Thank you so much for this game! I am looking forward to introducing it to others at a convention this weekend and have compiled a little cheat sheet that I wanted to share here:
The lessons learned are just my impressions from my first round and listening to you and Jeff Stormer, yet I still hope it’s a piece of fan art that can be useful for other people as well.
It was a blast and fireworks of creativity! The five of us were really hyped to play the game (I was the only one who had) and after Pillar generation I could already tell that this would turn out great. It got even better in play - and funnier than I had thought it would be (might’ve also been because of a good safety tools discussion).
We had all playbooks in use and the conflicts between the different “heroes” really supercharged the whole thing. The Paragon and the Hardline in particular really stepped on each others toes all the time, while the rest of us had strong internal conflicts. The Contrite had a hilarious double life going on as a public intellectual and a brawler by night, until cold, hard logic got in his way again. The Detached was really quite alien and kept people at a distance just by being from a fire planet. The Heir struggled with her morals and slowly drifted away from taking on the Paragon’s mantle towards the Hardline and their methods.
Throughout we really enjoyed the breakdown mechanics and the destructive moves, but I am glad to also have reminded people about them multiple times; they might not have come up quite as much in a one-shot otherwise and really paid off. Do you personally consider it more of a one-shot game?
Additionally, dividing up the main responsibility in a Belonging Outside Belonging way also worked very well for us, perhaps a little less so for the enigma. That got the whole story going but was not very present otherwise, also since the player felt she did not want to enforce her vision of the plot on the rest of us. Have you seen that more often or is it even intentional?
As a whole, we were really thrilled and a couple of the players or their friends already bought the game afterwards. We did wonder whether it’s generally a game that requires a bit of story game/RPG experience since some of it is quite open to interpretation and the double roles of mask and pillars require a good feeling for tension and arcs. For this con (3W6 Con) where people have played a lot already, that made for an outstanding game. In true Watchmen-style, I could however imagine a play example or ideas to consider as a book-fragment tacked on at the end, should you ever wish to update it.
If you’d like to know more about any aspect, just let me know! Thanks again for the game.
I've honestly not heard many stories from people playing the game, so it's really nice to hear! I'm really glad everyone had a nice time and got to explore some interesting character dynamics.
To answer your questions:
No, I don't see it as more of a one-shot game or a campaign game. I designed it for both. The game was initially conceptualized for a campaign though.
I've never seen that happen with the Enigma, but I think it's honestly fine that it went that way. Your table decides what comes up in your story more often, and I really love that about the system.
In response to this game requiring RPG experience, I don't think that's necessarily true but it certainly helps a lot. I think it depends on the person though. Experience with the genre helps, but so does just analyzing the game itself. There are a lot of paths to understanding.
Thanks again for all this! I'm so glad this game is being played at cons, it's really awesome.
Hi!! I'm finally answering this after 5 months, so sorry for the wait!
1. I think either way is perfectly valid. When I was personally playing the game, I'm pretty sure it was usually before rolling, but we probably made a few exceptions. It all depends on how unforgiving you want the game to feel.
2. Yes! Conditions should affect destructive moves. If they didn't, then you could end up with a character that just doesn't interact with that system anymore.
Hey, hope you don't mind me asking, but I just bought a physical copy. I can provide a reciept. But that only comes with a PDF of the book and not the sheets. Can I get access here to see the sheets too? I can send proof of purchase...somehow. Not sure if you can DM on Itch, actually.
thank you so much for the community copy. I’m a disabled pensioner so really appreciate when generous creators make their hard work available to those who can’t afford it
Hi, I read your game and I think it's really cool, simple and elegant. Have you ever tried playing it with a single master who uses all the pillars? Do you recommend it? Regarding the move "Looking for Answers" the text says "search for ways to stop what is coming", what does that mean exactly? Does searching a crime scene for clues or questioning a suspect match the description?
Playing with a game master is something I've done plenty, and I'd definitely recommend it if that's what works for your group. A good in-between would maybe be keeping the Pillars open for anyone to use, but primarily still used by a GM.
As with a lot of things in the game, I like to leave meanings up to interpretation. The idea of "stopping what's coming" ties to the sense of dread from The Doom pillar, but it's not necessarily always directly tied to it. All that line really implies is that it's tied to the overall mystery.
The specifics of what you're trying to do with the move is what matters though. If you are searching a crime scene, Look for Answers could for sure work, but you could also have a pillar make a move (Like The Enigma's "Reveal the future, subtly or directly"). Questioning a suspect also works for Look for Answers, but you could also Manipulate Someone.
