Pick #96: Game Poems

Sometimes the world is just beautifully weird. Game Poems are almost Zen-like short games, often games akin to role play and story telling, which you can set up in no time and play in... like 15 minutes. Perhaps they are more for people who also like Fiasco than those who like D&D, but I guess they are worth checking out just for the mind-jarring effect the idea has. Be sure to try some links to get your head around them.


Marc Majger devoted a whole blog to them at Gizmet Game Poems, and made a book too. This blog is a fine place to start.

"[Game poems] generally address some specific mood or emotion, or focus on one particular notion, but not all of the games here strictly adhere to that definition. First and foremost, a game poem is just there to be taken in and experienced with a friend or group of friends for a few moments, and then those moments are over – and hopefully, something small and wonderful will happen in the process."

You can find more about game poems on the Norwegian Style Blog,  The Story Games forum, or here at Board Game Geek. The idea of the roleplaying poem seems to be Norwegian in origin, I figure. Be sure to check out the crazy Children Monks: role playing poem by Bryan Hansel, too.

If you're in for a weird experience, or like things like theatre sports, this may certainly be for you.

Free Download: SSN-589 USS SCORPION DOWN

I'm at it again! Instead of doing normal work, I've just finished an entry to the 24-hour RPG competition "Little Spaces". I'll put it here so you can download and play (test) it straight away!

SSN-589 DOWN is a role playing game written for the 24-hour RPG competition of May-June 2012. It's fast paced, game-master-less, cooperative and competitive at the same time, and best with three players or more. All you'll further need is these rules, a deck of playing cards, a different pawn for each player, and a coin.

It is late in May 1968, in the middle of the Cold War and the Vietnam conflict. Far out in the Atlantic, Nuclear Attack Sub Scorpion breaks all radio contact. Then, for reasons unknown, the vessel sinks to critical depth. Its hull cracks. 99 men and women are lost. What happened?

You are captain, crew and VIP guests on board, starting twenty-four hours earlier. Will you learn what went wrong? Can you change history, and save their lives?

You may download the 24-hour version for free here - or go to 1kM1kT to get it there.

Pick #78: Why I love Spirit of the Century

A few days ago UPS finally delivered the hardcover of Spirit of the Century to my door. On 3rd try... despite that I told them I wouldn't be there; so much for communication with UPS. Spirit is a hefty 7"x9" book, well over 400 pages long, printed by Lulu, produced by Evil Hat Productions, written by Robert Donoghue, Fred Hicks and Leonard Balsera.

And I guess it just earned its spot near Talislanta, the 1E DMG, CoC, Traveller and Stars Without Number. Which means it's in my top five of RPGs (not counting my own DD2). Why?

Because this implementation of FATE (a FUDGE variant) inspires me to revise the way I look at role playing. The pick up game (a game session where you don't have all your regular players, and need to improvise outside a regular campaign) is actually made into a strength, instead of a weakness. The use of Fate points and Aspects gives the players more influence on changing the story, without making it totally free form. And it's chock full of good GM advice on running your story driven game. And I mean really good advice - despite my 30+  years of game mastering experience I found enough to make me smile.

Maybe the Pulp Hero game setting itself is not directly suited to your group's style - being a mix of Top Secret, Indiana Jones and Marvel Superheroes. But I found the book is definitely worth reading, and the game very probably worth playing. The PDF is currently only $5, so you don't have to plunder your pocket book to get it - unless of course you go for the hardcover, like I did...

Pick #75: Role playing takes another twist with Fiasco!

Before, I lamented that there is no real role playing game to play with "regular" folks. You know, people who consider themselves normal? People who wouldn't dare to associate themselves with niche, nerdy or geeky games? Or perhaps people who would love to, but are scared away by the sheer complexity of many of these games?

Well, maybe a game which goes a long way to attracting a more "regular" crowd might be Fiasco.

Fiasco is game-master-less, story driven role playing for three to five players, designed to play in a few hours. Each game should play out like a new movie by the Coen Brothers, such as A Simple Plan, brother Where Art Thou, or Fargo. A story, in other words, where everything that can go wrong, will go wrong - but in a comedy-dramatic kind of way. I guess you could easily do a Sopranos style game too, if you want.

Fiasco was written by Jason Morningstar (and Steve Segedy), has won several awards, was translated in Italian and Portugese, and has loads of free scenarios and aids to download.

To be honest, haven't tried it yet, but it looks very different, and very good. I'll keep you posted once I playtested it!

Pick #74: If you thought you knew Roleplaying, You probably don't know Jeepform

I didn't know about Jeepform. No monsters. Not necessarily. No violence. Not necessarily. No dungeon. Games about relationships. About love. About trauma. About connecting. About exploring possibilities.

Sounds vague? It sure did to me! It's a whole different approach to roleplaying than D&D, Traveller, Savage Worlds, Supers, or even World of Warcraft. It's more like a crossbreed between immersive chamber theater, theater sports, and psychological exploration.

Yes, you can tell many sorts of stories in Jeepform, another name for Freeform of the Jeeper group. It says the name derives from "they go by Jeep", which might mean that I could join with my own '92 Jeep Cherokee if I can get it running again, but maybe that's besides the point. Freeform games are focussed on having a story-role-playing experience, without many rules or dice in the usual way, but with one or more game masters that you trust. Games can be live action, or semi-live action, with players moving around several rooms while imagining the scenery, characters and events.

One game focusses on four Elvis impersonators going on a journey, with flashbacks and all. Another is a strange dream journey through Agnes' divorce and her memories, somewhat remniscent of Lars von Trier's Dogville. A game could be about anything. Some Jeepers also made games you can actually buy, like Under my Skin or Breaking the Ice, with somewhat adult relationship themes. But with a very different approach to telling the story.

It's different. It confuses me. And I'm mightily intrigued.