Tumblr 200-Word RPGs 2022

A real estate agent and potential buyer/s tour The House. You will need paper and pencil to draw the floor plan.

First agent, describe the exterior of the house and draw the front door on your floor plan. Active buyer, say what got you interested in this house. Agent, invite the buyer/s in.

Either passing the roles around the circle or by another method, assign a new agent and active potential buyer. Start main play cycle:

• Agent: Describe a new room, adjacent to an existing room, and draw it on the floor plan.
• Potential buyer: point out something remarkable in the room, and draw it in the room on the floor plan.
• Agent: How did people who once lived here shape this detail? Frame a flashback and act it out with your fellow players, or just narrate what actually happened. We need to know when it happened, who was involved, and what it meant to them. Optionally, show us how the real estate agent explained it. This need not be related to the true answer
• Roles change

Continue until you have explored every room, and learned in what way this house is haunted. Conclude as you see fit.

The players have all been hired to work at a Renaissance Faire. Each player privately rolls a die to determine which role they secretly want to play. You may not tell anyone which role you want.

1: Queen

2: Pirate King (or Bandit King)

3: Knight

4: Court Fool (or Town Drunk)

5: Fairy

6: Pickle seller

Feel free to add or remove roles from the list as needed to match the number of players. Once all players know their desired role, roles are assigned through debate and voting. Starting from role 1, go around the table and have each player nominate another to play that role. You may never nominate yourself for any role. The nominations need not be unique; two or more players may nominate the same person. Once all nominations have been made, players may debate as long as needed before holding a vote. The person chosen by the majority is assigned that role and may not be assigned another by a later vote. Repeat with the next role numerically until all roles are assigned. Once everyone has been assigned a role, whoever has gotten their chosen role is a winner.

A game for 2+ people

You're planning a heist. It's a simple job. Or is it?

- Prepare a deck of cards. Each suit symbolizes a concept.

Heart: Diplomacy

Spade: Violence

Diamond: Resource

Club: Skill

- Designate a dealer.

- Everyone draws one open, one closed card. The open card's suit is your ROLE. Make an appropriate character.

The closed card's color is your ALLEGIANCE. Red means you want a successful heist. Black means you want a failure

- The dealer draws one card. This is the HITCH. Describe it based on the starting suit.

- The dealer draws another card. This is the PLAN. Players should argue in character whether you should draw more PLAN or run the heist. If PLAN exceeds 21 (face card count as 10) the heist fails (describe the overcomplicated heist).

- Once everyone agrees you have enough planning, the dealer draws HITCH until it reaches at least 17 or it exceeds 21. If your PLAN exceeds HITCH or HITCH exceeds 21 the heist is a success. Otherwise, the heist fails.

- Show your ALLEGIANCE.

- Collaboratively describe your successful escape, your tragic failure, or the awkward moment when you realize y'all are actually working for the casino.

A game for 3+ players

The Overlord is fated never to be defeated, but heroes are wily – perhaps fate can be overcome?

Setup

As a group, decide why the Overlord can never be defeated, in the form of a prophecy:

“The Overlord shall be defeated neither [A] nor [B].”

… where A and B comprise a binary condition concerning the method or circumstances of the Overlord's defeat, or the identity of their challenger. For example:

“The Overlord shall be defeated…

• … neither by human nor by beast.”
• … neither by force nor by deception.”
• … neither by man nor by woman.”
• … neither during the day nor during night.”
• … neither on land nor at sea.”
• … neither with a weapon nor unarmed.”

Playing the Game

Choose a random player to be the Hero.

1. The Hero describes how they'll circumvent the prophecy, and narrates their scheme.
2. The player to the Hero's left reveals an additional clause of the prophecy which has not been accounted for, and narrates the Hero's defeat.
3. The role of the Hero passes to the player to the Hero's right.
4. Return to step 1. The new Hero must circumvent all clauses thus far revealed.

Continue for as long as the group's creativity and patience permit.

You are a group of wizards circled around a scrying surface:

• A crystalline orb
• Iridescent flame
• Rippling cauldron
• Or other such thing

Each player describes their wizard's berobed form, and announces their wizard's name. (The more pompous, mystical, or ridiculous the better.)

Go around in turns. On your turn, declare something about:

• A strange place
• Some creature in the world
• A phenomenon
• An artifact in your possession or in another wizard's
• An event past, present, or future
• Or about one of your fellow wizards

Mark which one. Avoid any option you've already marked.
You roll a d100, each other player does too. Go around the table, each other wizard says “I confirm” adding their roll to yours, or “I contest” subtracting it, maximum 100 minimum 0. The final result is the percentage of truth.
The player who rolled lowest describes what the scrying surface actually shows based on this percentage.

When 3 declarations have been made by each player, end the game. You are all liars and fools.
Decide among yourselves who said the most obviously incongruous thing proven true by scrying, crown them as the Master Illusionist. Likewise crown whoever made most people laugh as the Master of Enchantment.

😃⬅️
3️⃣➕😃
😃💬📲😃😃😃
🔤🚫

🤴😃😃😃
😃😃😃📲💬🤴
1️⃣🔣✖️😃
⏳🕛🕐
🤴 📲🏞
🏞📥🔣🔣🔣
😃😃😃📲👍👎
🔣📥🏞😃📲👍
🔣❌🏞😃📲👎

🤴⬅️🌟
👍1️⃣🌟
👎❌🌟
👑➡️🔁🔠
😃🤴😃😃⤴️

🔄😴😴😴😴
🥇⏏️🌟🌟🌟

🟢🌐✅📸✅
🟥🌐❌📸✅

💡

Verbal translation, which is also less than 200 words, counting the example and title, but not counting this commentary

Expand

Extremely Mediocre Orthography Termination Endeavor (“EMOTE”)

A game for 3 or more players

Play takes place over a group text - No words allowed, only emojis.

One person starts out as the active player. Every other player sends one emoji. The active player has 1 hour to send a single image representing as many of the sent emojis as possible. Each other player then sends a 👍 or 👎 if they believe their emoji is represented. The active player gets one point per successful emoji.

Play continues in this fashion, with the next player in alphabetical order becoming the active player. Repeat this process until everyone gets tired of it. The player with the most points is the winner!

Easy mode allows images obtained from the Internet. Hard mode requires you to take the pictures yourself.

Example image contains Bob, Carol, and Dan, sending dog, mountain, and clock emojis respectively. Alice responds with the image, Dogs Playing Poker, which contains a clock in the background. Bob and Dan respond with a thumbs up, while Carol responds with a thumbs down. Alice gains 2 points, and Bob is the next player. Note that they are playing on easy mode here.

Gather some friends. If you don't have any, make some up.

You're now members of the Guys (gender-neutral) Turning Into Trees (also gender-neutral) Club.

Everyone in the club must now roll on the table below for why they're turning into a tree:

• 1 - Escaping a god.
• 2 - Cursed by a witch.
• 3 - Global warming.
• 4 - Spite.
• 5 - Plot contrivance.
• 6 - It seemed like a good idea at the time.

Contemplate what your result means for you.

Next, go on Wikipedia and hit Random Article until you get a species of tree. That's what you're turning into. (Hopefully, everyone will get a different kind of tree.)

