Skip to main content

Indie game storeFree gamesFun gamesHorror games
Game developmentAssetsComics
SalesBundles
Jobs
TagsGame Engines
(+1)

yeah this uhhh pretty much rips. killer concept, art, and vibes. just bristling with energy. y'all were in sync on this one. incredible that it's so packed with text but the visuals still have room to breathe and even charm with little details - i like the little cutout indicator on the playbooks. impressive that you took this balls-to-the-wall premise and still left room for emotional intensity in the roleplay. i do think there's some sneaky difficulty to GMing this that's hidden under the tight presentation - players can't die or really be stopped until the end, so adding non-damage complications with that in mind and keeping the pace up seems tough. good complications are the hardest part of basically everything but OG apocalypse world though, so, not a big deal lol 

high: the playbooks are standouts and are so slick they make most PbtA books i've seen feel absolutely bloated in comparison. the martyr's line nails the atmosphere harder than anything else here IMO. to lay down your life is to return what you only borrowed. goes crazy tbh

low: this is just personal preference, but i wish the questions for going to a new floor had a little more heat behind them. they feel low-energy to me. "what kind of world is it?" feels less like i'm asking about a layer of a sickass apocalyptic machine tower and more like i'm asking about a new super mario 64 level lol. if i run this i might replace that with something like "what purpose does this floor serve?" in general, i think it's possible to punch these up with more evocative phrasing while still getting similar info from the players

in-between: i really dig the move name "Taste Blood in the Water". it's punchy, vivid, and carries some intense force behind it. however... it kind of feels out of place in a dry, desert-and-fire based post apoc setting?? i can't help but wonder if there's a vibe-appropriate name out there that still keeps this same energy lmao

overall: incredible work. please make more stuff together!

(1 edit) (+1)

YOOO thanks SO MUCH for such a thorough feedback!!! really appreciate you being out here doing the lord's work ❤️🙏 

  • You're completely right about the sneaky difficulty in GM-ing this; it's present even for the players, too. For this version, some familiarity to postapocalyptic or dystopian fiction such as Mad Max or Fallout will help (or if we're talking Appendix N then my choice would be my touchstones - Margaret St. Clair's and Lin Carter's works), but I'm already planning to add something to address this exact problem in uhhh dare I say an expanded version? 😬💦
  • You're also completely right about some bland lines in there. I wouldn't change it to something that alludes to the Floor having a certain "function" but it definitely could use another round of revision which, to be honest, I might have had the time for, but definitely not the energy lmaooooo
  • re: "Taste Blood in the Water" - I probably wouldn't be able to come up with a phrase that describes 'pinpointing something abstract (like a feeling, information, or memory) inside another abstract thing (like the mind)' better. Sensing fear inside a swirl of emotions, like locating a type of liquid (blood) inside another type of liquid (water). Also I guess when it popped into my head the mental image was just too cool to ignore. Actually, yeah, maybe that's the reason. lol

Again, thanks for taking the time to leave such thoughtful review!

(+1)

looove that an expanded version's potentially in the works 👀👀👀 tbh, i've been chewing on alternatives to Taste Blood since writing this and haven't come up with anything good. even the potential energy and feeling of like, a looming frenzy is just hard to match. going with the cool first thought was the right move i think!