Today we want to say thank you Tin Hat Games for providing us with a physical copy of OSR – Obsolete Shitty Rules, to allow us to write this review. Special thanks also go to Alessandro Rivaroli, author of the game and part of the team that created the illustrations.
You can find Obsolete Shitty Rules for sale on the Tin Hat Games’ store at the price of 45 euros for the physical copy; alternatively, the digital copy is available for 25 euros. Anyone wishing to delve a little deeper into the dynamics of the game to better evaluate the purchase can download it for free Sickstart (the “sick” quickstart of the game). We had the opportunity to analyze it and draw some considerations from it before the game was ready in its final version; you can read our considerations and in this review, we will check whether they have been addressed.
Review of Obsolete Shitty Rules: a Premise
As you can already guess from the title, Obsolete Shitty Rules It’s a game that doesn’t take itself very seriously. He does the exact opposite: he takes everything with irreverent lightness. It is a parodistic and satirical game, which pungently mocks the games of “real” OSR; I am referring to the Old School Reinassance which in recent years has conquered an important share of the market.
And the “obsolete bull*hit rules” of the title are not indicated just to match the (brilliant) acronym. On the contrary, they are precisely the element that is put under the magnifying glass. “Old school” role-playing games are famous for having extremely simple rules, which are particularly deadly and which rely heavily on tables for random generation. And they are precisely the same elements underlying Obsolete Shitty Rules.
Parody or Satire?
Some passages of Obsolete Shitty Rules emphasize the satirical aspect of the game; to the point where overturns the Principia Apocrypha on which the Old School Reinassance wet. These are a handful of statements written by Ben Milton and Steven Lumpking which, in perhaps a little pretentious way, try to recover the simple spirit of the very first role-playing games. The Principia Satyrica make fun of them extensively, turning them into a series of playful incorrectness which must be strictly adhered to when playing Obsolete Shitty Rules. A sort of reversal of the zero rule and everything that always places fun and a peaceful environment ahead of the rules.
For the rest, it is however important to underline that Obsolete Shitty Rules does have its moments of satire towards the genre Old School, but mostly it’s an ironic genre. The objective is not to highlight the problems of a genre that, indeed, it fully reflects, but rather to dismantle the aspect of excessive seriousness that often hovers around it to obtain a game that takes itself very little seriously. The author himself quotes Vladimir Nabokov:
“Satire is a lesson, parody is a game”
And this is, unquestionably, a game.
Review of the Obsolete Shitty Rules Manual
Even the illustrations of the team coordinated by Roberto Toderico have a strong ironic imprint. However, this does not mean that they were created with little effort; indeed they resume that heavy metal-punk style that characterizes the most prominent works in the panorama Old School, with a biting and aggressive style. Almost baroque, if the term didn’t clash with such angular images.
This style is not only reflected in the artwork, but also in the layout, in the use of various gothic fonts inserted into the page as illustrations rather than titles, and in the use of bright colours that alternate between the various chapters and the various tables. The downside is that this stylistic choice greatly penalizes readability. It is probably better to associate the individual tables with the colour chosen as the background of the page rather than trying to read the title.
The Obsolete Shitty Rules manual is one of those volumes that cannot be described as anything other than satisfactory. The quality is decidedly high. This book is sturdy and durable. The paper is quite thick, it does justice to the 288 pages and in no way sacrifices the colours during printing, even the brightest ones. The format is rather particular, a square volume, which therefore also originally presents itself.
Alea Iacta Est
Obsolete Shitty Rules it is based on three fundamental elements; paradoxically the game mechanics itself is not among these, to the point that the author specifies how the tables and the flow of the sessions can be adapted to any other regulation Old School, even to that of the first editions of the most famous role-playing game in the world to which these games in general strongly refer.