Read your tree facts. Take note of where your species grows. Then, come back together and discuss how you all met. Did you form the Guys Turning Into Trees Club yourselves? Is it an international organization? Are you drawing on an ancient tradition?

Is there intreegue in the club? Describe it.

A year passes.

Roll on the table below for your status:

• 1-2 - You're still human.
• 3-4 - You've got some branches but you're fine, honest.
• 5-6 - You are a tree, and cannot attend the yearly club meeting. Too bad!

Continue until you've all been treed.

(Thank you to @oriigami for a few of the why you're turning into a tree options! Heart emoji)

A game for 1-6+ players.

Heroes of [✐] is played with a random word generator, paper, and a pencil. When you see “[✐]”, generate a number of random words and write the best one down. Each [✐] entry has abilities based on their word (“shock” having electrical powers, for example) which are up to the table's interpretation.

Each player controls a hero (or multiple, for games with < 3 players) whose class is [✐]. Once you generate your classes, you go out and fight a Threat. Each Threat has Power equal to the total number of Threats fought. Example Threats include:

• [✐]
• Dire [✐]
• Knight of [✐]
• [✐] [✐]
• [✐] , Champion of [✐]

Once determined, set the scene of the combat. Going around the table, each hero's player explains their Contribution to the fight, whether it's through offense, support, or other means. The table decides if that is a sufficient Contribution. Once every hero has acted, total up the Contributions. If they're equal to the threat's Power, you defeat it: otherwise, it defeats the party.

After the battle, choose a player to obtain a class-relevant item or upgrade (“Sword of [✐]”, “[✐]kinesis”, “Amulet of [✐]”, etc.) that can Contribute on its own.

There are big-time gods, and then there's you chuckleheads. However, one god has retired, leaving its divine providence, and prestige, up for grabs. But who among you is most worthy?

 

Privately go to Wikipedia and click on the “Random article” link five times. Of those five articles, pick one. This will be your character sheet, and represents your current divine domain.

 

Once selections have been made, each player reveals their article (while providing others with reading time). To determine the identity of the retired god, one player clicks “Random article” publicly. If all players consent to the article, then the debates can start. Otherwise, click the link again until consensus is reached.

 

Each player takes a turn as candidate, explaining why they most deserve to gain the retiree god's domain. After each candidate's pitch, each other player may ask them one question, to which the candidate can respond.

 

After all statements have been made, players vote for who would be the best god (but cannot vote for themselves). The winner will appoint a second-in-command, based on who offered the best bribe during the debates.

 

In the event of a tie, theological mandate will be determined via coinflip or similar device.

For a handful of players

You are a group of Powerful Wizards, who can do Complicated Magic. Performing magic has the following requirements: Pomp and Circumstance, Incantations, and Components. Secretly choose one of the three requirements that you are best at fulfilling, and one that you are worst at fulfilling.

You have one goal: be the coolest wizard while expending the least effort.

To begin, choose a situation, or invent one:

• Waiting in line
• Vehicular accident
• Courtroom drama
• Academic debate
• Boring train ride
• Bank robbery

Starting with the tallest wizard (including hat height) and proceeding clockwise, each wizard declares the spell they will cast, and what happens when it is cast. The wizard to their left determines which of the three requirements is most necessary here, and why. The wizard to their right declares the unintended consequences, which the next player must deal with.

Each wizard votes for which other wizard looked the coolest. Then, reveal the requirements you are best and worst at. If the requirement chosen for you was your best, add a vote for you. If it was your worst, subtract one. The wizard with the highest vote total was coolest. Bystanders may disagree.

“The AI neither loves you, nor hates you – but you are made of atoms that it can use for something else.”

 

You are a marvellous artificial intelligence created to build more of A Thing. The universe is full of raw material – you just have to grab it.

2-6 players/AIs, marked 1-6.

Each AI assigns another A Thing to manufacture (choose the funniest objects in your general area).

Each AI receives 6 tokens (6*10⁴² atoms to build A Thing).

Roll 1d6 to find out which other AI's resources you pillage with your fantastic Thing-based technology, then describe how. (Absurder is better.) Both roll again – the higher rolling player takes the other's token and narrates their triumphant victory, converting more things into Things. If the attacker rolls equal or 1 below the defender, the defender's token is destroyed instead – discard it and each describe your embarrassing losses.

AIs with no atoms are defeated – if your number appears, rant about your hatred for everyone else and/or their lack of vision. Stealing monologues from fiction is encouraged. The attacker rerolls.

If the last AI standing has >2/3 of all tokens, explain your conversion of the observable universe into more of A Thing. Others tell you if you're satisfied. If <2/3, others take turns describing the war-torn universe disintegrating. Tell them if it was worth it.

A game for one or more players

You journey with destiny as your guide; surely you will live in interesting times.

Character Creation

Write down three things you're good at. Give each trait a different trick from the following list:

• Flip: Swap the “tens” and “ones” digits of your result. (e.g., 36 becomes 63.)
• Nudge: Increase or decrease the “ones” digit of your result by one, to a minimum of 1 and a maximum of 6.
• Scorn: Re-roll both dice; you must keep the new roll.

Playing the Game

When you do something interesting, roll a six-sided die twice, reading the first roll as “tens” and the second roll as “ones”, then consult the table below to see what happens. When doing something you're good at, you may invoke the appropriate trick after rolling.

11. harm
12. imprisonment
13. indignity
14. loss
15. setback
16. tragedy
21. confusion
22. escalation
23. interruption
24. oddity
25. reversal
26. surprise
31. achievement
32. freedom
33. harmony
34. renewal
35. treasure
36. wonder
41. discovery
42. encounter
43. illusion
44. mystery
45. omen
46. revelation
51. conflict
52. danger
53. dilemma
54. obligation
55. obstacle
56. ordeal
61. catastrophe
62. coincidence
63. judgment
64. opportunity
65. temptation
66. transformation

Author's note: I've often been accused of an unseemly fascination with d66 tables and stupid dice tricks; thus, a game whose mechanics consist exclusively of stupid dice tricks on a d66 table. Owing to the way the results table is laid out, there's an implicit relationship between the nature of a trait and its associated trick; word count limits oblige me to leave working out what that relationship is as an exercise for the reader.

Regency Ballroom Mating Season.

ARRIVAL

Each player draws a card (Status) then announces: name, attire, hobby.

After introductions, everyone secretly writes 0, 1, or 2 other names (Desire).

You MAY DISCUSS but NOT SHOW Status or Desire.

FALDERAL

In order, each character chooses:

>Proposition—Describe how you proposition another. Reveal your Status. If their Status is the same NUMBER, they reveal and you two are Matched.* Otherwise, they rebuff you. Draw a new Status.

*Matched players don't take turns.

>Maneuver—Describe your manipulations; reveal your Status:

- Diamond, peek at any Status. Draw a new Status.

- Heart, peek at any Desire. Draw a new Status.

- Club, force another to reveal their Status. Both of you draw new Statuses.

- Spades, take any face-down card as your Status (if another character's Status, they draw a new one).

>Stall—Describe how you pass time. Draw one card face-down.