Ok, will be honest here. Claimed community copy a few weeks ago but only recently read through this little pdf. I feel this is the perfect superhero game. Not power fantasy but actually like psychological exercise on how freaking horrible to be one is. Yes it wears on its sleeve the main inspiration “Watchmen” but I’m pretty sure you can play any tragedy with capes in it. The only confusing and critical part for me is Relationships questions. First, they aren’t explained at all. Second, they feel restrictive especially it feels bad for Paragon question to Heir and Detached question to Hardline which forces this pairs to play specific scenario I feel. I might be wrong be free to correct me, but overall big thumbs up from Cape, Cowl and Spandex enjoyer.
I can't wait to play this. One question, are the choices for the pillars made once for the game? Or do you make the choices anew each time that pillar is used?
The choices you make in the Pillars are essentially world/story building. I've never played with these aspects changing, but I see no reason for them to always be stagnant. If your story builds to something fundamental undergoing change, then go for it! Hope this helps!
Hi, about the pillars, the text says at one point “one master may carry them all”. Did you mean that in a traditional sense? It's not a critic, but I found that weird, since the game is presented as "GMless" without mention of a "GM Mode".
Yeah! I ended up playing the game as a GM and solo during some playtests, so I figured I'd hint at the possibility. No specific rules for those modes of play at the moment though.
Fantastic game, with one of the more compelling implementation of the PbtA framework. Also, the layout is amazing and brings the whole atmosphere to life. Highly recommended
great questions!!! this game was designed with various interpretations in mind, so I'm not going to fully answer every question, just provide some extra context.
1. I wouldn't necessarily say it has to be extra information. it absolutely can be extra, but this option could act as context to your 7+ option. More information doesn't always mean the information is helpful or good. An uncomfortable truth should be uncomfortable.
2. This isn't explained on purpose, do what feels right to you. I will say one thing though. Just because something is phrased as a fact doesn't mean you can't disagree with it.
3. This also isn't explained on purpose. Just know that there is always a price The Contrite has to pay.
4. Pillar Moves can be used in many contexts, they don't always have to be negative. If you want to use this move in a negative context, then maybe explore the ways an ally can make the conflict between Masks and Authorities even more complex.
5. Institutions, Social Constructs, Laws, Authorities.
If the information is not helpful, then it is the same as if I had rolled a 10+. No information is ever bad. Imagine I was running into a trap. Falling into a trap is bad, but the knowledge of it is not bad, as I have a bigger picture of the situation to come up with a solution. The last sentence is a circular argument.
I don’t know cause depending on which approach is taken the Destructive Moves become better (in the sense that I get more chances to succeed), worse, or equal to the default moves. On the first the players are “tempted by the dark side” as it gives more power, on the second the players go on a negative character arc as they accumulate Destructive Moves, and on the third there is a re-flavored of the approach of character and it’s personality as it is forced to take those moves over time.
The concept of the Contrite isn’t clear enough for me to understand what happens if the price is not paid, nor if the elements of the list are what the character should maintain to be a superhero or what they have to put aside to be one.
In Star Wars episode 4 Luke Skywalker gets more information about his father, and knowing is helpful in guiding his decisions in later movies, but a certain detail about his father makes him uncomfortable.
In Watchmen, Nightowl and Rorschach discover the location of a certain event, but some of the details (the timing for Nightowl, the moral ambiguity for Rorschach) make them uncomfortable.
I would like to buy this as a gift... is it possible to arrange things so that I send the money and you (the author) send the pdf to an email I provide? (I do not think that my friend has an itch.io account).
so sorry if I'm answering this too late (I assume you were planning on a gift for the holidays). but if you still want to gift this to someone at some point, physical copies will be available later this year. I figured that might be a better way to gift the game. when that happens, I'll be sending out an email to people who already own the game. Also, community copies will always be available!
Oh I knew one day someone would make a game like this, but this is so much better than I could have ever imagined it. I don't even like PbtA but I'll certainly give this a good read and try to play it.
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Hi there,
Thank you so much for this game! I am looking forward to introducing it to others at a convention this weekend and have compiled a little cheat sheet that I wanted to share here:
The lessons learned are just my impressions from my first round and listening to you and Jeff Stormer, yet I still hope it’s a piece of fan art that can be useful for other people as well.
oh wow this is sick as hell. really cool way to distill the game into just a page. I hope the convention goes well!!
Thank you so much, glad to hear you like it, that means a lot! The con is tomorrow afternoon European time and I’ll see what I can share afterwards.
I'm excited to hear how it went!!
It was a blast and fireworks of creativity! The five of us were really hyped to play the game (I was the only one who had) and after Pillar generation I could already tell that this would turn out great. It got even better in play - and funnier than I had thought it would be (might’ve also been because of a good safety tools discussion).
