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Apocalypse World
Something's wrong with the world and I don't know what it is.
It used to be better, of course it did. In the golden age of legend, when there was enough to eat and enough hope, when there was one nation under god and people could lift their eyes and see beyond the horizon, beyond the day. Children were born happy and grew up rich.
Now that's not what we've got. Now we've got this. Hardholders stand against the screaming elements and all comers, keeping safe as many as they can. Angels and savvyheads run constant battle against there's not enough and bullets fly and everything breaks. Hocuses gather people around them, and are they protectors, saviors, visionaries, or just wishful thinkers? Choppers, gunluggers and battlebabes carve out what they can and defend it with blood and bullets. Drivers and operators search and scavenge, looking for that opportunity, that one perfect chance. Skinners remember beauty, or invent beauty anew, cup it in their hands and whisper come and see, and don't worry now about what it will cost you. And brainers, oh, brainers see what none of the rest of us will: the world's psychic maelstrom, the terrible desperation and hate pressing in at the edge of all perception, it is the world now.
And you, who are you? This is what we've got, yes. What are you going to make of it?
It used to be better, of course it did. In the golden age of legend, when there was enough to eat and enough hope, when there was one nation under god and people could lift their eyes and see beyond the horizon, beyond the day. Children were born happy and grew up rich.
Now that's not what we've got. Now we've got this. Hardholders stand against the screaming elements and all comers, keeping safe as many as they can. Angels and savvyheads run constant battle against there's not enough and bullets fly and everything breaks. Hocuses gather people around them, and are they protectors, saviors, visionaries, or just wishful thinkers? Choppers, gunluggers and battlebabes carve out what they can and defend it with blood and bullets. Drivers and operators search and scavenge, looking for that opportunity, that one perfect chance. Skinners remember beauty, or invent beauty anew, cup it in their hands and whisper come and see, and don't worry now about what it will cost you. And brainers, oh, brainers see what none of the rest of us will: the world's psychic maelstrom, the terrible desperation and hate pressing in at the edge of all perception, it is the world now.
And you, who are you? This is what we've got, yes. What are you going to make of it?
303 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2010
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
August 19, 2013
I've been developing some games and materials for other people's games, and that necessitates a lot of thinking about games--what works mechanically, what works narratively, what inspires, motivates, rewards players, etc.
So it's fantastic to read material from Vincent Baker, who writes his game books as if he were writing about games themselves--rules are given explanations and background, the people running the game are given guidelines and principles rather than a full system of rules, and the rules and principles of the game lay out the tone and theme admirably well.
Apocalypse World goes even further--not only do the rules themselves indicate the way players should interact with the game independent of their purely mechanical effects (something like D&D 3.5/pathfinder does this poorly, Polaris is perhaps the ne plus ultra in terms of this), but the very design, diction and tone of the rulebook itself lay out perfectly what players and MCs should expect to put into and get out of the game. It's truly a masterful piece of writing about gaming that doubles as a truly innovative game.
The game's rules are much "looser" than a standard "crunch game" like anything based on d20/OGL or (say) Warhammer, but not as loosey-goosey as many story games. What Baker has created here (more so, I would argue, than in Dogs in the Vineyard) is a happy medium where players can use the rules to narrative effect, rather than interpreting narrative effect via the rules.
Baker gets serious mileage out of his 10+/7-9/miss 2d6 mechanic, as he should. It's a fantastic mechanic that allows for a lot of flexibility on the part of the players as well as of the MC. Players have agency within their failure, occasionally--a really neat thing to do.
There are perhaps three common criticisms of Apoc World. One is that it's too story game. Well, tough shit. Not everything requires rolling a d20 against a chart to see what your character feels. And in any event, the rules can be played consistently and tightly enough to create a set of risks/rewards/expectations (without creating a mundane "status quo", which the game rightly disdains).