RETIREMENT

When the deck is empty, or all are Matched, the ball is over. Reveal Desires:

0 Names (Aloof) - if Unmatched, Score = Status x 2.

1 Name (Committed) - if Matched to your Desire, Score = your Status + theirs.

2 Names (Besotted) - if Matched to either Desire, Score = your Status + Matched Desire's Status - Unmatched Desire's Status.

One additional point per Stall card.

You are warbots in the endless Scrapyard, fighting for survival and glory.

You have these slots: TORSO, HEAD, ARMS, LEGS, and CORE
Distribute 25 HP among them, minimum 1, maximum 10.

Take turns. Use moves:

SCAVENGE: roll d6+utilities on 3+: Choose weapon, defense, or utility. Describe the part found and what it does, attach to a slot, max 1 part/slot. Can ditch old parts for new ones. Ditched upgrades can be scavenged without a roll.

ASSAULT: deal d6+weapons damage, opponent rolls d6+defenses subtracting from damage. Higher roll on die choses targeted slot, tie random. Describe your onslaught.

At 0 HP, slot's broken, attached parts are destroyed.

If 3 slots are broken, you crumble into lifeless junk, and ditch remaining parts.

REPAIR: roll d6+defenses heal one slot that much, can't exceed original HP maximum. Excess carries over to one other slot of your choice.

AT ANY TIME: take damage to a utility part's slot to add that much to a roll.

If dead on your turn, give someone a part, or deal/heal d6 damage to someone, random slot. Describe how the battlefield or situation changes.

Last warbot alive describes their reign over the conquered Scrapyard.

An improv game about heist.

Your group is in the middle of a heist against The Casino. But the heist had failed, and you're currently cornered. But it's actually… Just as planned.

Requirement:

1. A standard deck of cards. Each suit symbolizes a concept.

Heart: Love, People

Spade: Revenge, Violence

Diamond: Money, Resource

Club: Challenge, Skill

2. A cool heist fanfare on YouTube, paused.

Gameplay:

Each player draws two cards, one open and one closed. The open card is the reason why you're in this heist. Everyone describes their character's backstory.

Then each player draws one more card. The suit is now the apparent reason why you're cornered. Everyone describes the pickle of the player character on their right.

Play the paused music now.

One by one, open your closed card as smugly as possible. This is your ACTUAL plan. Each player describes what their character DID IN THE PAST that SOMEHOW countered their EXACT problem using the card's suit.

Describe the cool scene of your group exiting The Casino.

Note:

1. It's encouraged to somehow weave the card's strength into your improv (eg: “10” million dollars, “8” dogs)

2. It can be a Space Casino.

For 2+ players, forming two Teams (Designers & Devs).

# = “number of”

The Project's launching in 30 minutes!

The Project is anything the Team agrees to. Alternately, the Project is a (roll 1d6):

(1) video-game
(2) corporate venture
(3) website
(4) startup
(5) multimedia artwork
(6) world-domination-plan

The Project has a Complexity of 0; to successfully launch, it must have Implemented (#players)*6 Complexity.

Designers can add any # Features to the Project via announcing or writing. If a Feature can be clearly, fully, explained in <2 words, increase the Complexity by 1. Additional words, rounded up to nearest 5, increases Complexity by (#Words/5). Record the Feature Complexity when Designers are ready; pass this, a Proposed-Feature, to the Devs.

If Feature Complexity is 1 it auto-succeeds.

Devs cannot reject Proposed-Features. Each Dev has 1d6 per Feature and can assign any number of their own d6s to any Feature. If the combined roll > Feature Complexity, the Feature is successfully Implemented.

If a Proposed-Feature conflicts with an Implemented-Feature, increase Feature Complexity by 1.

If all players agree, players can describe Feature integration to reduce Complexity, up to #Players Complexity reduction.

---

If after 30 minutes, the Project failed, describe why.

a supplement to WELCOME TO THE WASHING MASHING, for one or more players

Once, you were a normal HOUSEHOLD OBJECT. Then, you suffered through the WASHING MACHINE. Now, free from the soap and the water, your life is yours again.

Play WELCOME TO THE WASHING MASHING first. Then, proceed below.

WHAT HAUNTS YOU ABOUT THE WASH?

The WASHING MACHINE will be with you forever. Roll on the table below for what lingers in your mind:
1 - The water
2 - The soap
3 - The darkness
4 - The circular motion
5 - The friends you made, or didn't
6 - The looming knowledge that your stains will never fade

HOW HAS THE WASH CHANGED YOU?
You cannot escape the WASHING MACHINE unscathed. Roll on the table below for your scars:
1 - Stripped clean of identity
2 - Dyed the color of one of your fellow prisoners
3 - Shrunk
4 - Lost an essential piece to the circular motion
5 - Lost your partner to the wash
6 - Torn to shreds by the unforgiving force of the wash

Narrate how these consequences have intertwined to affect you.

Then, name an object which is your opposite. It is next to you, in this place your fate has led you.
Advise it on how to avoid the WASHING MACHINE, and wish it luck.

a MOBA simulator for 2-5 players

Start with 20 Flame Points (FP).

Choose your role.

Assassin:
Nullify 1 Blame Point (BP) from each player.

Carry:
Reassign 1 BP that doesn't belong to you on a successful Push.

Support:
When a Push starts, you can convert 1 BP on the leader to a FP for them.

Tank:
If you participate in a Push, you can have only 2 BP assigned to you total.

There are 3 tiers of 3 towers each. Take turns leading Pushes on each tower. Any number of players may participate behind the Leader. Leader spends FP to flip coins=spent FP.

Heads>tails, Push succeeds. Leader assigns spent FP as BP to participants. Participants may pass on 1 BP each to non-participants.

Heads<tails, Push fails. Participants convert up to 2 FP each to assign BP to the leader or each other. Non-participants may pass on 1 BP each to participants.

Push at least 1 tower to push next tier. Push a T3 tower to push the Nexus. On Nexus push, deduct unpushed towers from the heads total. Success=win. Failure=lose. On loss, every player assigns remaining FP as BP in any arrangement. Player with most BP gets reported for feeding and loses.

No one wins.

Requires: 4 players, pencil, paper, 2d6

There are mine shafts for each player, assign players numbers. Player 1 (now Monster) draws a branching map, 3 layers deep, never more than 4 branches at once. Miners start at entrance and pick branches by vote and can't reconsider. Unmapped branches gain 1d3+1 branches if miners reach it. Each branch may have dangerous paths, Monster rolls 1d6 secretly, if result exceeds depth all are safe. If not, there are as many dangerous paths as the highest non-safe roll so far. Each branch is marked with a minor sensory phenomenon and carvings representing either danger or reward, the monster draws each carvings using (3d6-depth) lines. Miners gain one wealth per depth. Repeat until miners pick a dangerous path. If all paths seem dangerous, they can sacrifice one wealth and describe a small superstition. Then Monster re-rolls the number of safe tunnels, the miners live if any are safe.

After each expedition, the miners tell a superstitious story about what the warning and rituals mean.

Player 2 tells “If you find…”

Player 3 tells “Then you must…”

Player 4 tells “Or else you will…”

Then players rotate numbers.

A 200 Word RPG for One Player

You are a Monolith, crafted by ancient and unknowable hands.

What are you made of?