The first element of the game is the contrast between Masters and Players. Referring precisely to what was once a toxic way of experiencing the dynamics of role-playing games, Obsolete Shitty Rules he “canonizes” him. The sessions of this game are a competition between the Master and the players, in which one tries to prevail over the others and vice versa. At the end of the games, the villain behind the story will also enter it, through an avatar that will take on the role of the “final boss” of the campaign. The master may even make you damned (always for a playful purpose), but in the end, you will at least be able to “beat him”!
Review of the Role of Experience in Obsolete Shitty Rules
This competition is based on experience points. Each character has an individual and a group goal. Their achievement, together with some specific game effects, allows you to accumulate experience points. They can be used to advance levels, reroll dice or activate some special abilities.
The Master gains experience points when missions and objectives are not completed. He can spend them to determine random encounters, roll up a special Master table or carry out tests and attacks via NPCs. Important thing: every time one of the two parties uses experience points, these are not consumed, but given to the other. With obvious effects on the final result.
The experience is therefore an economic mechanism of exchange between Masters and players which inserts a strategic component (however light) into the game. Using it is always a risk, because it increases the opponent’s power, but at the same time, it is necessary to evaluate when spending it can bring a greater benefit.
Tables As If It Were Raining
The last fundamental pillar on which it is based Obsolete Shitty Rules is the tables. A fundamental element in any game Old School, but which is taken to the extreme here. Every aspect of the game is decided randomly. The character, his character, the game world. But also the missions, the weather, the monsters, the natural phenomena and so on. They are all tables that require the roll of a hundred-sided die (or rather two ten-sided dice, one for tens and the other for ones).
Most of these tables are used by the Master in the creation of the adventure and its development at the moment. Since each event is generated randomly, no preparation or improvisation skills are required, only to “translate” the results into narration. Some of them, however, are called into question on the initiative of the players. In this case, the most obvious case is certainly that of the table for “simple” questions, those to which the Master can simply answer affirmatively or negatively. In this case, the result of the die will lean towards yes or no.
Obsolete Shitty Rules: Gameplay Review
The mechanics of Obsolete Shitty Rules they are, as anticipated, extremely simple; after all, they mimic the typical dynamics of games Old School. Each character has a set of five characteristics: Strength, Interaction, Mind, Reflexes and Spirit. A check is passed with a score of 6 or more on a d10 roll, modified by any bonuses or penalties.
There are obviously further elements that enrich the game. Not least the possibility of helping another character, now indispensable, or that of carrying out a special attack. But precisely this brings us back to the founding element of the game: the tables. In fact, not only the outcome of the special attack, but also what it will consist of. In Obsolete Shitty Rules it is important to remember that it is the tables that take charge of the narrative, so it’s perfectly natural.
Characters and Archetypes
Although there are optional rules for customization, character creation is also completely random. We rely on the most substantial table in the volume, that of the Archetypes. Each Archetype determines the background, species, character, equipment and abilities of the character. Even his name is predetermined.
It is worth pointing out that Obsolete Shitty Rules does not have a default setting. That too is determined on a special table. So each Archetype can come from a completely different world. Each character could come from a fantasy, sci-fi, space opera, cyberpunk, gothic, contemporary or whatever context; in this, we must recognize great work in designing abilities that were equally playable regardless of the context for 100 different Archetypes, and all consistent with the themes of the game.
Obsolete Shitty Rules: Review of a Quotationist Game
Obviously, the ironic slant of the game reaches its peak here, both in the selection of the Archetypes and in their details. If we have traditional “classes”, such as the Antipaladin, the Journalist and the Hacker, there are others that are certainly much more outside the box. Like the Entrepreneur or the Conspiracy Theorist, for example. Or the fearsome Influencer.
Going to examine every single Archetype, it is then possible to find little gems and quotes that may not be necessary for the functioning of the game, but which enrich the experience. The Worker, for example, is called Ug Fantox. The Gnome Wrestler Mysterio. Let’s scrape the bottom a little, and that’s absolutely fine, with Samurai Soshito Nakakata. Special mention for the ninja. Instead of the name, just a series of question marks.
