Minimalist and One Page RPGs

[Reynard]

Do you enjoy minimalist and/or one page RPGs? Do you have a favorite or two? What do you think of the concept in general?

Lasers and Feelings gets lots of love, and for good reason. It implies a lot and if you have a table that is really dedicated to the idea I am sure you could have lots of fun.

I am not as familiar with minimalist games that aren't one page RPGs though.

 

[Theory of Games]

How would you define a "Minimalist ttrpg"?

I'm a fan of RISUS, The Anything RPG - but it's like 4-5 pages.

 

[Ruin Explorer]

I love Grant Howitt's one-page RPGs, which you can find on Bluesky, on his Patreon, or buy collections of from the Rowan, Rook and Deckard website.

Here's an example:

https://bsky.app/profile/gshowitt.bsky.social%2Fpost%2F3lpoaol3xr22m

That's a fairly silly if fun-sounding one. Some are more serious or even kind of involved. One was so well put-together it caused me to buy Spire, because honestly it was actually better than a lot of very serious RPGs we'd played (I'm struggling to find it but will link it if I do).

 

[Reynard]

Another related question: do you know of and potentially enjoy and SOLO minimalist or one page RPGs?

 

[The Soloist]

Another related question: do you know of and potentially enjoy and SOLO minimalist or one page RPGs?

There is a portion of Soloists who prefer minimal or one-page RPGs, because they are heavily into journaling, and crunchy systems break the immersion.

I'm a medium crunch soloist (dragonbane). I find minimalist RPGs lacking.

 

[The Soloist]

FU got a lot of love in my area when it came out in 2011. It was the go-to for one-shots or a stand-in RPG when some players cancelled at the last minute.

https://www.drivethrurpg.com/fr/product/89534/fu-the-freeform-universal-rpg-classic-rules

 

[aramis erak]

Do you enjoy minimalist and/or one page RPGs? Do you have a favorite or two? What do you think of the concept in general?

No. No. For people very unlike me.

Lasers and Feelings gets lots of love, and for good reason. It implies a lot and if you have a table that is really dedicated to the idea I am sure you could have lots of fun.

it gets just as much, and just as deserved, hate.

I am not as familiar with minimalist games that aren't one page RPGs though.

Deep7's 1PG line are not actually 1 page - most are a dozen pages, including adventures, but the player rules and the character sheet are on one side of one page, and the GM rules typically 1-2 sides. They're not quite rules light, but really close; they're atts+skills character gen, hard linked skills.

Everway is rules light... and not exactly short.

John Wick's got a bunch of rules light games that are multi-page. Cat comes to mind; it's pagecount is largely about describing the setting tropes.

Og: Unearthed is super simple... most of the book is setting, including bestiary. I fit character sheets onto business card stock... with rules synopsis in 10pt on the back. This is the lightest game I've ever enjoyed.

Brute Squad is also rules light, but it's , because it has a very un-trad resolution. Simple, but odd. It also has a bit of setting. It's not ultralight, just light, and it's 72pp... And the bestiary is statless... 20pp of illo and short text blurb.

 

[Celebrim]

Do you enjoy minimalist and/or one page RPGs? Do you have a favorite or two? What do you think of the concept in general?

No. No. I think they are designed to play once and that you'd need the right group of people even for that.

 

[Theory of Games]

I'd define "Minimalist TTRPGs" as the quintessential "Beer & Pretzels" games. Not bad, but definitely not for serious, long-term campaigns IMO.

 

[GMMichael]

How would you define a "Minimalist ttrpg"?

I'd include "game that seeks to use the minimum amount of rules necessary." It was one of my design goals for Modos RPG, which you can start playing with just one module: 13 rules.

I'm a fan of RISUS, The Anything RPG - but it's like 4-5 pages.

Sounds minimalist to me. Unless when you look at some of the rules, you're saying "why does that need to be in there?"

I'd define "Minimalist TTRPGs" as the quintessential "Beer & Pretzels" games. Not bad, but definitely not for serious, long-term campaigns IMO.

"Beer and pretzels," while wakening my stomach, sounds like something one could play at a bar. I.e. the rules shouldn't extend beyond the complexity of darts or 8-ball.

I wonder if minimalist games might be better for long-term campaigns, because you probably don't have to dread going to another 4-hour session in which you might or might not finish the combat you started in the previous session.