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(2 edits)

Preparing For Paris is a GMless roleplaying game about the embodiments of different sports going to high school and competing for a spot in the olympics. There's a vague "this could be a niche visual novel or anime" energy radiating off of the concept, but it also feels like it's going to be very messy and chaotic and fun to play.

The rules PDF is 33 pages, with clean, readable text and somewhat chaotic, collage-feeling photo art. The playbooks' PDF, which you also need, is 12 pages and follows the same format.

Mechanics-wise, P4P uses the Firebrands framework, so the game is built out of minigames and structured in terms of years until graduation. But it's also semi-competitive---the sports-personas are vying for the top rank in their class---so to that end the characters have PbtA playbooks and stats and roll 2d6 against Moves to determine whether they succeed. I think the intended tone of the game is that the characters are competitive but the players are not, and I suspect it works best when you lean into this.

The character playbooks are limited and specific, and each cover a sport that isn't in the olympics yet. I feel like generic playbooks (Extreme Sport, E-Sport, Ancient Sport, Splort, etc) would give players a little more freedom of choice, but the existing playbooks are very fun and flavorful.

The minigames that make up the core of gameplay are also solid, and cover all the essentials for a teen drama or comedy. They also play with the competitive/collaborative format in interesting ways. For example, when you Hit The Mall, you hang out with the other PCs and give out coins when they do something you like. The fewer coins you're left with, the stronger your roll at the end of the section. The more coins they get, the better their score. Situationally, it might be optimal for them to limit how much they engage with you to keep you from rolling well, but this limits their score as well, which keeps the gameplay loop complex and neat.

As far as guidance on how to play goes, there's a lot, including a long example of play towards the middle of the book. There's also plenty of information about safety mechanics, and a few recaps to ensure that anyone reading is always up to speed with the material.

Overall, I think Preparing For Paris is phenomenal. It picks a strong concept, and then it executes it well. If you like games that revolve around character relationships and that handle an ensemble cast, this is definitely one of my favorites. Pick it up if you get the chance.


Minor Issues:

-Page 8, "Fortune is" some of the bolding is spilling over into the is

-Page 9, first para, "Tug O' War These are" I think this is a fragment

(+1)

Thank you for the kind words! So glad you liked what you saw. As you've predicted, P4P is always very bonkers and very fun haha.

The suggestion about generic playbooks is a great idea! If I act on it I'll be sure to credit you (if you see this please reply with how you would like to be credited, otherwise I'll contact you when it happens).

And thank you for picking up on those typos!

Stay safe :)

If you want, you can credit me as Richard Kelly. But seriously no obligation to credit me.

And thank you for writing the game!

😁😁😁