In this preview we talk about Don’t Play This Game, a solo RPG inspired by found footage horror movies.
Here we will talk about the game demo that was kindly provided to us by Parable Games. We recommend that you follow them on their website and the Facebook, Instagram and X (Twitter) pages; we also leave you the link to the Kickstarter campaign if you are interested.
Found Footage and RPG
For those who do not know, found footage is a narrative technique whose premise is to tell a story using videos found and edited together; some examples are The Blair Witch Project, Creep, Rec, Cannibal Holocaust, Paranormal Activity, the Cloverfield Saga and many others; often this device is exploited in the horror genre.
Don’t Play This Game brilliantly uses this technique, that is, reversing the situation; during our playful experience we will not have to watch old content, but we will create our very personal found footage made of videos, photos, diary pages and much more. Everything is placed in a disturbingly sublime frame: if we do not play, terrible things will happen to our loved ones within 7 days (someone said The Ring?). Although (obviously or fortunately) fictitious, this incipit is a great way to attract attention and generate a perfect atmosphere to identify the player.
During the setup and for much of the experience we will be guided by the notes of one of our predecessors, but sometimes we will have to interact with the same Entity that created the game. I found it very engaging that when our helper writes we find the typefaces, while the Entity uses an irregular and dirty bold, just as if it were forcefully entering the page.
From an artistic point of view, the demo is fantastic. Only the cover (which looks like a collage of letters cut out from newspapers and magazines) shows that the work was done with enormous attention to detail. We do not find illustrations in the classic sense of the term, but realistic photos, scribbles and signs that give an excellent sense of life and credibility.
Safety Systems
I find it very useful that from the first page, we talk about security and which systems to use; in fact, the game has very heavy horror tones and openly talks about the death of loved ones and family members.
We are then provided with keywords and questions to create distance from our character. It is a very good choice, which allows us to live the experience without ever going too “far” and without overlapping with our character.
Personal safety is given importance because in this game you will have to create objects with your own hands; the manual, of course, does not recommend using hazardous materials and when you have to collect something or take photos it is specified that we must do it in total safety.
Another very useful tip is to take a break between the various Events and ask yourself questions to understand if the experience is becoming too heavy. In that case, they are the same authors who advise us to put the game away and rest.
Anchor
Our Character or Anchor is represented by 6 Attributes, a Life counter and all Background information such as Name, Age, Profession, etc. They are:
- Talents: what he does best; they could be related to his work or his passions and we can acquire others during the game.
- Resources: all the objects and tools that can be useful. They can go from a car to a field lantern.
- Friends: your allies, the loved ones you can always ask for help. But we must be careful: they could also be affected by the Entity.
- Secrets: information about the Entity and what happened to the protagonist.
- Fears: his fears; we will start playing with a few of them, and then accumulate others.
- Artefacts: objects that can help or hinder; they are the connection with the Entity. They could be photos or collected objects.
All these are not represented by numerical values, but by words to be marked on the card; in the demo, there are no lists to choose from and the player is left with total freedom in this regard.
Instead, Life is represented by 10 points that can go down or up according to our choices, events and tests. For example, an Event could ask us to roll a d6 and if the result is 4 or more the character will lose only one Life point, while a lower roll will consume 3. When Life ends we lose and the Entity wins.
This is a great way to represent a character in a few effective steps, perfectly in line with the gaming experience.
Don’t Play This Game Rules Preview
The rules of Don’t Play This Game are very simple and intuitive.
Starting from Event 1, we will have to experience this journey by moving forward or backwards between the Events by rolling the type of die that will be indicated to us; a whole set is required, from d20 to d4. For example, if Event 4 tells us to move forward by a d6, we will have to roll the die and, if a 3 rolls, move on to Event 7. In the demo I could not try this mechanic because there are only 10 events proposed and to be faced in order, to live a short but complete game experience; on paper, however, it seems to me a functional and unpredictable idea.
The Events, the focus of the game, also contain questions and instructions regarding the actions we will have to take. Every question we are asked will have to be answered in our diary; the ideas in the Demo are stimulating and help to articulate useful answers to the narrative.
Actions, on the other hand, require practices such as taking a photograph, picking up an object or simply rolling a die and exceeding a certain threshold. An Action that impressed me a lot was to go to one’s city library, look for a book that can help us against the Entity and photograph it; certainly, it is an experience that seems strange, but in a positive and engaging sense.
The final goal is to survive as many Events as possible and then arrive at the Epilogue. In the demo there are only two possible endings, both interesting; in the final product, there will be many more to try.
Conclusions of the Preview of Don’t Play This Game
In conclusion, the demo of Don’t Play This Game captured me, intrigued and terrified (in a positive sense).
The system is perfectly capable of transmitting the authors’ conceived experience and making us build our own personal found footage; the resulting plays are heavy and cathartic; perhaps they are not very suitable for the faint of heart. An excellent artistic system manages to intensify these sensations and make you shiver as you flip through the pages of the manual.
I highly recommend to all lovers of horror and solo games to follow and participate in the Kickstarter campaign to try a new and fulfilling experience; but be careful because, if you do not play, very unpleasant things will happen within 7 days… And don’t say I didn’t warn you!
0 Comments