We had all playbooks in use and the conflicts between the different “heroes” really supercharged the whole thing. The Paragon and the Hardline in particular really stepped on each others toes all the time, while the rest of us had strong internal conflicts. The Contrite had a hilarious double life going on as a public intellectual and a brawler by night, until cold, hard logic got in his way again. The Detached was really quite alien and kept people at a distance just by being from a fire planet. The Heir struggled with her morals and slowly drifted away from taking on the Paragon’s mantle towards the Hardline and their methods.
Throughout we really enjoyed the breakdown mechanics and the destructive moves, but I am glad to also have reminded people about them multiple times; they might not have come up quite as much in a one-shot otherwise and really paid off. Do you personally consider it more of a one-shot game?
Additionally, dividing up the main responsibility in a Belonging Outside Belonging way also worked very well for us, perhaps a little less so for the enigma. That got the whole story going but was not very present otherwise, also since the player felt she did not want to enforce her vision of the plot on the rest of us. Have you seen that more often or is it even intentional?
As a whole, we were really thrilled and a couple of the players or their friends already bought the game afterwards. We did wonder whether it’s generally a game that requires a bit of story game/RPG experience since some of it is quite open to interpretation and the double roles of mask and pillars require a good feeling for tension and arcs. For this con (3W6 Con) where people have played a lot already, that made for an outstanding game. In true Watchmen-style, I could however imagine a play example or ideas to consider as a book-fragment tacked on at the end, should you ever wish to update it.
If you’d like to know more about any aspect, just let me know! Thanks again for the game.
Really loved reading this, thanks for sharing!
I've honestly not heard many stories from people playing the game, so it's really nice to hear! I'm really glad everyone had a nice time and got to explore some interesting character dynamics.
To answer your questions:
No, I don't see it as more of a one-shot game or a campaign game. I designed it for both. The game was initially conceptualized for a campaign though.
I've never seen that happen with the Enigma, but I think it's honestly fine that it went that way. Your table decides what comes up in your story more often, and I really love that about the system.
In response to this game requiring RPG experience, I don't think that's necessarily true but it certainly helps a lot. I think it depends on the person though. Experience with the genre helps, but so does just analyzing the game itself. There are a lot of paths to understanding.
Thanks again for all this! I'm so glad this game is being played at cons, it's really awesome.
Reading through the Destructive Moves hit me with the griminess and terribleness of all of them, 10/10
Hello! Thanks for your game. I have a few questions:
1. Do Tokens have to be spent before rolling the dice, or can they be spent afterward?
2. Do Conditions only affect Mask Moves or also the Destructive Moves that replace them?
3. What's the dynamic of a gameplay? What's the dynamic of making Masks and Pillars?
If you ever need a Spanish translation, please contact me!
Hi!! I'm finally answering this after 5 months, so sorry for the wait!
1. I think either way is perfectly valid. When I was personally playing the game, I'm pretty sure it was usually before rolling, but we probably made a few exceptions. It all depends on how unforgiving you want the game to feel.
2. Yes! Conditions should affect destructive moves. If they didn't, then you could end up with a character that just doesn't interact with that system anymore.
3. Sorry, I'm not sure what you mean by this.
I mean what a game session is like, and how masks and pillars are made.
Hey, hope you don't mind me asking, but I just bought a physical copy. I can provide a reciept. But that only comes with a PDF of the book and not the sheets. Can I get access here to see the sheets too? I can send proof of purchase...somehow. Not sure if you can DM on Itch, actually.
Oh, I know! My order # is POE-6900
you can just claim a community copy! I always make sure to keep them stocked so anyone can have em!
thank you so much for the community copy. I’m a disabled pensioner so really appreciate when generous creators make their hard work available to those who can’t afford it
This game is so great, so glad I got a physical copy. It would be nice to have some printable playbooks that aren't so heavy on the black ink though.
just added some greyscale sheets! hope it helps!
Hi, I read your game and I think it's really cool, simple and elegant. Have you ever tried playing it with a single master who uses all the pillars? Do you recommend it?
Regarding the move "Looking for Answers" the text says "search for ways to stop what is coming", what does that mean exactly? Does searching a crime scene for clues or questioning a suspect match the description?
Hello!! Thank you for the kind words!
Playing with a game master is something I've done plenty, and I'd definitely recommend it if that's what works for your group. A good in-between would maybe be keeping the Pillars open for anyone to use, but primarily still used by a GM.
As with a lot of things in the game, I like to leave meanings up to interpretation. The idea of "stopping what's coming" ties to the sense of dread from The Doom pillar, but it's not necessarily always directly tied to it. All that line really implies is that it's tied to the overall mystery.
The specifics of what you're trying to do with the move is what matters though. If you are searching a crime scene, Look for Answers could for sure work, but you could also have a pillar make a move (Like The Enigma's "Reveal the future, subtly or directly"). Questioning a suspect also works for Look for Answers, but you could also Manipulate Someone.
I hope that helps!