The second complaint comes from the "flavor" of the text--while I think it's very evocative of the spirit and tone of expected gameplay as well as a refreshing change from either attempts at in-jokes, neckbearded pretention or bland "these are the rules as clearly and as neutrally as I know how to present them" workmanship, there are others who don't care for in-universe writing, or find it grating, or think it's a cheesy affectation. I am pretty sensitive to bad writing and I think Baker did a fantastic job incorporating the "universe" of the game into the book. YMMV, I guess.
The third complaint comes from the inclusion of character-specific "sex moves", which implies (or at least places temporarily in the forefront) that the characters are allowed to have sex, and that players should think of their characters as sexual creatures. There's a notion that by including rules for something to happen, the game designer is encouraging that behavior. And here, Baker is definitely trying to create drama, especially drama that comes from deep relationships between characters. I think it's admirable and I can totally see why it would get pushback from traditional gamers--the level of discomfort (which I think is silly) aside, many gamers have intentionally avoided sex within their games, simply because the traditional sexual politics of tabletop gaming are terrible. Especially when you get that one creepy person determined to live out their weird fantasies. Baker uses some jiu jitsu to explicitly allow it to happen here, and in doing so opens the players up to consequences for those actions--a pretty neat trick. You can play the game without the rules for sex. Very easily. That said, the apocalypse has happened, humanity's going to have to repopulate. It'd be silly not to (plus the bonuses you get are good, plus it keeps your character's life from being boring, plus narrative should come before comfort outside of some very specific circumstances).
I will likely run a game of Apoc World, but I am not entirely certain who to recruit to play the game--even with the edgy "in your face" tone, the game does require a certain lack of ironic distance, which I think many potential players (especially male adult nerd gamers from Gen Y) might have trouble with. Not that this game should be ghettoized to yarn-wrapped MSWs who have no qualms about going on at length and in great detail about the feelings they are processing, but that the MC and players will have to make a conscious effort to play the rules to the hilt in order to maximize the value of the gameplay. And Apocalypse World certainly has a lot of value to offer.
Vincent Baker writes interesting games in a thoughtful, interesting manner and even if you never play them you will learn from them. This is probably the best of Baker's works that I've read (just started the Seclusium published by LotFP), though certainly not the last.
So it's fantastic to read material from Vincent Baker, who writes his game books as if he were writing about games themselves--rules are given explanations and background, the people running the game are given guidelines and principles rather than a full system of rules, and the rules and principles of the game lay out the tone and theme admirably well.
Apocalypse World goes even further--not only do the rules themselves indicate the way players should interact with the game independent of their purely mechanical effects (something like D&D 3.5/pathfinder does this poorly, Polaris is perhaps the ne plus ultra in terms of this), but the very design, diction and tone of the rulebook itself lay out perfectly what players and MCs should expect to put into and get out of the game. It's truly a masterful piece of writing about gaming that doubles as a truly innovative game.
The game's rules are much "looser" than a standard "crunch game" like anything based on d20/OGL or (say) Warhammer, but not as loosey-goosey as many story games. What Baker has created here (more so, I would argue, than in Dogs in the Vineyard) is a happy medium where players can use the rules to narrative effect, rather than interpreting narrative effect via the rules.
Baker gets serious mileage out of his 10+/7-9/miss 2d6 mechanic, as he should. It's a fantastic mechanic that allows for a lot of flexibility on the part of the players as well as of the MC. Players have agency within their failure, occasionally--a really neat thing to do.
There are perhaps three common criticisms of Apoc World. One is that it's too story game. Well, tough shit. Not everything requires rolling a d20 against a chart to see what your character feels. And in any event, the rules can be played consistently and tightly enough to create a set of risks/rewards/expectations (without creating a mundane "status quo", which the game rightly disdains).
The second complaint comes from the "flavor" of the text--while I think it's very evocative of the spirit and tone of expected gameplay as well as a refreshing change from either attempts at in-jokes, neckbearded pretention or bland "these are the rules as clearly and as neutrally as I know how to present them" workmanship, there are others who don't care for in-universe writing, or find it grating, or think it's a cheesy affectation. I am pretty sensitive to bad writing and I think Baker did a fantastic job incorporating the "universe" of the game into the book. YMMV, I guess.
