement to keep away from the zombie indefinitely.

This game develops perception of your space and opponent, particularly your peripheral senses and reasoning skills. You don't need to constantly look at an object to know how close it's getting or where it might end up.

For example, you don't catch a ball where it is but where you think it'll end up. Similarly, people avoid running into objects all the time without having to look because from their movement and where they last saw the object, they can deduce where the object will be. The more you develop your perception skills, the better they become.

This game also develops movement, and in particular, movement skills for escaping and fleeing rather than fighting.

After playing for a while, see if you can minimize how often you look over your shoulder or through the corner of your eye. See if you can avoid letting the zombie know you've spotted them. Being discreet with your tactics and movements is a useful skill for drawing out more information (e.g., is someone actually following you), escaping, or hiding. You generally want to provide as little information as possible while gathering as much information as possible.

The best thing about shadowplay is that you dictate your pace and level of exertion, so it's appropriate for any skill and fitness level.

The more you play, the more you discover.

– Sam