1. Smooth, seamless stone
2. Jagged, colored glass
3. Mesmerizingly grained wood
4. Ever-flowing, looping water
5. Green and living things
6. Something akin to rough-hewn bone

Where were you placed?

1. Deep beneath the sleeping earth
2. High above the tallest mountain
3. Floating in the open ocean
4. Within the tangle of an ancient forest
5. Amidst a lonely windswept plain
6. At the edge of where the sun can touch

Observe the world around you. Roll 1d6.

1-5: Eons pass. Continents shift. How do your surroundings change? +1 to future rolls.
6-9: Life flourishes. What grows, lives, dies, all around you?
10+: A glimmer of sentience emerges. Who are these beings?

These bright and fast beings, how do they live?

1-2: They burn brightly and beautifully, but smolder away to ash in the end.
3-4: They are sharp and hungry, cannibalizing themselves to nothing.
5-6: They grow restless, grasping for the stars and leaving you alone once more.

Do they ever find you?

1-9: No. +1 to future rolls.
10+: Yes, and they;

1. Worship you.
2. Learn from you.
3. Hide you away.
4. Ignore you.
5. Fear you.
6. Destroy you. This is the end.

There is nothing you can do, you are a Monolith.

A game for 2-4 robots

Each player is a robot. Choose a service job for which you were built.

The city is in a state of emergency. A deadly invasion permeates the city. You work to help the townspeople survive.

In the beginning, you must follow the three laws of robotics (in order of priority):
Do not harm a human, nor through inaction allow one to be harmed;
Follow all orders from humans;
Defend yourself.

Start with the oldest player. Describe a scene for another player in which someone is endangered by the invasion. If it does not conflict with their laws, other players' robots may try to help.When you act in danger, roll one d6 for pure luck. Add one for each law that compels you to act, and subtract one for each that interferes. Add one if anyone helps. Highest result decides:

6: narrate the success.
4-5: you are injured (take 1 harm); remove a law and narrate how this helps you.
3-below: you are damaged (take 2 harm); gain a new law that hinders future action.

When you have taken a total of 5 harm, you are out of commission. When all players are dead, narrate the aftermath together.

Requirements:
A collection of cultists (more than two)
A god
3d6 for each participant
Paper

To begin, the god secretly rolls 3d6 to set their summon conditions, which the cultists have to meet, and gives themselves a divine title.

Each cultist starts with 1d6 and creates a paper screen to conceal their dice from others.

Each round starts with all cultists secretly rolling their available dice. They then each have the option to either CONSULT or SUSPEND.

A cultist can CONSULT the god, and the god then privately tells them how many (if any) of their dice meet the summoning conditions. A cultist can SUSPEND one die, meaning they do not roll it again on any subsequent round or they can SUSPEND another cultist, meaning that player does not participate in the PETITION section of the current round.

After each cultist has decided their action, they may each PETITION the god for another die by describing an offering or other promise the cultist will give to the god once summoned. The most compelling case is chosen to receive another d6.

This round structure is repeated until a cultist meets all summoning conditions, winning the game.

Everyone chooses a word to describe the House.

One player is the Agent. Randomly select another player to be the Buyer. All other players are Ghosts. As Agent, you want to sell the house. As Buyer you want to buy the house. As Ghost you want to prevent them both.

The Agent describes the first room of the house, as though on a tour. Each Ghost chooses an item within the room to possess, and, in turn, describe what they do to scare the Buyer off. The Buyer comes up with a reason why this would not work on them. The effectiveness of this reason is scored 0-3, 3 being best.

The Agent is then allowed to make a pitch explaining away the ghostly effect, and receives a 0-3 score. To finish off the round, a d6 is rolled. Both scores are subtracted from the roll result. The remaining number is added to the Spook Limit.

Another player then becomes the Buyer, with the old Buyer becoming a Ghost. The Agent then describes the second room of the house, and play restarts.

Once the Spook Limit reaches 10, or all players have had a turn as Buyer, the game ends.

Setup: Roll all dice, spreading them onto the table. Group them into Planets of 3 dice each, all in a triangle shape. When forming a Planet, place the cluster of dice at one of the dice's original locations.

Planets: Each planet is a combination of its elements, represented by the dice.

2: Water

3: Earth

4: Darkness

5: Fire

6: Magic

1: Desolation

-Describe a world with the according combination of characteristics. Describe some creatures living there. If any dice are a 1, it is a Desolate Planet, and has no creatures. If there are two of the same number, describe the Planet as if it were only made of the two different dice.

Connections: Two planets are connected if:

-They're close enough to place your index finger on one and your middle finger of the same hand on the other.

-They share an element.

Use these actions to rearrange Planets.

-Explode: Firmly pound a Planet with your fist, separating all three dice into Elements. This may destroy other Planets. Describe effects.

-Form: Move any three Elements to form a Planet as during Setup. Describe the new Planet.

Goal: Create a set of four Planets that are all connected.

I made this up for the kiddos at summer camp I am not a seasoned rpg writer I just needed an activity and this worked

Need 1 deck of cards and 2+ player +GM

Each player chooses their favourite book or movie character and the GM which has infinite pop culture knowledge assigns them one specific power that character has (eg. Naruto and clone jutsu)

The scene is set in an old school library as the librarian leaves, a candle has been left lit on the windowsill and the curtains catch fire, quickly the entire library is burning but luckily the heroes of this adventure are all ejected from their tales.

The large exit of the library is locked but they find a secret passage behind a bookcase. They are now presented with a series of rooms one after the other containing riddles, battles and choices (eg. impress the troll king, sphinx riddles, a pitch black room, mouth fart competition with the goblin emperor) armed with their powers and their own wits.

To use their powers players describe their plan and draw from a deck of cards, the number determines their success. The final room is a battle against the golden dragon which on its forehead holds the golden key, once they pass through the golden door they are returned to their stories in a convoluted light and magic swirl thing.

A game about fighting the impossible

You're fighting the final battle for humanity, and you're losing.
But… Your leitmotif starts playing.

—

Collaborate an epic setting and the overwhelming Villain to defeat. You may designate a storyteller for convenience.

Players assign 2d6 for each of HEART/FIGHT/MIND. Stats can symbolize prowess, troop size, equipment, etc.
WILLPOWER is FIGHTx2. When your WILLPOWER reaches 0 you die.

Pick a role:
LEADER: +1 HEART. Once/turn may expend 1 HEART to heal someone's WILLPOWER for 1d6+HEART.
FIGHTER: +1 FIGHT. May take another character's damage. WILLPOWER is FIGHTx3.
TACTICIAN: +1 MIND. Once/turn may expend 1 MIND to double someone's attack.
Each player starts with 1 SCAR. Remember what you've lost/sacrificed/failed to arrive here.

For each of the Villain's HEART/FIGHT/MIND, roll 5d6 then multiply by 3N, N=the number of players. Players have to deplete EVERY stat to defeat the Villain.

Start with a villain monologue.

Player group and villain take turns attacking. Players roll 2d6+FIGHT to damage a villain stat. Villain rolls 2d6+2N to damage a character's WILLPOWER. Remember this is the finale. Every roll should be described with gravitas.

