What if you had no dice and no internet?
Could you still play an RPG with random chance?
This is what I asked myself in the shower at the end of GDC 2025.
Goals:
Create a simple RPG that allows for chance without usage of dice, preferably with
easily-available materials.
If possible, implement a quality/resource-based narrative that is both dynamically affected by, and dynamically affects the progression of the narrative.
Ideally this game (and those made in its format) would be able to be printed out, and played choose-your-own-adventure-style, with pen and paper
Constraints:
Time is here a factor, in more ways than one; I spent it creating a minimum-viable-product; I realized I could use this as a portfolio piece, and at that point, only had hours before submission.
Simplicity is key; we could surely come up with a solution that relies on complex algorithms, but if done correctly, a child should be able to enjoy this game as much as an adult
Fun is kind of important when making a game. If it’s not fun - or at the very least, interesting at this - stage, it will be harder to make it so later.
“Cool story, bro. Did you succeed?”
Well, I suppose