Ok, will be honest here. Claimed community copy a few weeks ago but only recently read through this little pdf. I feel this is the perfect superhero game. Not power fantasy but actually like psychological exercise on how freaking horrible to be one is. Yes it wears on its sleeve the main inspiration “Watchmen” but I’m pretty sure you can play any tragedy with capes in it. The only confusing and critical part for me is Relationships questions. First, they aren’t explained at all. Second, they feel restrictive especially it feels bad for Paragon question to Heir and Detached question to Hardline which forces this pairs to play specific scenario I feel. I might be wrong be free to correct me, but overall big thumbs up from Cape, Cowl and Spandex enjoyer.
I can't wait to play this. One question, are the choices for the pillars made once for the game? Or do you make the choices anew each time that pillar is used?
The choices you make in the Pillars are essentially world/story building. I've never played with these aspects changing, but I see no reason for them to always be stagnant. If your story builds to something fundamental undergoing change, then go for it! Hope this helps!
This game is so cool! Do you have any idea when physical copies will be available??
Around spring! I'll of course update this page and send out an email about it when we're closer to release.
Hi, about the pillars, the text says at one point “one master may carry them all”. Did you mean that in a traditional sense? It's not a critic, but I found that weird, since the game is presented as "GMless" without mention of a "GM Mode".
Yeah! I ended up playing the game as a GM and solo during some playtests, so I figured I'd hint at the possibility. No specific rules for those modes of play at the moment though.
Fantastic game, with one of the more compelling implementation of the PbtA framework. Also, the layout is amazing and brings the whole atmosphere to life. Highly recommended
Good read. I have a few questions:
From the move Look From Answers, how is the “You unveil an uncomfortable truth.” a bad thing? It’s extra information.
For Destructive Moves, are the statements below each questions an automatic +1, nothing, or a question (+1 or nothing) too?
From the Contrite what does the “What will this cost you?” mean?
How is the Authorities move “Introduce an ally” a bad thing?
What even is a “system of power”?
great questions!!! this game was designed with various interpretations in mind, so I'm not going to fully answer every question, just provide some extra context.
1. I wouldn't necessarily say it has to be extra information. it absolutely can be extra, but this option could act as context to your 7+ option. More information doesn't always mean the information is helpful or good. An uncomfortable truth should be uncomfortable.
2. This isn't explained on purpose, do what feels right to you. I will say one thing though. Just because something is phrased as a fact doesn't mean you can't disagree with it.
3. This also isn't explained on purpose. Just know that there is always a price The Contrite has to pay.
4. Pillar Moves can be used in many contexts, they don't always have to be negative. If you want to use this move in a negative context, then maybe explore the ways an ally can make the conflict between Masks and Authorities even more complex.
5. Institutions, Social Constructs, Laws, Authorities.
Thanks for the repply.
If the information is not helpful, then it is the same as if I had rolled a 10+. No information is ever bad. Imagine I was running into a trap. Falling into a trap is bad, but the knowledge of it is not bad, as I have a bigger picture of the situation to come up with a solution. The last sentence is a circular argument.
I don’t know cause depending on which approach is taken the Destructive Moves become better (in the sense that I get more chances to succeed), worse, or equal to the default moves. On the first the players are “tempted by the dark side” as it gives more power, on the second the players go on a negative character arc as they accumulate Destructive Moves, and on the third there is a re-flavored of the approach of character and it’s personality as it is forced to take those moves over time.
The concept of the Contrite isn’t clear enough for me to understand what happens if the price is not paid, nor if the elements of the list are what the character should maintain to be a superhero or what they have to put aside to be one.
Ok, got it.
Ok.
In Star Wars episode 4 Luke Skywalker gets more information about his father, and knowing is helpful in guiding his decisions in later movies, but a certain detail about his father makes him uncomfortable.
In Watchmen, Nightowl and Rorschach discover the location of a certain event, but some of the details (the timing for Nightowl, the moral ambiguity for Rorschach) make them uncomfortable.
I would like to buy this as a gift... is it possible to arrange things so that I send the money and you (the author) send the pdf to an email I provide? (I do not think that my friend has an itch.io account).
so sorry if I'm answering this too late (I assume you were planning on a gift for the holidays). but if you still want to gift this to someone at some point, physical copies will be available later this year. I figured that might be a better way to gift the game. when that happens, I'll be sending out an email to people who already own the game. Also, community copies will always be available!
any idea where the physical copies will appear? Don't want to miss out!
you can get them here!
Oh I knew one day someone would make a game like this, but this is so much better than I could have ever imagined it. I don't even like PbtA but I'll certainly give this a good read and try to play it.
This game seems really cool! I can't wait to fully dive into it!
can it be played solo
it's not specifically designed for it, but you can absolutely play it solo!
Thanks!