The third complaint comes from the inclusion of character-specific "sex moves", which implies (or at least places temporarily in the forefront) that the characters are allowed to have sex, and that players should think of their characters as sexual creatures. There's a notion that by including rules for something to happen, the game designer is encouraging that behavior. And here, Baker is definitely trying to create drama, especially drama that comes from deep relationships between characters. I think it's admirable and I can totally see why it would get pushback from traditional gamers--the level of discomfort (which I think is silly) aside, many gamers have intentionally avoided sex within their games, simply because the traditional sexual politics of tabletop gaming are terrible. Especially when you get that one creepy person determined to live out their weird fantasies. Baker uses some jiu jitsu to explicitly allow it to happen here, and in doing so opens the players up to consequences for those actions--a pretty neat trick. You can play the game without the rules for sex. Very easily. That said, the apocalypse has happened, humanity's going to have to repopulate. It'd be silly not to (plus the bonuses you get are good, plus it keeps your character's life from being boring, plus narrative should come before comfort outside of some very specific circumstances).
I will likely run a game of Apoc World, but I am not entirely certain who to recruit to play the game--even with the edgy "in your face" tone, the game does require a certain lack of ironic distance, which I think many potential players (especially male adult nerd gamers from Gen Y) might have trouble with. Not that this game should be ghettoized to yarn-wrapped MSWs who have no qualms about going on at length and in great detail about the feelings they are processing, but that the MC and players will have to make a conscious effort to play the rules to the hilt in order to maximize the value of the gameplay. And Apocalypse World certainly has a lot of value to offer.
Vincent Baker writes interesting games in a thoughtful, interesting manner and even if you never play them you will learn from them. This is probably the best of Baker's works that I've read (just started the Seclusium published by LotFP), though certainly not the last.
March 22, 2011
When it comes to RPGs, I've always been a bit of a traditionalist. I grew up with D&D and to this day roleplaying brings to mind the Silver Marches of the Forgotten Realms and the blistering heat of the Anarauoch desert.
Over the years I've explored different rule-sets and settings but one thing has always remained constant; preparation. I've never been that good at improvisation and, like many, live in fear of sitting like a Roo in headlights with no idea what to do next.
So my first impression when I read these rules, particularly the part that said "DO NOT PREPARE ANYTHING", was "you gotta be kidding."
I finished reading the book though and I must say its got some fascinating ideas in it. The flavour text is well written with some nice classes and examples evoking all the grittiness of a post-apocalyptic setting. The rules were quite different than a regular GM would be used to as well, with the GM rarely (if ever) rolling dice, with all of that reserved instead for the players. All NPCs are named, but none have stats; so the full mechanical agency rests with the players, NPCs given narrative agency only.
By the time I got to the end of this book, I knew two things. 1) This was like no rpg I'd ever played and 2) I had to try it.
The book itself has nice production values, particularly for an independent PDF publication. It suffers a little from inconsistency as the same rules are sometimes presented in multiple places, with differences in wording that make one of the places far more clear. This can make it harder when searching for a ruling at the table. Some of the rules are also quite abstract and need several readings to understand what is being attempted (a few more examples wouldn't have gone astray.)
Overall, a well-thought-out and present core book, with plenty to interest the post-apocalyptic roleplayer. Even if you've never played improv before, give it a go. There are lots of little tools in the book to help you figure out how to do it; and they work excellently.
Over the years I've explored different rule-sets and settings but one thing has always remained constant; preparation. I've never been that good at improvisation and, like many, live in fear of sitting like a Roo in headlights with no idea what to do next.
So my first impression when I read these rules, particularly the part that said "DO NOT PREPARE ANYTHING", was "you gotta be kidding."
