Indie RPGs for Tabletop Season Three

I’m in official pre-production mode for Tabletop Season Three, so I’ve been looking at tons of games (seriously, thank you for all the suggestions), and playing as many of them as I can with my friends, or on my iPad (Suburbia on iPad is pretty much perfect, if you were wondering).Idea that I’m putting here, so I don’t forget: include information about tablet versions of games that we play on the show, if tablet versions exist.I’m also beginning to look at indie RPGs, because we had such a great time playing Fiasco. So far, candidates include:

  • A Penny For My Thoughts
  • Monsterhearts
  • Durance
  • The Quiet Year
  • Carolina Death Crawl
  • Microscope
  • Dread

I don’t know if we’ll be able to make any of these work (Dread has player elimination, for example), but I just love GM-less storytelling games, and I think Tabletop is the perfect place to show them off, because most of the people who come to play with us are inherently good storytellers.I’m interested to hear your thoughts on Indie RPGs that fit with this bunch, and also if you’d like to watch us play some of these. Keep in mind that we’d be able to, at most, split it into two episodes, which means we’d have to play a satisfying session in about four hours.

As before, please leave your suggestion here, so it’s easy for me to find. Also, publishers and writers: please don’t use this as an invitation to mount a campaign to get me to play your game.

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272 thoughts on “Indie RPGs for Tabletop Season Three”

  1. Do: Pilgrims of the Flying Temple is great for storytelling/gmless and there is no player elimination. Dread is my all time favorite game and I really enjoy microscope

  2. I’ve only played TQY on that list, but it is FANTASTIC! I look forward to seeing you guys go at it.

  3. I don’t mind any of those options at all. I had never even so much as heard of Fiasco before you guys put it on TableTop and it is now one of my favorite GM-less RPGs.

  4. Wil, just to be clear, you’re planning to pick a more mainstream RPG for the RPG specific show, and these indie RPGs would be a normal episode (or two) of regular Tabletop?

    1. For the RPG show: I have already picked the system, and we’re currently designing the setting. These indie RPGs would be for an episode or two of Tabletop, not Tabletop: RPG (or whatever we end up calling it).

  5. I Really love “Penny for my Thoughts”, I will be happy to see it on Tabletop. And after watching the season 1 of Fargo, I do hope to see more Fiasco on the show, if possible,,,

  6. I’ve run a lot of Dread, especially at Cons, and one of the things I discovered is that I only ever once had the tower fall. It felt like it was going to fall the entire last half of the game and everyone was incredibly tense, but we never had to worry about player elimination. We did the “walking wounded” rule when the tower fell during one Con game.

    1. Yeah; I’d say the player elimination isn’t much more than in Fiasco, and the “dead” player can still act as an audience. I died halfway through my con session of Dread, but I stuck around because the story was great.

    1. I’d love to see Wil+co get all weird playing Monsterhearts.

      Microscope would probably need to be meta-planned a bit ahead of time to fit the format, but it would be really interesting to watch the story be woven.

  10. Adventure Maximus. Its targeted for kids, but I think you could make it work with the right group of players (Felicia and John Kovalic come to mind). Also, its set up and character design would work well with your format.

  11. I hadn’t played those yet. I’m curious,I’ll see if these will work on my modified android Nook.;)

  14. From the beginning of your show I thought of two Indie RPGs that would be perfect for the format. The first was Fiasco, which you have done (and perfectly so, if you ask me). The other was A Penny For My Thoughts, which is on your list.

    If you like telling stories with friends, this is the game that is nothing but that. But do be aware that the stories each player tells don’t necessarily mix at all. That’s just part of the game. You are together in therapy, but that doesn’t mean you knew each other before therapy, which is what your stories are about.

  15. I’d like to see Project: Dark played. Stealth system that uses a standard deck of playing cards. There are a couple of world generated for it, futuristic cyberpunk and “old-timey” medieval. Not sure how well it would film. Maybe “ESPN-Poker” style camera setup?

  18. Hey Wil! I don’t have any solid suggestions, I just hope you break the story telling games up a bit. I like seeing you guys do them, but I don’t like it week after week. There was a couple of spots on the show where they just stacked up and it got to be a bit of a grind.

    That’s just my preference! Uh, for a short game mashup episode I recommend Coup! Great bluffing game. By the makers of Resistance.

  19. Well at my FLGS there is a group of players dedicated to shortformat , one shot RPG systems which can be assembled, played and wrapped up all on one night.

    Fate Accelerated Edition : We are talking less than 50 pages of system in the rulebook and a whole heap of simple dive in RPG functionality here. Couple this with some Zepplin! Attacks and you have a meta game to deliver a game within.

    Everybody is John one sheet, a few rules and plenty of twists. John is crazy and frankly you could swap this up for Everybody is Wesley.

    Lazers & Feelings : A one sheet rule system with the premise of simple scenario creation. when we play this I lay it out as 3 seperate acts all of which the players follow. the GM in this instance is as much the story teller as the producer of a TV show and the players are writers, actors and special fx guys all in one.

