Advocate for yourself and for each other.
If you think the GM has misinterpreted a move, or missed a detail, or skipped someone who's been waiting, say something! If you think another player is being a butt, ask them to knock it off. If you want to see something in the game, make that known. If someone else seems unhappy, ask them what's up. Communication is key!
Mind the vibe. Everyone is responsible for creating the game's tone, mood, and themes. Pay attention to the vibes at the table. Build on them, riff on them, respect them. If you like how "hope" is becoming a theme, then look for ways to explore or reinforce it. If everyone's playing serious, mud-spattered, and gritty, then don't name your brother "Fartwyn" or describe your PC as doing anime-style acrobatics.
Share the load. A lot of logistical tasks fall to the GM by default. But they don't have to! The GM has plenty to do just running the game, so do what you can to help. Divvy up responsibilities for:
- Scheduling, hosting, ordering food
- Printing materials
- Taking notes
- Updating the steading playbook
- Recapping sessions
- Explaining rules
- Wrangling players between sessions ("Hey everyone, did you level up?")
- Watching the clock, calling for breaks, nudging things along
- Watching for discomfort, calling time out, checking in with others
Even if you don't take formal responsibility for these things, you can step in and help out as needed.
Ask questions! When you're unsure about some detail, ask for clarification. When you don't know what to do or how to answer a question, ask for advice.
Respect boundaries and wishes. Before you start play, you'll talk about the content that you and your fellow players want to exclude from the game, or veil and handle "off screen," or handle in particular ways. "No sexual violence," or, "Let's veil harm to animals," or, "Spiders are fine, but don't talk about how their legs move." Once play begins, you or other players can adjust these guidelines.
Respect these boundaries. If "torture" is excluded content, then don't have your PC torture anyone. It doesn't matter if "that's what my character would do." The boundaries and feelings of your fellow human beings are more important than your vision for your character, more important than your player agenda and principles. You and your friends are more important than the game.