I finished reading the book though and I must say its got some fascinating ideas in it. The flavour text is well written with some nice classes and examples evoking all the grittiness of a post-apocalyptic setting. The rules were quite different than a regular GM would be used to as well, with the GM rarely (if ever) rolling dice, with all of that reserved instead for the players. All NPCs are named, but none have stats; so the full mechanical agency rests with the players, NPCs given narrative agency only.
By the time I got to the end of this book, I knew two things. 1) This was like no rpg I'd ever played and 2) I had to try it.
The book itself has nice production values, particularly for an independent PDF publication. It suffers a little from inconsistency as the same rules are sometimes presented in multiple places, with differences in wording that make one of the places far more clear. This can make it harder when searching for a ruling at the table. Some of the rules are also quite abstract and need several readings to understand what is being attempted (a few more examples wouldn't have gone astray.)
Overall, a well-thought-out and present core book, with plenty to interest the post-apocalyptic roleplayer. Even if you've never played improv before, give it a go. There are lots of little tools in the book to help you figure out how to do it; and they work excellently.
September 30, 2015
Juego de rol pensado para dirigir y jugar partidas de manera narrativa en un mundo que se ha ido al carajo, donde no hay agua, ni comida, ni combustible ni recursos de ningun tipo. Miento, en realidad si que hay algo que sobra balas y violencia.
La idea es buena y el sistema, una vez descifrado, parece sencillo. Pero desde luego la forma de escribir y las explicaciones son demasiado farragosas. De todas maneras lo recomiendo si te gustan las peliculas estilo el libro de Eli y, por supuesto, la saga de Mad Max.
La idea es buena y el sistema, una vez descifrado, parece sencillo. Pero desde luego la forma de escribir y las explicaciones son demasiado farragosas. De todas maneras lo recomiendo si te gustan las peliculas estilo el libro de Eli y, por supuesto, la saga de Mad Max.
April 29, 2018
Apocalypse World is not only a great game to play. It's also a very good read. It's entertaining, smooth, and well structured. The language brings the world to life, and I feel like this is something I can play.
It's no wonder that this is the game that launched a thousand hacks.
It's no wonder that this is the game that launched a thousand hacks.
August 24, 2018
Creo que es más sencillo empezar comentando qué me ha gustado de la lectura de este juego de rol y luego pasar a todo lo que no me gusta (no he podido jugar una partida de Apocalypse World aún).
Me gusta mucho que en algunos movimientos haya un listado de posibles preguntas para hacer, ya que me parecen evocadoras y pueden ayudar a ir perfilando a los personajes (PJ y PNJ por igual), añadiendo detalles y complicaciones a la trama, etc. Los relojes parecen molar mucho (en Blades in the Dark funcionan bastante bien). También me han gustado los ejemplos de juego, donde se ve bastante bien cómo funciona el sistema con varios personajes y situaciones (e incluso momentos donde se aplica mal un movimiento y por qué estaba mal). El puteo avanzado ha sido un capítulo bastante chulo (quizá porque los previos me aburrieron mucho) y la lista de bibliografía/filmografía me parece un básico en el rol que siempre se agradece (¿se habrá ampliado en la siguiente edición?).
No me gusta nada la ordenación del libro. Tengo la sensación de haber leído algunas cosas hasta tres veces (como los movimientos) y que algunas cosas se han explicado antes que otras que parecían más básicas (otro cambio que espero en la segunda edición). Tampoco soy una gran aficionada al estilo de Vicent Baker (imagino que los traductores no han alterado la forma de expresarse del autor) ya que siento que quiere ser provocativo y se queda en un "meh". Los libretos me parecen una forma muy rígida de hacer personajes, poco personalizables de verdad y dos personajes con un mismo libreto apenas tendrían cambios entre ellos. No entiendo el sentido de los movimientos sexuales (especialmente con la temática del juego) y por qué hay tanta variabilidad en si son útiles con PJ o PNJ o incluso si no pasa nada (como con la Zorra peligrosa, nombre que odio bastante, por cierto). Tampoco me entusiasma que la tirada tienda a ser un éxito parcial ni que el maestro de ceremonias solo pueda sacar cosas malas para los jugadores (y buenas para que la trama avance) dependiendo de los movimientos de los jugadores. Echo en falta algún tipo de recursos para afectar a una tirada ya realizada.