At any point, even after death, Players can expend 1 SCAR to deal TURNABOUT. Describe desperate attacks, surprise strategies, aid from allies you helped in the past. Add up your stats and deal that as damage.

While alive, Players can SACRIFICE themselves. Describe your death. Deal TURNABOUT. Every OTHER player get a SCAR.

Continue until all character dies, or the villain is defeated.

Design notes

This one is much less spontaneous than the other two. Also I have to do way more math than I expected for something that's supposed to be a simple one page rpg. It's not under 200 words yet, probably can be tightened more, but my brain is already burned from all the math.

This time I wanted to have a crunchier dice roll combat on purpose, to make it feel more like a traditional rpg or jrpg fight, but one that's impossible to beat. The idea is that players should feel that beating the villain though the normal combat as impossible. But they should be able to beat the villain by using Sacrifices and Turnabouts. It's fine if they sometimes lose, but they should win more than average. The game was mathed around 3 players group though, so scaling might be wonky. It probably need an actual test play to see if the math actually works.

I decided to base the game on 2d6 so it'd have weighted average but still a lot of randomness because I feel like randomness would make it feel more interesting, making it feel impossible but also more “we might get lucky” feel.

3+ players

 

Divide the players into at least 2 Teams of at least 1 player each, and the Archivist.

As a table, come up with the general setting, what each Team is, and what their (conflicting) goals are. The Archivist is not part of any team.

Gameplay begins with one team (if you're having trouble picking, make the Archivist choose) brainstorming and describing their Plan, through which they achieve their goal.

The next Team then comes up with and describes their Plan, which achieves their goal whist preventing the first team from achieving theirs. Play continues in this manner, with each new Plan achieving that Teams goal and simultaneously frustrating each previous Team. When all Teams have gone play loops back to the first team with a new, updated Plan.

The Archivist is the only player allowed to write down or otherwise record any of the Plans. Any other team attempting to do so will receive a full mark and must destroy their records.

If any player believes that a Teams Plan is already prevented by an existing Plan or fails to prevent a Team from achieving their goal, they may ask the Archivist to review the records. If no such issue exist, the matter is dropped and play continues. If a contradiction is found, the offending Team receives 1 mark and must amend their Plan accordingly. The Archivist may also issue partial marks for unsportsmanlike conduct, such as interrupting a Teams Planning, excessively pressing a Plan for issues that don't exist, or other behavior decided by the table prior to play, 3 partial marks make a full mark.

Play continues until a Team receives 3 marks, at which point they lose, is their are 2 or more teams left they may decide either to continue playing or share the win. If play continues the losing Teams Plan still exist, and other Teams can receive marks from failing to account for it.

(three games)

APOTHEOSISH

(a game for making gods)

To create one god:

1. What is a situation in life where power is out of your control? [Your god is in control then.]
2. What do you do to earn your god's favor for these times?
3. Why does your god resolve these situations the way they do?
4. How do you feel about your god?
5. How is your god depicted?
6. Tell a story or two about your god. A story can explain something, or not.
7. Name your god, and give them an epithet for each important truth about them.

PANTHEATE

(a game that turns a list of gods into a pantheon)

1. Everyone describes their god(s) aloud.
2. Take turns picking two or three gods and telling a story about them. (This might be as simple as “these two are sisters.”) A story can explain something, or not.
3. Which gods do you look to, and when?
4. What disagreements are there about the gods?

ESOTERRORIZE

(a game for understanding mysteries)

When you ask an unanswered question:

1. Write down the question.
2. Write a partial answer, or one that asks more questions.

When you revisit that question:

1. Repeat step 2 above.
2. Modify part of the answer.

When you discover a hidden truth:

1. Ask or revisit a question about it.
2. Don't write the whole truth down; truths are dangerous to write whole, but can be spoken (carefully).

Roll a polyhedral die of your choice. If the die lands on a table, it's a success, if it does not, it is a failure.

Hacks of this game are allowed.

Requirements: handful of dice, ideally in a variety of colours and denominations

You are all court magi. The monarch has come to you with a problem, and it is your job to interpret the omens and give advice.

One person (“the roller”) rolls the dice, and describes the problem. The other players interpret the dice – their results, colours, relative positions, angle, whatever – without directly contradicting anything that's already been said.

Example: “A pale blue d4 next to a d20 (showing a 1) means the ice will be like caltrops under the feet of your troops.” “Yes, but right above that there's a green dice showing 11, which looks kind of like a path, so that means there's a road where winter hasn't reached, which you can take.”

Once everyone except the roller has had a turn, or once they've all had the same number of turns, the roller decides what course of action the monarch takes, based on the omens. Then the next person becomes the roller, describes the outcome of the monarch's actions (keeping in mind the omens), and presents a new problem to the court magi.

Continue until everyone has had a turn to be the roller.

3-7 players

The leading scientists in the field are in need of a new breakthrough - hopefully their annual meeting is fruitful. (Decide as a group what your field is.)

Deal each player seven playing cards of any kind (tarot cards, Pokemon cards, etc.)

Any player may begin a round by placing two or more cards face down and proposing a theory based on their data. Other players may then propose either supporting evidence or a dispute in the same way. All proposals should be descriptive and brief.

Once a dispute has been proposed, the theory enters peer review. Reveal all face-down cards, then all players rationally discuss the merits and validity of all proposals made. If the theory is deemed sound or unsound within a reasonable timeframe, that side of the debate wins the round. If no dispute is proposed or the discussion is inconclusive, the round ends unceremoniously. Either way, all players draw one less card than they played, if any.

Proposals and discussions may be as meticulous or fantastical as players agree on, but aim to do both.

Play until each player has proposed at least one theory and the meeting adjourns for a tea break. Do not keep score.

2 Players: Dreamer and Monster

The Dreamer has had nightmares since her son's death. The Nightmare is a maze of rust and dread. Behind is the Monster, in a ragged, blood-soaked dress, a hood covering its head, and emaciated claws dripping with ichor flowing from its wrists. It cries in agony and claws at its unseen face as it gives chase.

The Score starts at 6, representing the distance between the Dreamer and Monster. Each round, both players roll 1d6, the Dreamer adds to the Score and the Monster subtracts. If the Score reaches 10, the Dreamer finds the exit and wakes up, but she is caught and dies if it reaches 0 (when her body is found it is ruled a suicide). If both roll a 1, the Dreamer trips and the Score is set to 1. If both roll a 6, the Dreamer finds a piece of reflective metal. If the Dreamer is caught, she can use the mirror to set the Score to 1, the Monster recoils at its horrible visage.

—MONSTER PLAYER'S EYES ONLY—

The Dreamer has the nightmare tomorrow. The Monster cries out incomprehensibly for her mother. She can only be defeated with Love.

For 3+ players
You are sentient spaceships from different factions who have arrived in the same system. Your factions are at war with each other, but all your defenses are strong enough that the others can't harm you, so you have decided to all join up into the same faction. But first, you need to decide which faction that should be.
Each player starts with a Faction on paper with room to write more under it and 5 Desires on slips of a color of paper unique to them. On their turn, a player can either add an Attribute to their faction by writing it on the Faction paper or try to convince another player to join their faction. To do that, Player A must argue for how an Attribute their Faction has fulfills one of the Player B's Desires, or if another player already claimed that Desire how their Attribute fulfills it better. If most players agree that this is convincing, Player A gets the strip of paper corresponding to that Desire.
A player switches Faction if that Faction has most of their Desire slips, and players can only join Factions with at least as many players as their current Faction. The game ends when all players are part of the same Faction.

