RPPR Episode 140: Games Within Games

News: Arc Dream needs GMs to run games at Gen Con. Get awesome rewards like a Delta Green raid jacket! Check out the details here.

Synopsis: With most of the RPPR crew out of town, Bill and I got together to discuss ways to add mini games inside a RPG. We’ve done it before in various RPPR games, but we haven’t fully explored the concept. Turning lock picking from a single skill roll to a puzzle can make the game more engaging for every player. However, figuring out what kind of mini game to add and how to integrate it can be tricky. We discuss some examples and how they work with the 8 types of fun, ranging from puzzles to board games or even other RPGs. We also have shout outs and anecdotes.

Shout Outs

• I Am A Hero: Zombie apocalyptic character study manga. First 2 volumes are great.
• You: A novel by Greg Stolze. Very Unknown Armies.
• Young Justice: Teenage superheroes go on secret missions because Batman said so.
• GM Word of the Week: A short weekly podcast by the Angry GM.
• Fragged Empire: A post post-apocalyptic sci-fi RPG with great art and interesting rules.
• Nuclear Throne: Fight to sit on the nuclear throne!
• The Grizzled: A co-op WW1 themed card game. Try to survive until the war’s end.

Song: Here Comes the 8-bit Empire by Ozzed