Lo dicho, aún así le daría una oportunidad al juego en mesa, más que nada por curiosidad (y porque me mola Mad Max y varias de las obras que nombra como inspiración).
Me gusta mucho que en algunos movimientos haya un listado de posibles preguntas para hacer, ya que me parecen evocadoras y pueden ayudar a ir perfilando a los personajes (PJ y PNJ por igual), añadiendo detalles y complicaciones a la trama, etc. Los relojes parecen molar mucho (en Blades in the Dark funcionan bastante bien). También me han gustado los ejemplos de juego, donde se ve bastante bien cómo funciona el sistema con varios personajes y situaciones (e incluso momentos donde se aplica mal un movimiento y por qué estaba mal). El puteo avanzado ha sido un capítulo bastante chulo (quizá porque los previos me aburrieron mucho) y la lista de bibliografía/filmografía me parece un básico en el rol que siempre se agradece (¿se habrá ampliado en la siguiente edición?).
No me gusta nada la ordenación del libro. Tengo la sensación de haber leído algunas cosas hasta tres veces (como los movimientos) y que algunas cosas se han explicado antes que otras que parecían más básicas (otro cambio que espero en la segunda edición). Tampoco soy una gran aficionada al estilo de Vicent Baker (imagino que los traductores no han alterado la forma de expresarse del autor) ya que siento que quiere ser provocativo y se queda en un "meh". Los libretos me parecen una forma muy rígida de hacer personajes, poco personalizables de verdad y dos personajes con un mismo libreto apenas tendrían cambios entre ellos. No entiendo el sentido de los movimientos sexuales (especialmente con la temática del juego) y por qué hay tanta variabilidad en si son útiles con PJ o PNJ o incluso si no pasa nada (como con la Zorra peligrosa, nombre que odio bastante, por cierto). Tampoco me entusiasma que la tirada tienda a ser un éxito parcial ni que el maestro de ceremonias solo pueda sacar cosas malas para los jugadores (y buenas para que la trama avance) dependiendo de los movimientos de los jugadores. Echo en falta algún tipo de recursos para afectar a una tirada ya realizada.
Lo dicho, aún así le daría una oportunidad al juego en mesa, más que nada por curiosidad (y porque me mola Mad Max y varias de las obras que nombra como inspiración).
May 12, 2018
I read this RPG book cover-to-cover in one sitting. It's that good. The setting is intense, the mechanics are packed with apocalypse flavor and the rules are lite, fast and easy to learn. This is now one of my favorite systems for gaming.
November 2, 2013
Easy to read, totally in tune with itself, and very thematic.
Also, too cool and a theme that didn't win me all the way over.
Clearly, groundbreaking; also, not for me.
Also, too cool and a theme that didn't win me all the way over.
Clearly, groundbreaking; also, not for me.
January 23, 2021
It's obvious why this game sparked an entire genre of systems and settings unto itself. Every page makes a mess of your expectations, far often for the better than for the worse, and demands that you think differently about what it means to run an RPG and play in an RPG. Some design elements didn't stick, and probably for good reason, but much of the advice written in this book about how to GM/MC/whatever a game for your players is indispensable beyond Apocalypse World or even Powered by the Apocalypse games in general.
March 20, 2019
This is as much a rule book as it is a book about gaming intself. An interesting read that struck me as a well designed game while seeming strangely limiting for players. There are also some concepts here that I really struggled to get my head around, possibly because of my own presumptions about gaming but I was still left feeling that some of the terminology used just isn't clearly explained.
March 20, 2017
One of the weirdest games I ever read through. I really like what it aims to do, but at the same time, I don't think I'll ever play it. The ruleset is just too damn rigid, and while it creates cool stories out of those limitations, that's just not the style I play, and I would find it very difficult to adapt to it as a GM. For a supposedly story-focused game, this one has enough small rules to make your head spin at first read.