    Powers & Punches: As above but in this one I changed it up and pitched on team of Heroes vs one team of Villians the scenario played out in three acts and every opening scene required each team to discuss how they were going to react or plan; the most entertaining answer gave that team the initiative and the opposition had to react. Again this was more like a writers room where the GM is the producer settling scores and agreeing what looks cool.

    Something Went Wrong : As the game turns each player becomes the GM and the remaining player react to the various attempts by that player to promote or antagonise the other players. XP gained can be spent on misdeeds as the GM. But when your turn ends you better hope nothing went wrong.

    Dark Project : There is something compelling in a deck of cards and a tale of treachery, assassins and thieves. Plus its your mate Will so theres that.

    Three Days from Retirement : Another system using the Playing card technique this one is still on our too be played list.

    1. It’s absolutely crazy fun and with a bunch of (voice) actors that could be hilarious! And I want to see you dance.. 😉

  22. I don’t know any of those games specifically, but can I recommend Boss Monster? We picked it up recently, and it’s been great fun. Plus, it’s a fairly budget game clocking in at $25 or so. We love Tabletop and the games, but some of them are pretty steep in cost, so having a few games that are gentle on the wallet would be appreciated!

  23. Its not a roleplaying game but I think Ancient Terrible Things would be a great board game for your show. Its reasonable quick, has lots of theme and dice rolling and works best with four players.

  24. I researched all the titles in your list, and I have to say… Durance seems to get my head whizzing with the possibilities that you could have in the show. Good luck on whatever you choose! I’m sure it will be brilliant.

  25. Monsterhearts is fucking amazing, and showcases queerness and gender in ways that other tabletop games do not! People love it, I’ve run it many many times for my home group and complete strangers at conventions. Also, check out Kagematsu… it’s a great one shot and also deals with gender! Also these are really fun games!

  26. The Quiet Year was a ton of fun when I played it. I would recommend using a large sheet of paper and thick markers for the camera. But the game should work well enough in a group.

    The random choices the players are given can result in hilarious situations. Like one player setting up new place of worship and another player’s faction burning it down the next turn. Tensions were up after that.

  27. Western City is another great GM-less RPG, and as the game suggests, it’s a Western game. Not sure if there is an English version (the original game is in German) or where to get it, though.

  29. Firstly, yay! The Fiasco episode of Tabletop is what got me into indie games, something which I am eternally grateful for. I was worried last season that putting RPGs in Tabletop was viewed as a failed experiment, but I’m delighted this isn’t the case. Here are my suggestions, in order of what I think would work best for the show:

    G x B (B x B or G x G) would be ideal as its very quick. It’s about a girl starting at a new school going on dates with three other students. You’d make a fantastic Momoko, Wil: http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product/108158/G-x-B-Girl-x-Boy

    A Taste for Murder allows you to get your Agatha Christie. One of the players is eliminated because they become the murder victim – but they come back to play the inspector: http://theunstore.com/index.php/unstore/game/81

    Intrepid is a big favourite in the indie scene in London. Like The Quiet Year, it’s a map drawing game. However, the things you do in it are much more heroic as you go on quests and adventures all created by the people around the table: http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product/121044/Intrepid-A-Storytelling-Adventure

    I would definitely +1 Microscope and The Quiet Year and although I’ve never played Carolina Death Crawl, I guess it would fit the format very well.

    Kingdom is a personal favourite. You play the members of a community (which can be anything from a small village to a vast intergalactic empire) as you reach a series of significant crossroads. Do you get corrupted with power, or do you watch your kingdom fall and burn? It’s by Ben Robbins who designed Microscope: http://www.lamemage.com/kingdom/

    Ribbon Drive is a road trip game where the mechanic is listening to, and being inspired by, mix tapes prepared by the players in advance. I can see it working in the format, but you might have music licensing issues: http://buriedwithoutceremony.com/ribbon-drive/

    Apocalypse World and Monsterhearts are tricky. I mean, they’re my favourite games, but would they work in the format? I’m not sure. Possibly. I’d love it if they could be made to work.

    You might find some of our other suggestions of interest: http://twitchingcurtain.wordpress.com/2014/06/20/new-to-story-gaming-start-here/

  30. If you ever do a “Where are they now?” show, there’s one GM led RPG from the mid 80’s which I only played once Paranoia. Based on near future dystopian fiction and film (think THX, 1984, Brave New World etc) but mixed with a huge dollop of Monty Python and Carry On it made a huge impression. Weirdly or maybe not so weirdly it’s been on my mind a lot with some of the bizarr-i-tude that’s going on in the world at the mo’.

    More here – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paranoia_%28role-playing_game%29

    P.s. Wil, just wanted to say think you’re ace and appreciate all the time and effort you’re putting in.

  32. I get some mild entertainment from the story telling episodes, but story telling and rpg is something I’m horrible at and do not enjoy. So from a personal standpoint, I’m more looking forward to the other episodes.

