Immersion Through Taste…

Lets face it, often game night is defined by the smell and taste of pizza and beer or lo mein or whatever your groups non-poison of choice is. And that is necessary and awesome. It creates a shared memory environment for everyone.

Now, obviously, as with any of these immersive steps, take care about human boundary like allergies and such.  Don’t get your players sick.

But if a game is set to take place mainly in a specific inn, have food for that inn.  Yes, obviously cooking it yourself would be great. But just try to theme snacks and meal to the game. Playing a space game?  Go buy some astronaut ice cream. Spies in the Kremlin? Russian food tonight, guys. Starving in the desert? Yeah, let’s not push it that far.

But for the tons of RPGs that take place in some proto-dark ages, grilled food evokes the game world more than pizza or pasta.  Odd drinks, mixing sodas that don’t often get mixed, are super easy and silly fun. Honey added to Sprite creates an odd yet not unpleasant flavor.  Seltzer in any fruit juice creates unfamiliar tones. Adult beverages like mead and wine will also loosen up players to allow themselves more immersion.  

If your group ends up at a tavern and you make pot roast or potato stew, they will feel themselves there.  Don’t stop playing. Discuss the raid on the goblin caves while munching on a heel of bread dipped in stew.  Let the game bleed through meal time, or, more properly, let the meal bleed in to the game.

Have fun with taste.  It doesn’t work great for things like puzzles and plot points.  But explore and be mindful of players. Don’t get them sick.