It's worth a read even if you don't intend to run it. There's a bunch of narrative stuff here that I'll surely try to adapt to my regular RPG gaming.
It's worth a read even if you don't intend to run it. There's a bunch of narrative stuff here that I'll surely try to adapt to my regular RPG gaming.
November 15, 2018
This system was my introduction to story games. Over the years, as I tried other things, I would always come back to Vincent Baker's opus, as a source of inspiration for new ideas.
March 27, 2019
If it had been written more clearly it would have been 5*
Game changer.
Game changer.
September 14, 2019
Marvilhoso! Obra prima do RPG narrativista! Um divisor de águas, recomendo!
February 6, 2023
The book that started the PbtA movement in indie games. You owe it to yourself to give it a read if you like other PbtA games.
July 4, 2014
This is not a playtest review. Apocalypse World is a brutally elegant post-apocalyptic RPG, with a basic system of 5 stats, and 2d6+Stat vs a static DC of 7 or 10. What makes it great are the characters, and the concreteness of the Moves that each character makes to define the world and what they do. These Moves are partially descriptive, partially emotional, always awesome and tension-ratcheting. This basic system, combined with some hard-headed GM advice about putting things that you love in the crosshairs and making every blow count, make Apocalypse World more than the sum of its parts. My only worries are the tone, which might be too edgy for some readers, and the Wounds system, which seems both a little limiting for a game where Bad Things happen all the time, and too Simulationist for the rest of the game. Damn stylish, and lots of mine for ideas. Hope to run it soon!
November 12, 2012
This. This is possibly the best RPG I've ever played. It some how manages to hit almost all of my favorite things in RPGs. There's story. Conflict. XPs and advancement. There isn't really much in the way of tactical combat, but whatevs, I can get that elsewhere with out even having to resort to table top RPG. As I write this we have had one session of season two of our game and it continues to utterly fail to disappoint me in any regard what-so-ever. The only thing more I can think of that I'd like is more opportunity to play.
Roll + Gaming: On a 10+ you'll love this game. On a 7-9 it's pretty awesome, but you have a hard time scheduling time to play. On a miss, the book seems pretty cool but you can't find anyone to play it.
Roll + Gaming: On a 10+ you'll love this game. On a 7-9 it's pretty awesome, but you have a hard time scheduling time to play. On a miss, the book seems pretty cool but you can't find anyone to play it.
August 20, 2023
Completely different kind of RPG than anything of I've played or run before! I haven't played this yet, only read the book and watched streams. The difference to traditional "simulationist" ruleset is that Apocalypse World ruleset drives the *narrative* and creates conflicts for characters instead of just mechanical conflict resolution - it generates story! The book doesn't really have any world description, it's sort of encoded in the rules. The players create their own world during play. Also the GM workload seems to be a lot less than with traditional rulesets. Very interesting and I would really like to get to play this!
Some tables would have been a good choice instead of just text. I get that it's a style choice but this is also a game rules reference book, not a novel.
Some tables would have been a good choice instead of just text. I get that it's a style choice but this is also a game rules reference book, not a novel.
April 15, 2013
Un juego de rol sencillo, con las que creo son las mejores reglas para arbitrar que he visto en mucho tiempo. Es un texto que se esfuerza de verdad en explicarte cómo jugar y cómo arbitrar, con muchas ideas aplicables a otros juegos.
No es sorprendente que haya generado un montón de versiones que usan su mismo motor en diferentes ambientaciones. Si bien el juego es completamente tradicional en su desarrollo, la manera en la que establece procedimientos de juego es sencillamente excelente. Añadamos a eso el excelente trabajo de los chicos de ConBarba en la traducción y maquetación del manual, y por 20 pavos que queréis que os diga: compradlo.
