The Last Place on Earth
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The Last Place on Earth is a tabletop role playing game inspired by the Heroic Age of Exploration and by Robert F. Scott's fatal 1912 expedition to the South Pole. It's a game about the hardships of Antarctic exploration and the arrogance of men who believe that they can and must conquer the natural world.
In a game of The Last Place on Earth¸ we assume the roles of expedition members racing to the South Pole under the command of a Robert F. Scott inspired Great Leader. We play to find out what compels our explorers to travel 1800 miles to an unmarked patch of ice in one of the harshest environments in the world. During the journey¸ we discover what happens when these men are faced with the reality of their task and folly.
Map by Eli Kurtz (at half size) with handwritten journal entries
The Last Place on Earth is a 36 page black and white zine. with game rules¸ location-based scene prompts with illustrations¸ route map¸ historical background¸ and archival photography of the original Terra Nova expedition.
The game features a simple collaborative storytelling system with fast character creation and a strong narrative arc. It's designed to be played to completion in one or two sessions without the need for a Gamemaster.
Character creation consists of choosing a historical background and foible that work in tandem to quickly make interesting and flawed explorers. During character creation¸ player assign each other first impressions that develop into full relationships as the expedition progress.
The Last Place on Earth uses scene prompts associated with major landmarks of the journey to replicate the narrative arc of exploration¸ determination¸ and survival. Each landmark is established in the text to facilitate immersive play without requiring any prior knowledge of mountaineering¸ Antarctica¸ or British exploration at the turn of the century. But be warned¸ Antarctica is fickle and the weather can turn any day. Who knows if you or your fellow expedition members will survive the journey.
Sample scene inserts illustrated by Eli Kurtz
The centerpiece of The Last Place on Earth is a map of the route used by Robert F. Scott with rich illustrations to accompany the game's dramatic scene prompts. The map¸ by Eli Kurtz of The Mythic Gazetteer¸ is formatted as an 11 by 17 inch poster¸ availbile here as a pdf.