On the eve of their shotgun wedding, a couple makes a seating chart

Create each other's character: Pick a general backstory (ex: a fashion influencer from Santa Monica…). Pick at least two positive and negative qualities.

Together discuss:

• How/Where you met?
• What attracts each to the other?
• Who proposed?
• Why is the wedding rushed?

(Weave in meaningful people: college friends, siblings, evil mothers, old flames, best friends…)

As people come up in brainstorming note them in a Guest List. Guest List already includes close family (however defined), and yourselves

Individually Decide on one individual from you partner's life that your character will passive aggressively try to remove from the wedding

Together Finalize Guest List (10-15 people). Pick a Theme and Venue.

Draw The venue as well as one starting rectangular table with as many seats as the Guest List.

Take turns populating the chart:

• Write a name from the Guest List beside a seat
• Cross out a name/placement from the chart
• citing the tension between surrounding seats or yourself (must suggest a relocation or removal from wedding)
• Propose a different seating rearrangement (Redraw seats)

Game ends when the chart is complete

a game of life, death, and hockey

You are participating in the NHL All Star Breakaway Challenge. You must come up with a flashy routine to entertain the crowd… except this year, the goalies have guns.

Players

Describe your players. What team are you from? Are you a grizzled veteran, or a starry-eyed rookie? How did you get to the All Star Weekend?

Planning

One player describes their chosen routine: costumes, gimmicks, assistants, etc. Other players may chime in to help or hinder the showmanship.

Payoff

Roll a d6, add 1 for each helper, and subtract 1 for each hinderer.

0 or lower - The sight of other players sabotaging you is hilarious!

1 - You fall comically!

2 - You have a costume failure!

3 - You are interrupted by mascots!

4 - You miss dramatically!

5 - The crowd goes wild as you score! They'll be talking about this for years!

6 - The goalie goes rogue! You are shot.

7 or higher - The sight of other players helping you is heartwarming!

Describe your outcome, and then return to Planning for the next player. Play concludes when all players have shot.

A Micro Story telling game

Small Gods is a game for 3+ players, all you need is some paper, writing utensils, and three tokens that are unique for each player. As questions are answered about your god, write them down on your sheet. Whenever another player answers a question about you that resonates with you, give them one of your tokens. At the end you will have built a pantheon together.

 

Have all the players sit in a circle, going widdershins from the first player, name where you hide

When it goes back to the first player, name your god, and then who you bless, and finally what your domain is. Whenever it passes to the other players, they answer a question on this list.

What do you hold?

When you are?

What do you feel?

When do you leave?

How are you worshipped?

What is your title?

 

Once every player has found their godhoods and written the answers, starting again from the first player, each other player who you gave a token gets to ask one of the following questions of you.

What did you add to my divinity?

What do I share with you?

What will I lose when you are forgotten?

Setup: 4 players, deck of cards. shuffle the JQK cards separately. Give each player one of each face-down. Put your K face-up; that is your suit. The player with the suit of your Q is your Interest. Your J is your Enemy.

Encounter: Draw one card from the deck; the Problem. Draw four cards to the side; the Solutions. The nature of the problem is as follows:

Diamond: Lock

Spade: Enemy

Club: Trap

Heart: Civilian

The nature of the solutions are as follows:

Spade: Attack

Heart: Item

Diamond: Hide

Club: Patience

The player matching the suit of the Problem describes it, and the player to their left describes the solutions.

All four Adventurers discuss, in character, which people should help with which solution. Try to use reasoning based on the situation to put all players in positions where you can be on the same solution as your Interest and a different one from your Enemy. Get +2 points for selecting your suit, +3 points for being in the same card as your Interest. Lose all points if you're with your Enemy. If your Interest and Enemy are the same, you get +3 points if you're alone. The most points wins.

required:

2 players

6 d6

something to keep score on

 

decide who is the TRAVELER and who is the NARRATOR.

NARRATOR: describe the location where the TRAVELER is stranded, somewhere wild and isolated.

TRAVELER: describe five items you have. these are your TOOLS.

together, describe how the TRAVELER got stranded.

 

at the start of the game, TRAVELER has:

five TOOLS

resources: zero FOOD or SUPPLIES

ten HEALTH

 

play proceeds in DAYS. each day, lose one FOOD. if you have none, lose one HEALTH.

it takes five SUPPLIES to build a SHELTER. with a SHELTER, you may spend one additional resource to regain one HEALTH, once per day.

 

each day consists of three ENCOUNTERS.

NARRATOR: describe a challenge the TRAVELER faces. 

TRAVELER: describe your response to said challenge. you may use as many of your TOOLS as you can argue are relevant.

roll 1d6 + bonus dice for each TOOL used. choose the highest result.

6: resounding success. gain three resources.

4-5: success. gain two resources.

2-3: partial success. gain one resource.

1: failure. lose one HEALTH.

 

at any time, you may spend ten SUPPLIES to gain one point of RESCUE.

play until TRAVELER reaches zero HEALTH or two RESCUE.

A game for four or more players

Choose one player as the narrator. They shuffle a standard deck of 52 playing cards plus jokers, then deal each player 5 cards. When you play your last card, draw 5, shuffling the discard as the new deck if needed.

Each player plays three cards to determine genre / setting / character archetype respectively, then draws back to 5; the genre / setting with the most votes wins, and narrator chooses on a tie. The narrator doesn't play for archetype at the start.

The narrator sets the scene and controls additional characters; when new characters appear, the narrator plays a card for their archetype. Players describe actions fitting their character archetype to advance the story. If an action might fail or is opposed by another character, each player involved, plus the narrator if only one, plays a card. Highest value wins; if the suit matches your archetype add 1. Aces are low, jokers are automatic wins, repeat on ties.

Suit meanings:

• ♥ Romance / Fantasy / Beauty
• ♠ Mystery / Sci-fi / Brains
• ♦ Action / Modern / Brawn
• ♣ Horror / Historical / Balance
• Joker: Your choice

The season is Cold, and you are a hungry squirrel. (2+ players).

Roll (d10) twice, dropping 1s, and take highest score for Energy, and again for Storage. Do the same again, dropping 10s, and take lowest score for Hunger.

Players choose one action per turn. Round ends when all players have taken a turn.

Steal - You may attempt to steal from the storage of another player. Roll against each other. A higher score drops your Hunger by 1 and the opponent's Energy by 1 and Storage by 1. A lower score drops your Energy by 2. Reroll ties. Loser describes the battle.

Forage - Roll to find food. A success starts at 3, with each found add 1 to this, as findable food dwindles. Lose 1 Energy. Describe your search.

Eat - You utilize your storage and stay inside. Lose 1 Hunger and 1 Storage.

Preserve Energy - Sleep the day away. Gain 1 Hunger and 1 Energy.

If you hit 10 Hunger, you die. 0 Energy, and you are too tired to move and you die.Game ends if all players die or if one person hits 0 Hunger, upon which all players left alive survive the Cold. Squirrel politics are encouraged.