No es sorprendente que haya generado un montón de versiones que usan su mismo motor en diferentes ambientaciones. Si bien el juego es completamente tradicional en su desarrollo, la manera en la que establece procedimientos de juego es sencillamente excelente. Añadamos a eso el excelente trabajo de los chicos de ConBarba en la traducción y maquetación del manual, y por 20 pavos que queréis que os diga: compradlo.
July 16, 2016
I have played several Pbta games, but I have not played Apocalypse World yet, but man do I want to. This is a great read for anyone playing games that run on this engine because Baker does a stellar job breaking down the way the game works, from player moves to MC moves, from playing the first session to building fronts. It is, not surprisingly, a master class on how to play this type of game. Whether I get a chance to play this soon or not, I will definitely be using this as a resource for the games I do play.
October 3, 2012
Apocalypse World is like no game you have ever played, it demands flexibility and imagination to run and play, but supports both these qualities so well that I use it as a reference for creating stories and games of all kinds. The Master of Ceremonies section contains some of the best and most ruthlessly uncompromising advice on how to run a roleplaying game I have ever read. AW manages both to be an art-form and an entertainment: highly recommended.
February 7, 2016
I don't necessarily love how it's written, but the approach is truly unique and some ideas very original. It doesn't work for all settings or all styles of playing, but it's fairly flexible within it's own limitations. A must read if you're interested in game mechanics.
Ps: the way topics are organized is fairly weird and there's quite a lot of repetition, I'm not convinced it's too easy to find what you're looking for while playing. Maybe that will be addressed in the second edition.
Ps: the way topics are organized is fairly weird and there's quite a lot of repetition, I'm not convinced it's too easy to find what you're looking for while playing. Maybe that will be addressed in the second edition.
June 30, 2013
Apocalypse World is transgressive in exactly the way White Wolf thought it was in the 90s. That is, it actually reexamines a lot of traditional gaming concepts, refines them, improves them, and wraps them up in a sexy package that does stuff games just don't do for the most part.
Sexuality and relationships are as important as blowing holes in things. Highly recommended.
Sexuality and relationships are as important as blowing holes in things. Highly recommended.
April 2, 2015
Another game from Vincent Baker that presents a lot of fascinating ideas both as a game and as principles that can be applied to any RPG.
I'm now adding "look through crosshairs" to "say yes or roll the dice" from Dogs in the Vineyard as things to keep in mind whenever I GM a game.
I'm now adding "look through crosshairs" to "say yes or roll the dice" from Dogs in the Vineyard as things to keep in mind whenever I GM a game.
April 20, 2012
This is one of the games I now use to introduce players to roleplaying. It is quick, exciting, and the players don't have to memorize volumes of rules. The game flows easy as does the story. Highly recommended!
November 7, 2014
Shoot, is this still open ?
A very good roleplaying game introducing a now-popular system. It's unnecessarily edgy in spots, but it's a great game for Mad Max/Tank Girl/Boy and His Dog post-holocaust adventures. The GM section is a Best practices on running RPGs.
A very good roleplaying game introducing a now-popular system. It's unnecessarily edgy in spots, but it's a great game for Mad Max/Tank Girl/Boy and His Dog post-holocaust adventures. The GM section is a Best practices on running RPGs.
February 27, 2014
Fascinating new approach to RPGs. Not sure if I'm 100% comfortable with all the aspects of the game but I'm still willing to give it a shot. I think this is worth reading for anyone who is planning on playing a "World Engine" game. Something about reading it in Baker's own words.
May 8, 2015
A fantastic game for narrative story telling. The thing to remember is that the story gets better when you fail rolls, so if vanquishing enemies, smiting foes, and saving damsels in distress is your idea of roleplaying, move along. There's nothing for you here.
June 21, 2016
Very few RPG books inspire me to read through them at this pace and with this much interest. This is truly one of the most interesting systems I've read in a long time. If you like narrative systems that are rules-light and easy to GM/DM/MC, this is one to check out.
January 10, 2012
awesome
October 8, 2012
Brilliant, just brilliant stuff.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews