This is a collection of games that you play with friends who live far away. These may be play by mail, or roleplaying online in chat. There are a lot of tabletop role-playing games (TTRPGs) that you could adapt to playing that way, but this collection is for games where that's central to their design and they have ideas about how to make it work really well.
Long-distance games are either asynchronous or live. If a game is asynchronous, that means you don't have to play at the same time as each other, you can pick up messages and respond later. This is useful if your friends are in different time zones or your work schedules don't line up. A live game is better for when you manage to have a period of time when you're all online together.
Here are some ways how I mark the game's medium and mechanics: Play by mail. Play by Discord, play by chat, play by texting, play by video chat, play by voice chat. Play by Google Doc. Online TTRPG, online LARP (Live Action Role Play), or LAOG (Live Action Online Game).
Played via email. "... a two-person horror roleplaying game that is played entirely over email. ... Both players are colleagues working at the same company."
This isn't a long distance game, it's an anthology about long distance games.
Content: ...
Number of players:
Length: ...
Asynchronous: ?
Medium and mechanics: Play on Discord, or play by chat.
Story: ...
Content: ...
Number of players: Up to 20.
Length: ...
Asynchronous: ?
Medium and mechanics: Play on Discord.
Story: ...
Content: ...
Number of players: ...
Length: ...
Asynchronous: ?
Medium and mechanics: Play by mail.
Story: ...
Content: ...
Number of players: 2.
Length: ...
Asynchronous: Yes.
Medium and mechanics: "... as it takes the form of recorded video messages, it is especially designed for ttrpg streamers, youtubers and anyone who creates online ttrpg video content. It is a correspondence-based, two player RPG ..."
Story: "... you and a friend take on the roles of two cult leaders who ... have become each other's Nemesis."
Digital reward stickers for adding to an online TTRPG. The designer has more sorts of them in their store.
Content: ...
Number of players: 2.
Length: "Play lasts for six days, six weeks, or six months. You can interact with the game as much or as little as you like over that time."
Asynchronous? Yes?
Medium and mechanics: Play by text message.
Story: "Pretend to be aliens, visiting Earth for a limited time, who are not totally prepared for the strangeness and beauty of their temporary home."
Content: Rated G.
Number of players: at least 3, preferably more.
Length: About 20 minutes. The rules are one page. Setup is instant. Each player's turn is one minute at most.
Asynchronous: No, live.
Medium and mechanics: This would work best in voice chat because of time constraints. The game design doesn't prioritize long distance play, but it would work fine, and I'm so intrigued by the concept that I'm making an exception and putting it in this collection. In this game, everyone plays as a game master. You can only narrate to change what's happening to others, not to yourself.
Story: In a macabre future, the last game masters-- creatures of narration-- race to get the atmosphere engine, an artifact with which they can decide the fate of the world.
Content: Rated PG.
Number of players: At least 3.
Length: Probably at least five turns by mail.
Asynchronous: Yes.
Medium and mechanics: Play by mail. Write letters describing your problem and offering advice. Use 2d6 to randomize how things turn out.
Story: Sometimes bears eat and then impersonate people.
Content: ...
Number of players: ...
Length: ...
Asynchronous: Yes.
Medium and mechanics: Play by mail.
Story: ...
Content: Rated G.
Number of players: 2.
Length: However many turns by mail as you want.
Asynchronous: Yes.
Medium and mechanics: Play by mail.
Story: The new owner of a cottage receives a letter from the local mice and writes back.
