A specific game type where one reality is played through the lens of another entirely. The characters treat their mundane situation with the gravity, vocabulary, and stakes of a mapped scenario. Typically introduced at UCB 301 level.
How mapping works:
- Tenor — the actual situation (two roommates discussing chores)
- Vehicle — the framework imposed on it (a diplomatic summit between rival nations)
The scene plays the tenor using the language, logic, and escalation patterns of the vehicle. The characters may or may not be aware they're doing it — often the comedy comes from complete sincerity while the audience perceives the absurd parallel.
The mechanic step by step:
- Base reality is established (two roommates, a shared apartment, tension over chores)
- One character (or both) begins treating the situation through the mapped lens ("I will not negotiate with someone who has shown such bad faith regarding the recycling bin")
- The scene commits to the mapping — using the vocabulary, power dynamics, and escalation patterns of the vehicle
- Each beat deepens the parallel — finding more specific correspondences between the two realities ("Your ambassador — your mother — called to broker a ceasefire. I rejected her terms.")
Why mapping is funny: The humor lives in the gap between the two realities. Mundane stakes (who does the dishes) given enormous weight (nuclear disarmament). The mapping often reveals a truth about the real situation — maybe this roommate conflict really IS a power struggle, and the mapping makes that visible. This is comedy as truth: the absurd frame illuminates the genuine dynamic.
Examples:
- A breakup as a hostage negotiation: "I have demands. First, the cat. Second, safe passage to my mother's house."
- Choosing a restaurant as a presidential debate: "My opponent would have you believe that Thai food is 'fine for Tuesday,' but I ask you: is that the leadership this family needs?"
- A mechanic explaining car repairs as a doctor delivering bad news: "I'm going to be honest with you... the transmission... it's not looking good."
Mapping and Be Simple are in productive tension. Mapping is one of the few game types where complexity IS the point — the scene is managing two realities simultaneously. But within the mapping, each individual move should still be simple and legible. The parallel between tenor and vehicle must be instantly readable or the audience loses both threads.