Publisher: Universe Ball AnthologyFor fans of absurdist humor and bizarre science fiction…
SUMMARY:
Play as a crew of alien thieves and explore an ancient space cruise ship in an attempt to heist its valuable fuel, all while dealing with an array of alien criminals and misfits. This game’s tone is cartoonishly surreal mixed with elements of mystery. It’s designed to encourage creative problem-solving, roleplay, and exploration.
Play as a criminal alien lizard-person
6 Chapters (with summarized outlines)
Each chapter is 1-3 hours long
2-4 Players (Plus a GM)
Rules-Light
Comes with printable game assets (game notes, maps, and character designs)
Comes with suggested playlist music for each part of the game
GAME DESIGN:
The game design can best be described as a dungeon/sandbox hybrid. The overall progression of the game works like a giant dungeon, having players unlock areas of the ship in a specific order, however, each of these areas are open sandboxes occupied by NPCs that allow players to do as they wish and solve problems however they see fit. The game is somewhat Metroidvania-esque in that it’s about locks and keys. Not in the literal sense. We mean that there will be obstacles blockading progression to the next area that requires players to solve open-ended problems to move on. Players will start the game in a small, secluded area but the ship will slowly open up to them as they explore more and more. As players move through the many sections, the mystery of the game will unfold and the story will build to a climax and resolution.
SYSTEM:
Our games don’t run on a specific system, but if you’ve ever played a basic tabletop roleplaying game, there won’t be much of a learning curve.
The main rules of the game are related to skill-checks. We’ve simplified the stats to only include Strength, Dexterity, Wisdom, and Charisma. Otherwise, the game is just about exploring, talking to NPCs, and creative problem-solving.
Battles are mostly narrative-based and are more centered around creatively using your environment, items, or skills to your advantage. Dealing damage simply functions by having players roll for dexterity against their enemy to see if they attack, then roll strength to determine the damage dealt. There are no random encounters or leveling up in our games. The battles are either used as obstacles or story points, or are activated by players picking fights by choice.
Classes don’t always exist in our games, but when they do, they’re simplified to just be sets of specific skills that can be edited by players. The character creation portions of the games will teach you how to make a character that fits the world of each game, but otherwise, you can get as creative as you want. The S.S.O.S. includes very simple classes that act more as starting points for your character creation.
NOTE:
This is 1 of 2 games found in Universe Ball Anthology, an absurd SciFi TTRPG book coming to Kickstarter in 2021.Price: $5.00
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