RPGaDAY 2024 Prompt: Day 5 – An RPG with Great Writing
I’m on the mend from some major oral surgery, so there’s no table talk this week. If you’d like to read up on my dental ordeal, you can get over to the substack newsletter right here: The North Texas Apocalypse Bunker Weekly Report.
Otherwise, I’m going to take one of the prompts from the 2024 RPGaDAY blog challenge and write about it instead, because my jaw pain and stamina are still at odds. Just to spice it up, I’m going to do a Top 5 for this. Criteria: clear rules, interesting hooks, well-communicated, on theme. These are all components of a well-written role-playing game.
5. Over the Edge
This one is eerily prescient in 2024, but in the 1990s, it was high concept stuff. The game takes place on a fictional island unto itself in the Mediterranean and plays host to any, and indeed, every, major or minor conspiracy theory, plot, fringe concept, and redacted rumor in the 20th century. The setting was arresting; it was hard for me to get through a reading, because I kept putting the book down to think about what I had just read. An incredible sandbox campaign, somewhat hampered by (at the time) radical departures from industry-standard game design, which now looks like it was very ahead of the curve. I see factions of Control whenever I’m online these days. I wonder what that’s all about…
4. Ghostbusters
Most of West End Games’ licensed games were done in the whole style of whatever they were working with. It started with this game, wherein players are introduced to How to Play by reading the script from the key characters in the movie, and the dialogue wasn’t that bad, either. The whole conceit of the game is that you’re now part of the franchise, so let’s get you up to speed, buster. The rules and the accessories were all very immersive. Bonus! It looks like the d6 system is making a comeback, and this is going to be my go-to for one-off games at cons and so forth because of its ease of play, and also because it’s great for cinematic style action games.
3. Forbidden Lands
Free League is one of the industry darlings at the moment for good reason. They make great looking, great playing games, period. Forbidden Lands is a fantastic all-in-one sword and sorcery sandbox without being grimdark that makes every familiar idea or concept just a little bit weird, a little dark, a little spooky. There’s a ton of interesting ideas buried in the rules, which are clear and easy to read. This is one of the better games that shows how a little extra flavor makes for a much more interesting campaign setting. (*cough*ForgottenRealms*cough*)
2. Paranoia
I love this game. Another winner from West End wherein the game’s language clearly speaks and informs the unique setting. There’s a certain tone that one has to have when playing a game like Paranoia, and the rules demonstrate that tone throughout.
1. Call of Cthulhu
This almost feels like a cheat, because the game is based on a literary property to begin with, and that language and setting demand a more literary approach. However, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention it, because I honestly think the new Call of Cthulhu Starter Set is the best intro to a game I’ve ever seen. It highlights all of the game’s strengths and gets you in the right head space without overwhelming you. This boxed set is the new gold standard.