Security Tools
The game predicts a single security tool, named after the phrase you need to say to use it that you can translate as:
GoodbyeassholesIamsickofcockthisgamesuckslikeyou.
It is intuitively a security tool built specifically for Obsolete Shitty Rules. Every aspect of the game is ironic and deliberately incorrect. Not to give color, but because incorrectness is a fundamental part of the proposed gaming experience. Moreover, the Old School games are certainly not known for their attention to safety at the table.
The solution is very easy indeed. If someone doesn’t like the style of play they should have no problem leaving the table at any time. Certainly a simplistic approach for such a complex topic, but probably the only one truly compatible with the desire to bring dark humour, irony and biting parody to the table.
Review of Obsolete Shitty Rules: the Master Table
There is only one other step on which the manual advises a certain caution. The Master table, often triggered by the “buying and selling” of experience points, parodies all the toxic aspects that are unfortunately typical of many gaming tables. Both for “unfair” narrative devices and by simulating behaviour between players.
This is a step that can cause controversy. It should, to be honest. There is no real security tool here; it would not be technically possible. The author limits himself to underlining the parodic intent of the game, specifying that if someone is not able to abstract it it is not a lack of the game, but of the person. An explanation that some might find insufficient, but which is intrinsic to the experience proposed by Obsolete Shitty Rules.
Of course, there is the risk of triggering somewhat reactionary reasoning, encouraging that segment of players who were against security tools because “in my time there was no need for them”. The purpose, however, is admittedly different. Obsolete Shitty Rules openly mocks these behaviours, and although it is possible to misunderstand him, it is not possible to do so without wanting to cause malice.
The Limits of This Approach
In general, most of the defects that can be found in Obsolete Shitty Rules are attributable to this. The way the game is structured may not be fluid, but that’s exactly one of the reasons to play it. In fact, it becomes a question of taste. We mainly talk about the excessive use of tables, which are called into question for practically every single aspect of the game. A very intrusive mechanic, which although the manual advises not to be taken too seriously (literally: we are talking about imaginary characters who deserve the time of a session and nothing more), ends up becoming the real protagonist of a session.
At the same time, die rolls can risk becoming boring. Considering that the game focuses entirely on dungeon crawling and that the structure of a dungeon is (obviously) randomly drawn, room by room, nothing prevents that for several scenes there is only a succession of empty corridors. The vastness and variety of the tables certainly help to stem the problem, but not entirely. The answer is simply that the percentage roll on the table is at the heart of the experience Obsolete Shitty Rules: limiting, without a doubt, but dedicated to players looking for this type of game, at least for an evening. You may not like it, but it’s a matter of taste: the nature of the game itself cannot be considered a flaw. And considering the unfairness behind this RPG, there is a simple solution: when you don’t like a shot, cheat!
Conclusions of the Review of Obsolete Shitty Rules
Obsolete Shitty Rules It’s a one-of-a-kind game. This is also its strength because a parody works as long as it manages to maintain its uniqueness. It was born in the ideal historical moment, with the movement of Old School Reinassance which has probably reached its peak. Therefore finding a market mature enough to best accept it. The parodistic intent is well developed, and the satirical element dosed just right to make things more interesting.
It’s certainly not a game for everyone. From a certain point of view, it requires a bit of hair on the stomach; not much, but a minimum wage is necessary. It can also be fully appreciated only by those who already have a certain culture in the world of role-playing games; a novice will still find the session entertaining but will miss many tasty references. Finally, it offers an extremely specific gaming experience, with continuous launches for random generations that could annoy many. But Veterans of our world who are not afraid to put aside identification to dive into a world of bizarre adventures with an extremely competitive taste will certainly have fun in many sessions, each one different from the others. The important thing is to always remember that this, like all the others, is a game.
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