Interesting article. Do you see examples of this in RPGs? I've seen a new brand of 'Play to Lose' RPGs that I find interesting, where they focus on the stories a character makes as they continue their inveitible decline into oblivion.
I think both Mothership and The Wretched come close to this idea, but each in their own way. If one were to combine the key aspects from each of those, you'd get something very much like a Solo Crisis Management TTRPG!
TTRPGs are almost always co-op or solo, which solves one of the design pitfalls with this sort of game. I'm sure there are examples out there, but I'm having trouble thinking of them!
I would second The Wretched and include any game based on its SRD Wretched and Alone. While there is technically a win condition (get 10 markers on the Ace of Hearts), it is so improbable that it should be considered impossible. There are multiple loss conditions, and there is the pressure of the jenga tower. Other jenga tower-based games, like Dread, might also fall into this category.
I think the main thing that separates all of these games from Crisis Management is that the player cannot actually *Manage* the Crisis. In Pandemic, you can at least try to remove disease cubes from key cities as protection against Outbreaks. There is no option to put blocks back into the base of the jenga tower in W&A games.
The indie TTRPG scene is chock-a-block with games where your characters is basically guaranteed to die or at least be horifically changed (or you get to watch your society collapse). Mothership is a good example, but there are also Trophy Dark, Fear of the Unknown, Downfall, Dialect, Fall of Magic, The Quiet Year, and the upcoming Hollows just off the top of my head. They're especially good for one-shots. As the Mountain Goats song Hostages goes, "when you know you'll never make it out alive, you kind of get to live out your dreams."
+100 Skeleton Code Machine points for working in a lyric from TMG!!!! 😎
Trophy Dark is a good one too (I covered that one a while back). Ruin works well as attrition throughout the game. The rings also work as escalation. It’s a great example and I should have probably called it out in the article!
I love these types of games because they force players to think creatively about doing what the best they can with what they have (information or tools or abilities). It very much mimics the kind of thinking we do in real life, in my opinion.
I enjoy base-, empire-, city-building games, but the "next-best thing" mentality really gets my brain moving!
Absolutely! Which is why crisis management "wargaming" or "simulation" events are used in real life to test things out. If you want to do something more realistic/simulation, it lends itself to that fairly easily.
We have quite a few games in this vein, in fact I've kind of decided we have enough given that many of them give the same feel. The game 'acts', making the situation worse. The players act, pushing back against that worsening situation.
We haven't played in a while, but I reckon Aeon's End is out favourite. I guess it is essentially a boss battler, but that boss presents a crisis and is constantly acting to make your situation worse. Definitely more about avoiding loss than winning. More common to run out of cards (a victory condition) than defeat the boss.
We played a fair amount of Pandemic early on, but got rid of it when suddenly, a few years ago, it started to feel a bit to real 🙂
Nice analysis - the Marcus Aurelius game sounds interesting 👍
I've surprisingly never had a chance to try Aeon's End, even though it sounds like my sort of game. Deckbuilding with an interesting no-shuffle discard? Count me in!
As for Pandemic and Pandemic-like games, I would agree there is the risk that they all start to feel the same. The one that has retained my attention is Spirit Island. I think the asymmetric player powers (some of which are quite complex) really make that game shine. Ocean's Hungry Grasp is my personal favorite.
Interesting article. Do you see examples of this in RPGs? I've seen a new brand of 'Play to Lose' RPGs that I find interesting, where they focus on the stories a character makes as they continue their inveitible decline into oblivion.
I think both Mothership and The Wretched come close to this idea, but each in their own way. If one were to combine the key aspects from each of those, you'd get something very much like a Solo Crisis Management TTRPG!
TTRPGs are almost always co-op or solo, which solves one of the design pitfalls with this sort of game. I'm sure there are examples out there, but I'm having trouble thinking of them!
I would second The Wretched and include any game based on its SRD Wretched and Alone. While there is technically a win condition (get 10 markers on the Ace of Hearts), it is so improbable that it should be considered impossible. There are multiple loss conditions, and there is the pressure of the jenga tower. Other jenga tower-based games, like Dread, might also fall into this category.
I think the main thing that separates all of these games from Crisis Management is that the player cannot actually *Manage* the Crisis. In Pandemic, you can at least try to remove disease cubes from key cities as protection against Outbreaks. There is no option to put blocks back into the base of the jenga tower in W&A games.
Why does Pandemic: The Roleplaying Game not exist?
I appreciate your eye for the essence of a game. You identify the theory and design behind the play and add your own analysis that pushes it forward.
Love these.
Thank you so much for the kind words! I really appreciate it. ☺️
The indie TTRPG scene is chock-a-block with games where your characters is basically guaranteed to die or at least be horifically changed (or you get to watch your society collapse). Mothership is a good example, but there are also Trophy Dark, Fear of the Unknown, Downfall, Dialect, Fall of Magic, The Quiet Year, and the upcoming Hollows just off the top of my head. They're especially good for one-shots. As the Mountain Goats song Hostages goes, "when you know you'll never make it out alive, you kind of get to live out your dreams."
+100 Skeleton Code Machine points for working in a lyric from TMG!!!! 😎
Trophy Dark is a good one too (I covered that one a while back). Ruin works well as attrition throughout the game. The rings also work as escalation. It’s a great example and I should have probably called it out in the article!
Great comment. Thanks!
I love these types of games because they force players to think creatively about doing what the best they can with what they have (information or tools or abilities). It very much mimics the kind of thinking we do in real life, in my opinion.
I enjoy base-, empire-, city-building games, but the "next-best thing" mentality really gets my brain moving!
Absolutely! Which is why crisis management "wargaming" or "simulation" events are used in real life to test things out. If you want to do something more realistic/simulation, it lends itself to that fairly easily.
Brilliant as always. Saving this newsletter like many others of yours as I continue to learn about game design and mechanics.
Thank you so much!
Watch for the announcement this coming week. If you like to save Skeleton Code Machine articles, you are going to like it. :)
We have quite a few games in this vein, in fact I've kind of decided we have enough given that many of them give the same feel. The game 'acts', making the situation worse. The players act, pushing back against that worsening situation.
We haven't played in a while, but I reckon Aeon's End is out favourite. I guess it is essentially a boss battler, but that boss presents a crisis and is constantly acting to make your situation worse. Definitely more about avoiding loss than winning. More common to run out of cards (a victory condition) than defeat the boss.
We played a fair amount of Pandemic early on, but got rid of it when suddenly, a few years ago, it started to feel a bit to real 🙂
Nice analysis - the Marcus Aurelius game sounds interesting 👍
Thank you!
I've surprisingly never had a chance to try Aeon's End, even though it sounds like my sort of game. Deckbuilding with an interesting no-shuffle discard? Count me in!
As for Pandemic and Pandemic-like games, I would agree there is the risk that they all start to feel the same. The one that has retained my attention is Spirit Island. I think the asymmetric player powers (some of which are quite complex) really make that game shine. Ocean's Hungry Grasp is my personal favorite.
Yeah if your like deck building, Aeon's End is top tier, in my opinion.
I'd love to try Spirit Island some day, but I don't think I've got space for a copy in my collection right now 🙂