#Exploring the past, literally

One thing I like to do, and that work in all systems (but not in all settings) is to have the group be stuck in a "mystic/magic/virtual" space where they have to explore each other background.

For example, in my current MHR game, the characters got stuck in the Psychic plane, and had to explore each other's mind. Each scene was a traumatic event from one of the character's past, with the other players being stuck in the role of other characters present at that time. For example, one of the characters' background was that he had been killed during Vietnam war and revived as a cyborg. So we replayed his death scene during the war, with that player playing his own pre-cyborg character, and the other characters playing his squadmates (who all happened to have similar abilities, what a coincidence!).

#Pros

• All players became aware of each other's background.
• For characters whose background was a bit "light", it allowed us to expand a bit and add more details.
• Those backgrounds became a shared experience rather than individual things.
• Players were able to bounce off ideas regarding each other's backgrounds in later scenarios.
• Each scene brought a lot of NPCs / locations with strong emotional impact for use in later scenarios. For example, one of the cyborgs' squadmates survived and came back as a mindwashed enemy. Instant drama.

#Cons

• It takes time. It means dedicating a significant part of your campaign's arc, or even a whole arc, just to explore each other's background.
• It has to be done early to maximize impact.
• It requires characters to already have some background.
• It requires strong RP skills and flexibility from the players, and strong flexibility and improvisation from the GM.
• It can be repetitive. If you often play with the same players, they might get tired of "Are we doing the spiritual trip thing again?!
• It doesn't work in all settings. I have done it with MHR (stuck in the Psychic plane), Planescape (crazy mage tower, Astral plane, etc), L5R (Yume-do/Yomi-do), Exalted (exploring abandoned Manses of previous incarnations), and Shadowrun (stuck in the node of a sociopath stalker Technomancer), but for settings with no magic/high-tech, this kind be quite a challenge.

Exploring the past, literally

One thing I like to do, and that work in all systems (but not in all settings) is to have the group be stuck in a "mystic/magic/virtual" space where they have to explore each other background.

For example, in my current MHR game, the characters got stuck in the Psychic plane, and had to explore each other's mind. Each scene was a traumatic event from one of the character's past, with the other players being stuck in the role of other characters present at that time. For example, one of the characters' background was that he had been killed during Vietnam war and revived as a cyborg. So we replayed his death scene during the war, with that player playing his own pre-cyborg character, and the other characters playing his squadmates (who all happened to have similar abilities, what a coincidence!).

Pros

• All players became aware of each other's background.
• For characters whose background was a bit "light", it allowed us to expand a bit and add more details.
• Those backgrounds became a shared experience rather than individual things.
• Players were able to bounce off ideas regarding each other's backgrounds in later scenarios.
• Each scene brought a lot of NPCs / locations with strong emotional impact for use in later scenarios. For example, one of the cyborgs' squadmates survived and came back as a mindwashed enemy. Instant drama.

Cons

• It takes time. It means dedicating a significant part of your campaign's arc, or even a whole arc, just to explore each other's background.
• It has to be done early to maximize impact.
• It requires characters to already have some background.
• It requires strong RP skills and flexibility from the players, and strong flexibility and improvisation from the GM.
• It can be repetitive. If you often play with the same players, they might get tired of "Are we doing the spiritual trip thing again?!
• It doesn't work in all settings. I have done it with MHR (stuck in the Psychic plane), Planescape (crazy mage tower, Astral plane, etc), L5R (Yume-do/Yomi-do), Exalted (exploring abandoned Manses of previous incarnations), and Shadowrun (stuck in the node of a sociopath stalker Technomancer), but for settings with no magic/high-tech, this kind be quite a challenge.