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by edwards12691

$10.00 for RPG Item: Paranoia Second Edition
Condition: Acceptable
Location:

by sdonohue

Breathless is an entry in the 2011 RPG Geek 24 Hour RPGs. It was written by Sean Cox (aka Dokter Ekwilibreum} who also did the editing and layout.

Presentation
The game is presented in a 2 page PDF document. The document is a single column format with one optional table at the end. There's no artwork and the formatting is minimal but clear.

Theme
This is a gmless game for three or more players. The characters can be just about anything except that all of them are trapped in a space with limited air. They know that rescue is on the way but they also know there's not enough air for all of them to survive until the rescuers arrival. One of them will have to die, someone will have to kill them, and the group will need to explain what happens.

Characters
The first step is to create the environment they're in and why. It could be anything: trapped in an escape pod, locked in an airtight room, or stuck in a cave-in. Whatever the situation, it's probably a claustrophobic space with not enough air.

Once they've settled on a space, the players create characters. Each character has four traits: occupation, relationship, reason to live, and reason to die. Occupation can be anything the players want, although they might be limited based on the environment they've selected. Relationship is how you know the others; every character should have a relationship with one or two of the other characters. Reason to live is a compelling and indisputable reason why you should be one of the people to survive this scenario, and reason to die is some past transgression or character flaw that makes it easier for the others to justify killing you.

System
The system is really a timed negotiation. Ten minutes are put on the clock for each player and then the clock is hidden and the game begins. If the clock is a timer, the timer going off means if someone isn't dead, then they are all. If it's a normal clock, check it when someone dies and if too much time is elapsed, everyone is dead.

There really isn't a system other than talking/storytelling.

Playing the Game
The actual play is just a negotiation; the players can pick who should die any way they consider fair. It could be a debate, a vote, or even just drawing straws. The other element is they need to pick how they'll kill the victim and how they plan to explain it later. It is strongly advised the players settle on the method and excuse before the party is killed although they could change their story.

Extras
The game includes an optional table which players could use to suggest their traits.

Evaluation
I think it would be unfair to judge a game made and designed by a single person in a single day using the same standards I'd apply to a game with designers, editors, artists, and weeks, months or even years of design and playtesting, so I'm not going to do that.

This isn't really my kind of game. I usually like rolling dice and having skills and abilities, but I do I like this. It sort of reminds me of a very specialized version of Fiasco Classic. You start the game knowing that someone is going to die (or everyone is) and that someone will have to kill them and everyone will have to cover it up. It's tense and I think the hidden timer creates even more tension. The random table for characters is a nice idea, but I think I'd have preferred a list of potential locations for the game to take place. Once you know where you are, the rest might suggest itself and honestly, having a lit of locations would probably be more inspiring.

Overall, I like this game even if it is all storytelling and relationships.

by sdonohue

BGG the RPG is an entry in the 2012 RPG Geek 24 Hour RPGs. It was written by Jan Tahon (aka Barad the Dwarf} who also did all the artwork and editing.

Presentation
The game is presented in a 6 page PDF document. The document is well-formatted and edited. The rules are 4 pages and most of the last two pages are a deck of images which are used in the game; there are 8 images with 4 of each numbered from 1 - 4.

Theme
The premise of the game is that the players become board games who then go on adventures. Successful games may increase their "rating" on BGG and thus gain advantages in subsequent sessions.

Characters
Characters are have essentially a class which is based on their game family: Abstract games, Customizable, Thematic, etc. Each game type has a symbol like the wrench for customizable games or a teddybear for children's games. Players are encouraged to flesh out their game with designers, artists, publisher, and other typical game stats. Games must have a name and then play can begin.

System
The game has an interesting resolution mechanic. The 32 cards mentioned above are dealt out into a grid. If a character and an NPC have some conflict, then each draws a card. If the card matches the symbol of their family, they may succeed. There are actually four outcomes. If neither the GM nor the player draws a matching symbol, the test is a draw and they try again. If only one of them draws a matching symbol, that one wins. If they both draw a symbol, then they compare numbers and the higher number wins. If there's a question about choosing the first tile, then a token is placed on the table between them, someone yells "BGG" and whichever of them grabs the token gets to draw the first tile.

Playing the Game
The gameplay is fairly standard: the gm sets a challenge, the players explain how they overcome it, the resolution mechanic decides what happens and then the next challenge arises. Like many RPGs, there is much more weight on the shoulders of the GM than of the players.

Extras
The game includes three scenario ideas which are based on popular (in 2012) games. It also includes a system for advancing characters before the next session. This involves rolling d10s to get a number of votes and as games get more votes and rankings, they gain the power to redraw tiles if they fail or to draw more tiles at the outset.

Evaluation
Since this game is the work of a single person in a single day, it would be unreasonable to judge it using the same criteria as a game with a team of developers, artists, playtesters and lengthy development cycles.

I like the premise of it being games working together, probably against other games, to complete a quest. The memory aspect is also neat, but there could probably be more explanation of how all that should come together; still, there's enough to get started. Having a system in place for the second and subsequent sessions is both optimistic and welcome.

The combination of memory and dexterity elements in an RPG is pretty interesting. Overall, this seems like a fun premise for a light and probably slightly comedic game.

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