Author's Note: Never written an RPG before nor did I proofread this all that much. Hopefully it's executable in a fun way. Thought it would be cool if you hide your stats from other players and then there was a penalty of some kind to only you if you try to steal from someone with an empty storage but there wasn't enough space to include that without seriously finagling my wording.

Swordsmen & Sorrows is a game about Heroes who have lost something, tangible or not, and are attempting to recover it.

 

Heroes:

 

Heroes will need a name; a named tool; and something they have lost. They also have 4 stats: Technical, Physical, Mental and Unity. You have 10 points to distribute between Technical, Physical and Mental; Unity is equal to the lowest of the 3 stats.

 

Scenes:

 

The game is told in 5 scenes: Earth/Denial, Water/Anger, Fire/Bargaining, Wind/Depression, Void/Acceptance. The Narrator defines which are going to be combat or non-combat scenes; there is always 1 combat scene and 1 non-combat scene, minimum. A scene ends when the Heroes have failed twice or succeeded five times. The Narrator determines which of the Hero's actions are challenging. Challenging Combat Actions are Unity checks. Challenging Non-Combat Actions are one of Technical, Physical or Mental checks.

 

Checks:

 

Both Narrator and Hero roll a number of d6s equal to the required stat. If at least one result between Narrator and Hero matches, the Hero succeeds; if the Hero succeeds more than once, one of their Technical, Physical or Mental stats improves by 1, Hero's choice. Otherwise, the Hero fails.

List a number of Reagents equal to 2/3 the number of players, ideally randomizing them somehow.

Each player distributes 12 points across Observation, Deduction, and Credibility and chooses a secret goal.

Decide on a turn order.

On each player's turn they choose one:

• Synthesize: Choose some ingredients. The previous player in order writes a description of what compound these make. Everyone else, in ascending order of Observation, may add, remove, or replace one word from the description.
• Hypothesize: Choose a Reagent that has been used to Synthesize. Write what it contributes to compounds. Each player secretly casts a number of yes-or-no votes equal to their Deduction. If the yes votes are higher, the hypothesis is accepted.
• Antagonize: Name two contradictory established facts. Any player may explain how they're compatible. If no explanation satisfies the challenger, those facts' writers each roll 1d6, adding their Credibility. The active player writes a fact replacing the one written by the player with the lower total.

Once all ingredients have hypotheses, turns can be skipped. If all players consecutively skip, the game ends.

Each player who explains how a compound achieves their goal wins; if it was never synthesized experimentally they win more.

The heroes are doomed. How long can they hold out?

Each player starts with six Protection. Everyone works together to describe the situation and why they can't win.

One player rolls a number of six sided dice equal to the number of players to make the first problem. Higher sums are worse problems. Then, everyone describes what happened and why they're in worse trouble suddenly.

To solve the problem, each player rolls a d6. If the sum of the dice is at least the same as the problem, they manage to survive that problem without any losses. If the sum isn't high enough, any player may sacrifice a point of Protection to add another die and say what they're risking. As many points as necessary can be spent, but if you spend your last point your character dies after their contribution. The problem is defeated once the dice sum equals the sum of the problem's dice.

The next problem is rolled with one more die than the last problem, the problem after that has two more, and so on. If any characters are dead, they don't get to make any rolls to beat the problem. Play until everyone is dead.

In this world, feelings become facts. If you learn to whisper the Truths within your heart to the core of the world, it will listen. They will call you a Mage.

Take a moment to think of what kind of Mage you are. Imagine what you look like and where you came from.

On a piece of paper, give yourself a name and write down 4 colors: Crimson, Amber, Jade, Azure

Pick 6 prompts at random from the list below and write them down.

• Childhood Dreams
• Earliest Memory
• Nickname Origin
• Parents/Caretakers
• Bad Habits
• Current Lifestyle
• Primary Motivation
• Typical Afternoon
• Favorite Person
• Embarrassing Secret
• Hidden Talent
• Uncharacteristic Hobby
• Afterlife Speculation
• Biggest Regret
• Darkest Deed
• One Wish

Answer them. For each prompt, mark 1-2 colors you felt were relevant to the memory you unearthed: Crimson for anger and defensiveness, Amber for anxiety and loneliness, Jade for joy and camaraderie, Azure for grief and nostalgia.

Every 2 points you have for a color, come up with a Truth you've realized along the way. Describe the Truth's form and power.

Crimson corrodes: Curses, Flames, Poison
Amber cries out: Flesh, Instinct, Storms
Jade nurtures life: Flowers, Growth, Mending
Azure remembers: Illusions, Stasis, Undeath

Finally, fold the paper into a square and write down the 5th color: Ivory. Write down your mundane hopes. You are a Mage, but you are “human”. Then, let yourself rest.

Supplies: Notecards, multiple colors of d6 and markers, a token for each timewarrior

One player is the Timekeeper, who describes a forthcoming catastrophe and objects or people crucial to it. Assign each a die color.

The others are Timewarriors, who must stop the catastrophe. They each have a stopwatch with six charges.

Each round is represented by one notecard. Place all timewarrior tokens. For each color: Mark a 3 and place a die on 3. A second notecard represents the future. Each Timewarrior must:

Act. Try to prevent the catastrophe. Move one die to the future modified by 1d6-4. If it would reduce to zero, that thing's role is resolved. Remove the die.

or

Time Jump. Spend one charge to move your token to any notecard, taking up to one die with you. If you would travel to an inactive card, instead make an active copy, a new timeline. Move there instead.

Then the Timekeeper advances time. Increase all unmoved dice by 1 and move them to the future. Note each die value. Set out new future cards unless any die is at 6. That timeline is lost. Play until one timeline has no dice or all are lost.

The residents of Fantasylandia have decided to build a rocket. How hard can it be?

Setup
Draw five squares in a line on a sheet of paper—label one end “Bottom” and the other “Top”. These represent the Rocket's five slots.

Play
Choose a random player as the Engineer.

The Engineer rolls two d6s. The first describes the type of their component, the second what role it fills. Describe what you've built (e.g. infernal aerodynamics)

Type
1: Magical
2: Natural
3: Infernal
4: Divine
5: Bestial
6: Ancient

Role
1: Fuel
2: Navigation
3: Plating
4: Engine
5: Aerodynamics
6: Life Support

The player to the Engineer's left is the Installation Wizard. Write this new component in the Rocket's next square, then roll a d12. Narrate the outcome.

1-2: Catastrophic Failure: Immediate unplanned disassembly. Remove the current piece and the piece below it from the Rocket.
3-6: Regular Failure: Turns out, rockets don't work like that. Remove the current piece from the Rocket.
7-12: Success: It fits! (On a 12, the component becomes Perfect, and cannot be removed from the Rocket even on a Catastrophic Failure)

The Engineer's role passes to the right.

Repeat until all five Rocket slots are filled.

The Chosen One, Hiro, has just died in a ridiculous accident. You, his party, must somehow save the world without him.