  33. It’s not GM-less, sadly, but FATE Core and FATE Accelerated are great, cinematic, low-rules games that are super adaptable. (Spirit of the Century is something of a pre-cursor.) One of the few RPGs where making characters might be filmable, I suspect.

    1. And on googling a bit more, I see that there was a kickstarter about it recently and it has a video of you talking about Primetime Adventures. Doh. Please disregard my previous comment…

    2. I love PTA but I think Wil said before it’s too long for Tabletop. You basically would need to play a whole season…

    3. I was just about to recommend Primetime Adventures! The game just went through a kickstarter for reprinting, and by the time Season Three airs, the book will be available again.

      PTA plays loose and fast, like Fiasco. If you enjoyed that, you’ll enjoy this.

  35. A few good suggestions:

    Sea Dracula (free)
    Don´t rest your head
    Ghost Lines (free)
    3:16, massacre upon the galaxy

    (very) Strong suggestions:

    Lady Blackbird (free)
    Polaris
    Cthulu Dark (free)
    Doll (Not free, but it´s worth 5$)

    If you don´t choose no one of those to revew it will be ok, but please, play all of them. Those are GREAT games.

  36. I second the nomination for Kobolds Ate My Baby! Your kobolds die quickly, but you just roll up new ones (takes about a minute) and move on. Typical adventure time when I’ve run it is about 1 – 1.5 hours, depending on the adventure of course. There is a GM, but when I’ve run games, I haven’t had to do much… The players tend to drive things pretty effectively on their own. Not having to worry about staying in character, and not having to worry about death, means they have no problems with just taking an idea and running with it, no matter how crazy. Works even better if the players have any improv ability.

  37. This is probably not a great fit as it’s not GM-less, but I’d love to see you guys do an episode of something based around Evil Hat’s Atomic Robo RPG. Combining you, Wil, and some of your past guests (examples: Grant Imahara and Jeri Ryan!) as Action Scientists sounds like it’d make for some great moments.

  40. You should play Tag on Tabletop. Think of the hilarity when your guests fall off the table…. 😉

  41. Monsterhearts is a game I’m just in love with, but out of the list I think one of the hardest to condense in just one game. I’ve seen it played at conventions with some modifications of rules ( mostly those on how you mark experience ) but I think it gives the most on a full narrative arc.
    On the other hand I think you could do something really amazing with Penny and Microscope and not having a fixed setting ( MH just isn’t for those that don’t want to explore teen monster drama ) it could appeal to more people and their are excellent games for people that are not so familiar with RPGs in general.

  42. My group is looking forward to a short play of Everyone Is John. It’s not GM-less, but the GM is a character: John. All other players are voices in his head trying to get him to do things aligned with their particular goals. Seems like it would be pretty great, and it can be wrapped up in an hour, or several sessions depending on how everyone wants the story to end. Here’s the PDF: http://pftdcast.com/resources/EveryoneIsJohn.pdf

  43. Everyone is John is a good one.Also, for all of 4chan’s faults, it’s /tg/ (Traditional Games) board is really productive in this regard. I’d check out Engine Heart and Adeptus Evangelion in particular and there’s also Artifice where players play rogue AIs that I remember to be good.

      1. Confound the lack of edit functionality, I just remembered Eclipse Phase (Post-humanism themed scifi) , Big Motherfuckin’ Crab Truckers(All there on the tin,really simple 1-page rpg) and Genius: The Transgression(Ditto, though not 1-page).

  45. Couple of recommendations I’ve had fun playing:

    1) Intrepid – part GM-less RPG, part world building. You start with a blank canvas and then build the world you’re going to tell your adventures in.

    http://www.rpgnow.com/product/121044/Intrepid-A-Storytelling-Adventure?manufacturers_id=5609

    2) Perfect Unrevised – GM-less again, the players take turns to be criminals and investigators in a neo-gothic distopia where the goal is to break free of society or go mad trying.

    http://www.rpgnow.com/product/87172/Perfect-Unrevised?manufacturers_id=3496

  46. There is an english version of Western City. Its from Red Brick if I remember correctly. Don’t know much about how it differs from the latest german version though. Its a good game for at least one evening. And its without a GM, yay!

  48. How about “All flesh must be eaten” ?
    It’s probably not “indie”, but the fact that the zombies in this game need not be traditional types could be cool.

  49. I’m so excited at the potential for another indie RPG Tabletop! Your Fiasco episode got me into indie RPGs, and that was pretty much the best thing that’s happened in my gaming life since I first picked up a funny shaped die.

    Monsterhearts is my favourite of the games on your list, but you might lose a lot of the meat of the game trying to keep things appropriate for all ages! I’d suggest Dream Askew as well, but you might have even more of a problem with that.

    As for other suggestions, Archipelago or its offspring Love in the Time of Seið could both be amazing, and Witch: The Road to Lindisfarne is a game with a heck of a punch to it.

  50. Dog eat dog is a really interesting, partly gmless game examining colonialism. Tons of fun, and can play in an hour.

    Viewscream is an awesome gmless game designed for play via Skype or hangouts. Again, quite fast, and an opportunity to get out of towners on the show.

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