While playing a tabletop game, has the game ever instructed you to do something that leads you to connect mechanically or thematically with other people playing the game around the world?

Examples are rare (and I’m hoping you can share some in the comments that I don’t know about), but here are a few that don’t involve spoilers:

• KeyForge: In the original version of KeyForge there was a format called “Chainbound” that looked at the reported power level of each deck (in KeyForge, every deck is a unique combination of cards). If a deck performs well, it gains “chains” that decrease your starting hand size in subsequent games; likewise, if a deck performs poorly, it can lose chains.
• Legend of the Five Rings: In the original version of this card game, the outcome of major tournaments (i.e., the winning faction) had a significant impact on the game’s world. Those outcomes became part of the official lore, leading to the rise and fall of various factions, along with the creation of new cards and abilities. I’ve heard the newer game Sorcery is doing something similar.
• Raxxon: In this pre-pandemic game about a rapidly spreading virus, upon opening the game you unlocked a few codes that you could give to other people to buy the game (which for a while was the only way to buy the game).

Before I get to some tabletop spoiler examples, here are a few from digital games that may better explain the concept of “meta-connective”:

• Helldivers 2: In this sci-fi video game, you fight to capture planets from alien control. If your mission is successful, you contribute to incremental progress made by players around the world on the same planet (there’s even a website that tracks this progress). Eventually this may add up to the planet being 100% liberated. If that happens to enough planets, the scope of the world increases to include more planets (new content for everyone).
• Elden Ring: In this gritty open-world game, there are certain places where players can leave messages for each other. You might stumble upon a warning like “turn back” or “a chamber lies under the ruins” that helps you find a hidden area. There are limited text options designed to avoid hate speech and obscenities, though players still find creative ways to combine words for comedic attempts.

Why does any of this matter? Maybe it doesn’t–maybe it’s just me. I really like that other people are playing (or have played) the same game I’m playing, and I’m enamored by the idea that something I do in the game may have a small impact on someone halfway across the world. The small downside is that these involve a brief digital element (web interface, not a dedicated app), but I think the pros outweigh that con.

With that in mind, here are the two places that meta-connective elements have appeared in Stonemaier games. Click to expand if you’re okay with these spoilers (it’s more of a story spoiler in Charterstone and a small discovery spoiler in Vantage).

I think this is just the tip of the iceberg of what meta-connective elements could be…if they’re something that people enjoy. They don’t even require narrative games to work. For example, imagine an economic game where you log the end-game value of goods and resources on a web app. During setup, you check the app to see the current worldwide value of those goods and resources, applying them to your board before starting play.

I’m fascinated by these elements, but again, it might just be me. :) What do you think? Have you seen meta-connective elements in tabletop games? Are there certain types of them that you could see yourself enjoying?

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