Last week, we talked about TTRPG rules and mechanics and how they contribute to creating an experience for players, rather than merely stitching together a story for a playable campaign. With that in mind, I would like to reference the minimalistic games that are out there and tried to break the status quo with remarkable excellence. I am referring to simple and elegant systems such as Cairn, Knave, and Into the Odd and other.
What all of these have in common is simplicity, as the mechanics and rules can fit “on a single page” and are easily comprehensible to players. A key aspect of design is to minimize, or ideally eliminate the friction. Every single rule and “don’t forget” adds cognitive load for both players and GMs. It’s thus a good practice to replace complex combat systems with quick and decisive outcomes. A prime example of such quick combat resolution is 24XX or Cairn, with a D6 system that does not interrupt the story immersion too.
Using RNG is of course necessary to add uncertainty, but the structure of the potential choices that add value to the group’s experience and story progression, should be developed collaboratively by the group itself. Granular math like bonuses and modifiers, shift the focus from immersion to technicalities. Now, creating light and easily digestible rules is the best way to describe the ideal balance, as we still require rules. These are essential to our game, in order to coordinate and synchronize the players- making sure that we are all on the same page—quite literally!
Strafing away from complex game mechanics has indeed seen success. With only a few things to remember and fully utilizing the tools given to you, accompanied by dynamic storytelling that involves people in the process rather than merely explaining concepts to them. However, designing a minimalistic game is not as straightforward as eliminating rules; it is an art form that demands precision, intentionality, and a deep understanding of what players truly need to play and enjoy the game.
Another similarity lies in the player-centric design of these types of games, which prioritizes players’ input over numbers. This adds a pinch of creativity and commitment among all players, as their roles extend beyond merely executing their individual tasks within the team. They are also responsible for contributing to the overall progression of the game. From a design perspective, it is essential to equip the narrator or DM with the appropriate tools to fill in the details and create a smooth experience for everyone. This, in conjunction with the game mechanics, should establish a balance between player agency and narrative guidance, helping to maintain momentum and excitement while keeping the game fresh and full of potential at every turn.
When designing such games, there is a couple of focal points, crucial to their success. First, improvisation can be quite challenging for someone to maintain without sufficient stimuli. DM’s are often responsible for filling narrative gaps, and this should also be the role of the rest of the group in such cases. Typically, there is a storyline and context that facilitate this process.
However, what happens when the game features an emerging narrative? While we can certainly expect the group to wear their imagination hats, but why don’t we help them a bit? In addition to the the ruleset, we can establish some predefined guidelines, helping the less imaginative of the hobby to come up with relevant ideas. Lastly, a good rule of thumb is to guide the adventure toward discovery. You could be answering consecutive why’s eternally if you set your mind to it. It’s thus helpful to the group and to the quality of the story to keep away from “plot lock-ins”, and explore what else can be uncovered in that world.
Circling back to my initial point, it is truly surprising what new avenues for exploration and markets these games have opened for us. As the attention span, patience and time shrinks- because people become busier these days; we are in need of a flexible and fast-paced gameplay to firstly satisfy our quick noesis and to secondly fit into our schedules. Hence, creating such an experience can really add value and reduce preparation time to a minimum, as well as decrease in-game resolution and friction time, allowing each session to flow more quickly and smoothly.
Creating an engaging experience is essential for the success of any RPG. While there are several key factors that contribute to this success, it is crucial to strike the right balance between a captivating narrative, straightforward yet intriguing mechanics, and, most importantly, significant player involvement and interaction. Theory is valuable, but it is often distant from practice. At the very least, we should experiment with new ideas and strive to deliver our best work, thereby enriching this incredible realm of fantasy and innovation.
If you read this far, I’d like to thank you for your time and attention. You might find relevant posts about my thoughts on NPC’s, Game Design, Story-telling and some DIY on our website. If you like connecting with people and are a bit of an extrovert, make sure to join our casual chats on our Discord Server, and you can read further and engage with us by subscribing to our Substack page.
Talk to you later.
