Avery Alder
CREATOR
28 days ago
Project Update: Why This Game Matters to Me
I've been designing roleplaying games for nineteen years – the entirety of my adult life. The games that have made it to print have generally been ones that really mean something to me. Going For Broke is no exception, and I wanted to take a moment to talk about why.
Going For Broke was, from its inception as an It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia tribute game, designed with a vision for play in mind. The vision was simple: crack open a single pack of cards and you have a self-contained, quick, easy, fun game that can serve as a first invitation into the world of roleplaying.
In my experience, it's not hard to get people interested in the concept of roleplaying games. The idea of creating stories together, of laughing and playing make-believe with your pals, is an easy sell. That's more true than ever now, with roleplaying games making bigger waves in popular culture. People are intrigued and want to try this hobby out for themselves! But the moment that they learn how steep the initial time and learning commitment is... they balk. Reading a whole chapter of a book? Blocking out four hours of free time? Buying weird little dice?!
The design of most roleplaying games is, frankly, hostile to first-time players. Needing to create a character and learn a bunch of rules before you have any context for what those things are for—what sort of experience they're going to facilitate—is taxing and confusing. A good entry-point game should have you playing make-believe within the first few minutes of sitting down. To do that, it needs to have dead simple mechanics, approachable touchstones, and a really clear vibe. So that's the biggest reason that Going For Broke matters to me: I think it hits that mark.
The game won't be for everyone. It's improv-driven and it demands a confident wit. But it's a game that you can toss in your backpack or purse and forget about until the perfect moment reveals itself. And when that perfect moment reveals itself, and you reach for it and suggest playing a quick game (right here, right now - we've got the time!), I think it has the potential to make some new roleplayers out of the people in your life.
That is... if we manage to cross this finish line! We have four days remaining, and we're 87% of the way there. I could really use your help. Tell your friends about this campaign. Click those share buttons. Consider adding an extra copy or an additional game to your pledge (see the Add Ons page). We're so close, and I would really appreciate your help hitting that target.
Going For Broke was, from its inception as an It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia tribute game, designed with a vision for play in mind. The vision was simple: crack open a single pack of cards and you have a self-contained, quick, easy, fun game that can serve as a first invitation into the world of roleplaying.
In my experience, it's not hard to get people interested in the concept of roleplaying games. The idea of creating stories together, of laughing and playing make-believe with your pals, is an easy sell. That's more true than ever now, with roleplaying games making bigger waves in popular culture. People are intrigued and want to try this hobby out for themselves! But the moment that they learn how steep the initial time and learning commitment is... they balk. Reading a whole chapter of a book? Blocking out four hours of free time? Buying weird little dice?!
The design of most roleplaying games is, frankly, hostile to first-time players. Needing to create a character and learn a bunch of rules before you have any context for what those things are for—what sort of experience they're going to facilitate—is taxing and confusing. A good entry-point game should have you playing make-believe within the first few minutes of sitting down. To do that, it needs to have dead simple mechanics, approachable touchstones, and a really clear vibe. So that's the biggest reason that Going For Broke matters to me: I think it hits that mark.
The game won't be for everyone. It's improv-driven and it demands a confident wit. But it's a game that you can toss in your backpack or purse and forget about until the perfect moment reveals itself. And when that perfect moment reveals itself, and you reach for it and suggest playing a quick game (right here, right now - we've got the time!), I think it has the potential to make some new roleplayers out of the people in your life.
That is... if we manage to cross this finish line! We have four days remaining, and we're 87% of the way there. I could really use your help. Tell your friends about this campaign. Click those share buttons. Consider adding an extra copy or an additional game to your pledge (see the Add Ons page). We're so close, and I would really appreciate your help hitting that target.
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