SCP Sandbox Wiki I

Item #: SCP-1619

Object Class: Safe

Special Containment Procedures: SCP-1619 is to kept on the center table of the designated "Apartment" room at the facility of present study during testing under 24/7 video surveillance. When no testing is taking place, 1619 is to be locked in a closet in the main room of the apartment, with the key kept by the Head Researcher.

Due to the nature of SCP-1619, currently only D-Class may be used in testing. Furthermore, D-Class involved with testing should not be terminated after any set number of sessions, and instead kept for testing until such a time as termination is necessary. Until that time, the subjects are to be kept in a furnished apartment-style room, with a separate bedroom for each subject. Requests for specific items may be granted with permission of the Head Researcher of the test.

Description: To avoid confusion: An individual playing of the game is considered one "session". The entire process from the first session to the termination of the final subject is one "test".

SCP-1619 is contained within a faded blue cardboard box of standard quality and dimensions(12x2x24 inches) for a board game. The box itself shows signs of wear consistent for its age when compared to similar board games from the late 1800's. Additionally, the design and title show many similarities with a game created by █ in 1860. Simply titled "Life", it is unclear whether the game is derivative of, or the inspiration for, the similarly titled game. Due to SCP-1619 being the only existing copy of 'Life' and a lack of records to the contrary, it is assumed that it was a prototype and never produced in mass.

The contents of the box are as follows:

• 1 "How to Play" pamphlet, devoid of information except for the "Starting Position" segment.
• 4 tokens representing the players
• 50 "Event" cards, gray, numbered 1-50 with accompanying flavor text (Sample: 34 "You got promoted at work!")
• 50 "Chance" cards, red, numbered 1-50 with accompanying flavor text. (Sample 17 "You found a dollar on the side walk!")
• 2 six-sided dice, standard white.
• 1 fold-out game board, 8x8 with alternating gray and red squares.

The anomalous effects of the item appear to stem directly from the cards themselves, with the game providing a vehicle of influence. The influence of 1619 progresses in the following stages as long as there is no outside interference:

The secondary effect of 1619 is a noticeable increase in competitiveness from subjects, leading to hostility and paranoia as the test continues. Both hostility and paranoia will be fully directed at the other subjects of the game. However, no direct action will be taken against the other subjects until such a time as the primary effect has foretold it. This increased competitiveness quickly becomes all consuming for the subjects, with each session of the game taking place closer and closer to the last. Additionally, during gameplay the subjects are docile and focused on the game itself. Whether this is directly related to increased competitiveness or a separate effect is not currently known.

The primary effect of playing 'Life' is directly related to the cards picked up and read during gameplay. Starting with the third stage, the flavor text of the cards begins to grow more personal to the player reading it aloud, often directly related to their past. Once manifested initially, the flavor text will begin growing increasingly specific to the reader. By the fourth stage, the cards have ceased relating to the players past and now are text written as if directly spoken to that subject. By stage five, cards are inflammatory, calling for the subjects to kill each other.

Beginning in stage four is the physical violence between sessions. Once the session is over and the game put back into its box, a period of calm follows. This period ranges from ten minutes to a half hour, after which the events predicted by the flavor text come to pass. Unless specifically stated by a card, the damage inflicted onto a subject is never enough to prevent them from taking part in the next session. Examples of events during this stage include: fighting among subjects, Destruction of possessions or furniture, and, in one case, a subject removing the fingers of his right hand via █ after a card read "Your hand's unlucky, it has to go if you want to win!"

At the end of stage five, when one final subject remains, the effects of 1619 end in one of three ways, in order of probability:

• The subject plays one final session, commiting suicide in a manner read off the cards.
• The subject remains docile and sits, starving until deceased. The subject may be kept alive through standard life support systems, but will not awaken from the state they are in.
• Complete recovery of the subject from 1619's influence. All memories of the events that took place during the test remain with the subject, though notably the actual playing of the game is forgotten. This results in the subject remembering the time between the sessions as one rapidly escalating conflict. The trauma of the event is irreparably and severely damaging to the subject's psyche, necessitating termination.

Addendum 1: Whether SCP-1619 is influencing those that use it into violence or it is directly causing the events to take place is currently unknown. A motion has been made for an expendable research assistant to use 1619 while keeping a log to see if revealing information could be discovered. The motion is currently pending via 05-1 approval.