Always attentive to new editorial releases, in this review, we tackle Last Resort, a compact game that offers many possibilities, inspired by the mechanics of The Black Hack. However, before disembarking on Kahakai Island and telling you more about this brochure, I would like to thank Claudio Serena of Fumble GDR and MS Edizioni for sending us a digital copy for this review.
Last Resort is a sixty-page brochure introducing the survival RPG set on Kahakai Island during the apocalypse. The game is designed for a group of 3-6 players including the narrator.
If you are interested in the product, you can find it for 18 euros for the physical version (including the digital one) directly on the publisher’s website. Using the discount code NoDiceUnrolled10 you will get a 10% discount on the purchase of this and other products from the publishing house.
The Apocalypse Requires Security Tools
Last Resort takes inspiration quite explicitly from titles such as Lost, The Last of Us, and The Walking Dead, all with strong and potentially disturbing themes. For this reason, he dedicates a short but significant chapter to security tools, relying on Beau Jágr Sheldon’s Script Change.
The principles are simple; If someone feels uncomfortable during the game, he can ask for a script change. It is therefore possible to rewind the scene to change some element, fast forward (to jump to a later moment or fade the scene) take a break, return to play at a later moment,
This approach may seem difficult at first, but once assimilated I can guarantee that it is fluid and guarantees peace of mind for everyone at the table, without affecting the narrative.
Premises and Dangers
Before analyzing the game tools together, I will make a premise based on the game assumption.
The characters find themselves in a vacation spot limited in space. It doesn’t matter whether it’s an island, a cruise ship or an orbital base, the fundamental thing for the game to work is that the resources of the place are quantifiable and limited.
Last Resort has a game component that can be compared to a management system; it will be crucial to make the most of not only the resources of the characters but also those of the place, to guarantee the survival of the greatest number of people.
Survivors and Resources
Let’s look a little closer at the character sheet. The protagonists of the game, called Survivors, have a simple form from a graphic point of view and are very quick to fill out.
First, we will have to assign the two fundamental resources to the Survivor: Blood and Spirit; they represent his physical and mental health respectively and their value must correspond to a die size which, added to the other, is exactly 12 (an 8-sided die and a 4-sided die or two 6-sided dice).
It is then necessary to identify four other resources that must be noted on the sheet; they can be objects or knowledge. Each must be assigned a die size, from d4 to d10. The higher the size of the die, the easier it will be to pass any test related to that resource. In any case, the sum of the sizes in this case must be a maximum of 32. Next to the resources, there is also a small diamond that identifies the possible competence of the Survivor in that resource.
Once the resources have been defined, it’s time to take care of the equipment. Each Survivor starts playing with 3 pieces of equipment; each has a hardness (which indicates how much damage it can take) and a range (i.e. the limit of increments the Survivor can reach using the object).
The card must also indicate a link with another person on the island who may not even be another Survivor in the game.
The Island Sheet
Like the Survivor sheet, we find the Island Sheet, equally concise and immediate. In addition to ample space to draw the map, the four main resources of the place are listed.
The latter depends on the scenario you want to use and all start with a die size of 12. Now you need to establish what type of Apocalypse you intend to play. In the brochure you’ll find a scenario ready to play, The Last Resort on Earth, but it is also possible to choose one from the other three suggested.
Once the Apocalypse has been defined, it’s time to start drawing the map (remembering that you can’t leave the island). Once the limits of the island have been established, the players at the table add a place each to the map, to identify the main points of interest in the playable space.
Review of the Few and Easy Rules of Last Resort
The purpose of Last Resort, beyond the fun and pleasure inherent in the role-playing concept, is to survive as long as possible in the created scenario. The Survivors will therefore have to face and solve the problems that arise as they arise; they will have to get food, save energy resources, keep the morale of the Survivors high and repel any threats.
To be able to do this, it will be necessary to carry out tests from time to time. To overcome them, players will choose one of their character’s resources and roll the dice of the corresponding size. The more sides the die has, the easier it will be to pass the test; with a result of 1 or 2 the test will fail, obtaining 3 or 4 the test will be successful but there will be complications and with a 5 or more the success will be complete.
Feats, upgrades, and skills affect rolls; a certain resource management strategy is, therefore, necessary because failing a test also means lowering your die size.
Last Resort Aesthetics Review
The volume is in A5 format and consists of 64 pages; more than a manual, it looks exactly like a brochure for a holiday destination if we ignore the suspicious bloodstains and burns. This is an effective expedient, as is that rudimentary correction to the name of the title; it perfectly represents the contrast between “how it should be” and “how it is”.
This volume is very well looked; the large font and the use of keywords printed in different colours (orange for generic gaming terms and black for specific gaming terms) help not only reading but also finding what is necessary at a glance.
The illustrations in the brochure are of mixed origin and type; they transport the reader into the context without being excessively disturbing or invasive.
Conclusions of the Last Resort Review
Summing up, I can say that Last Resort is an interesting product. Despite its format and size, it can guarantee (if managed well in terms of resources) a good number of sessions and entertain for a long time. It is undoubtedly a game that stimulates collaboration and has a high replayability rate. If you don’t want to face a long and exhausting survival on the island, the brochure also contains the rules for creating a one-shot.
If on one hand, Last Resort is certainly a product for lovers of a certain type of setting, on the other, it can be approached by everyone thanks to its versatility; the price and format are certainly a winning choice.
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