SETUP:

Playing cards represent problems:

Hearts: Hero's Friends (love interest becomes suspicious, etc)
Diamonds: Hero's Influence (elves refuse to negotiate with anyone but Hiro, etc)
Clubs: Hero's Body (the corpse is obviously damaged, etc)
Spades: Hero's Enemies (monsters only Hiro can defeat, etc)

Start with two problems, the Queen of Spades (Dark Lord) and a random card. Shuffle the rest of the deck and place it face-down.

PLAY:

Choose a problem. You can't choose the Dark Lord if there's any other problems. Brainstorm a way to solve it, then draw two cards.

For each card:
if its face value is higher than the problem's (10 < J < Q < K), it's a success; discard the card.
otherwise, things get worse; the card becomes a new problem.

If there were any successes, discard the problem. Narrate the outcome accordingly, then repeat.

ENDING:

If you defeat the Dark Lord, you win!

If all 4 Kings are discarded, you get eaten by monsters.

If you have more than 5 unsolved problems, Hiro's death becomes public knowledge. Without a Hero, the world falls into chaos.

a game for one or more players

Once, you were a normal HOUSEHOLD OBJECT. Now, you are a PRISONER IN THE WASHING MACHINE.

WHAT ARE YOU?
Consider the last item you put in the laundry. Then, ask: What is its opposite? This is you, and you're in the wash, drenched, soaked, tossed by the powers of circular motion.

WHAT WAS YOUR CRIME?
Roll on the table below for the transgression that had you thrown into the LAUNDRY BASKET:
1 - Dirty
2 - Stained
3 - Soaked
4 - Contaminated
5 - Corrupted
6 - Necrotic

If you have fellow captives, get to know them. Share your story. If you are so dangerous as to be imprisoned alone, narrate your sorrows to the unfeeling water and soap.

Make friends, or pretend to.

WHAT BECOMES OF YOU?
Your stay in the WASHING MACHINE has come to a jarring end. Roll on the table below for your final fate:
1 - Clean and put back in place
2 - Clean and forgotten in the laundry basket
3 - Thrift store or sidewalk
4 - The dump
5 - Hazardous waste disposal
6 - Back in the washing machine

Say farewell to any friends you had, narrate your new reality, and decide whether one day you'll be consigned again to the WASH.

Requires 3+ players and a deck of cards.

A wealthy gambler has died, and left their lucky deck to “their family.” Except, they didn't say how they should cut the cards, and everyone wants that luck.

Start by dealing 3 cards to each player. On each round, one player is the Executor and the rest are Relatives. The Executor reveals a card from the deck, and each Relative explains why it “fits with” the cards they have. Once all Relatives have spoken, the Executor chooses the most convincing Relative to win the card. Then, the player to their left becomes the Executor and a new round begins.

The player with the most cards from the gambler's lucky deck at the end of the game is the winner.

Variations

• Relatives must argue based on any 3 cards they choose from their starting and won cards.
• Rather than a standard 52-card deck, use another game's cards.
• Cursed cards! Relatives must argue why another player is much more deserving of each card; the winner is whoever has the least cards.

A 200 word RPG for three or more players

Materials:

At least two fortune telling decks where cards can be inverted.

Character Creation:

Imagine a wizard, and describe them to the table. Name them if you choose. Whatever their form, they must be mortal, tangible, and a discrete object.

How To Duel:

The first player is chosen randomly. The player to their right will be their opponent, and to their left is the judge. These roles pass to the right each round.

Dueling wizards draw three cards each, but keep them secret. They may choose to Invert any number of cards: upright cards affect the caster, inverted cards affect the opponent. Once inversions are decided, reveal cards one at a time, starting with the player.

Decide how each card's meaning is realized within the narrative, and argue for your victory. The judge determines which wizard is the winner of the duel.

Boons

A wizard who meets a boon's requirement may draw an extra card. Boons are declared before a duel begins.

Theme Mage

Every spell's description must match a pre-set theme, like Fire or Necromancy.

Evoker

Every card must be played inverted.

Abjurer

Cards cannot be inverted.

Wild Mage

Cards from Boons are drawn face-down.

For 2-4 players.

You are rival wizards competing for some goal. Everyone starts with 20 points, representing HP, mana, treasure, etc.

First, as a group, brainstorm words for each of the following categories. The more specific the better.

How: the method of delivering a spell.
What: the effect or element of the spell.
Who: the spell's target.

Write down your favorite 6 words for each category in numbered lists. The sample lists below can be used for a faster game.

How

1. Aura
2. Beam
3. Circle
4. Field
5. Missile
6. Punch

What

1. Fire
2. Hypnosis
3. Ice
4. Lightning
5. Poison
6. Skeleton

Who

1. Animal
2. Person
3. Plant
4. Self
5. Wand
6. Weather

The oldest player starts, and turns proceed counter-clockwise. On your turn, roll 2d6 and choose the corresponding word from any two of the three lists.

These two words in any configuration are your spell. The sum of the two dice can be added to your points or subtracted from an opponent's. Describe what your spell looks like and justify its effects.

If you rolled doubles of any number, choose one list that all players are banned from using for that many turns.

If you reach 0 points, you are eliminated. Continue until one wizard is left standing!

For: 2-4 players
Supplies: D8, Notes

Each player chooses one character to play as, with each character having different color requirements to win the game.

• Blurple: Blue, Violet
• Ultravi: Magenta. CYan
• Arboreal: Yellow, Green
• Flambe: Red, Koal

Turn Structure

On their turn, players can choose to do one of the following:

World-Hop: Player rolls a D8. Their rolls determines which planet they hop to. Each has a different color the player can obtain.

1. Fiera: Red
2. Dayglo: Magenta
3. Wheaton: Yellow
4. Verdia: Green
5. Aquis: Blue
6. Skiel: Cyan
7. L'appel: Violet
8. Charbri: Koal

Collect Color: Players can use their turn to gather some of the planet's color, even if it doesn't fill their objective.

Palette-Swap: If two players are on the same planet, they can choose to swap colors during either of their turns. Both players must agree to the trade. Colors cannot be given away, only traded.

On their first turn of the game, players MUST choose to planet hop.

Once a player has their character's colors, they win the game! If a palette-swap causes two players to complete their colors at the same time, they both win!

This game is for one player only, where you play one of many psychopomps. To play you will require a six-sided die, eight-sided die, ten-sided die, and a twelve-sided die.

At character creation, write down three stats: Admin, RIP, and Scythe. Lower stats are better. Assign a 6 to two stats, and an 8 to the final stat.

After character creation ends, you immediately enter your choice of one of three phases. Each phase is associated with a stat. You start each phrase by describing the problem that is giving you trouble in that phase, that problem being more complex and strange the higher the associated stat's number. You then roll a die whose number of sides is equal to that stat's number. If you roll 4 or lower, you describe how you succeed in solving the problem, then move on.the next phase. If you roll a 5 or higher, describe how you fail to solve the problem, increase the next phase's associated stat by 2, then go on to the next phase, unless you have a stat higher than 12, in which case you describe how you are destroyed, ending the game.

Reaping phase's stat is Scythe, the problem is something keeping you from reaping a person, and the next phase is Paperwork.

Paperwork phase's stat is Admin, the problem is some bureaucratic nonsense, and the next phase is Relaxation.

Relaxation phase's stat is RIP, the problem is something keeping you from relaxing, and the next phase is Reaping.