So I have been thinking a lot about what setting I should use for my next game. I was considering reworking one of my old games from the 90’s, and just using its setting with a modern system, but I have a better idea. Along with using a modern game system (a “Powered by the Apocalypse” hack), I have a new setting in mind. Something simple but rich, immersive and open.
Also, the whole game would be very solo-friendly.
So what I have in mind is an exploration game, first and foremost. From a solo or group aspect, they would be dropped into an unknown location (through some means that I don’t really want to get into here right now), and they would have to explore and survive in this vast, perhaps extremely inhospitable land.
It would also be completely random.
Again, I don’t really want to get into details quite yet, but what I have in mind would be basically chock full of random tables, oracles, and other prompts that would help you build the world you and your group plays in. Well, it isn’t quite that simple, but I don’t want to really delve into the specifics right now. For our purposes, let’s just talk about the random world building tools.
The game is focused on solo and unguided (GM-less) play, first and foremost, thus why I’m involving oracles and random tables. If the game is played with a GameMaster, they can use the oracles and tables to assist with painting their world in broad strokes, while they work with their players to define the fine points during play. Or not, once the game is in your hands, you play it as you will. The point is, as a long time GM, I wanted to build a game that requires basically zero prep before play. That’s why I’m using the PbtA system, so you can “Play to Find Out”, as well as these solo oracles to make things even easier.
But I digress.
When thinking about the setting I wanted to use, and I asked myself a few questions:
- What am I hoping to accomplish here, in broad strokes?
- What feelings as a general rule am I trying to evoke in the player(s)?
- What points, if any, am I trying to make?
- What would I find to be engaging and fun?
- Would it pass the “Wife Test”? Which is to say, would my wife enjoy it?
So I started with, again, broad strokes. An idea of what the game would be, then focused down a bit more, then some more still. Basic systems, then specifics. Broad setting ideas, then specifics… but not really that specific. It’s kind of weird, I don’t really want to delve too deeply into all that right now, it would basically spoil the whole concept.
System? PbtA, modified and simplified a tad. Setting? Explorer(s) on a hostile world, with a safety net that is… unreliable. It is science fiction with elements of horror, dystopian but also hopeful. To say it is inspired by the video game “Starfield” would be fair, although the two games are really only similar in small ways. They share some general themes in common, but have similar vibes. And like “Starfield”, my game is basically procedurally-generated.
Nothing is as it seems. Just like all of the best TTRPG settings, if you get right down to it.
