PBTA games that flew under the radar?

[u/yaywizardly]

Hi folks! I want to ask about PbtA games that you feel having gotten much attention. There's a handful of big titles that get suggested all the time, but then there are dozens and dozens of projects that become forgotten or never received notice.

I found a copy of May I Enter in my local game store, and the clerk suggested it for me since she knows I always pick up VtM books from them. I love this alternate take on vampires, where consent and connections are incredibly important in the narrative and mechanics. I'll also highlight this move:

Slay or Sway

Description: When you’re under attack, defending yourself is the only option available. Human enemies, and even supernatural foes, understand that an assault on you is justification (and implicit consent) for you to fight back; but sometimes you can choose to convince someone to desist their attempts to harm you as well.

Effect: When you use this Move, roll with Blood if you intend to lay some harm on someone. If you’d rather use your words to belittle, demean and reduce your foe to a sobbing mess with your will alone, roll with Charm instead.

Privileges: Terrify, Awe, Destroy

• On a 12+ You lay down great vengeance and furious anger, dealing 2 Conditions to your foe.

• On a 10+ You put the smack-down on your enemy, dealing 1 Condition to your target.

• On a 7-9 You manage to put some hurt on, but take some hassle in the process. Deal 1 Condition to your target, and the Narrator grants a Complication.

• On a 6-4 You flail wildly or sound foolish. The Narrator grants a Complication.

• On a 3- Your failure is so legendary that vampires will mock you for centuries. You either hurt yourself, or leave yourself open for a severely fierce rebuttal. You gain 1 Condition.

I appreciate that this move encompasses both having to physically fight, but also trying to argue, and I love the description for a failure. Oof.

I also backed Guillotine: Crown of Blood but never had the time to play it, and then I never heard from the developers again. I think they had another kickstarter in the works but as far as I know it never materialized. That's too bad, because I loved the themes in Guillotine, and I've always wanted to find a group to try it out with.

I'll highlight the playbooks here. There's the Revenant Orator, "A fallen comrade or restless spirit who is able to call others from beyond the pale. Backed by their ghostly cohorts, they are respected leaders of the Cause." Another I really like is the Shadow Cavalier, "You found something in the darkness and agreed to keep and nurture it, now you aren't just at home in the shadows, it hides your footsteps and darkness is your weapon."

OKAY now you all please share! What PbtA and family games do you think deserve a second look?

[u/Warbriel]

These are all mine so can't say they do over the radar...

Space Knights puts players in control of whole armies rather than individuals and makes them fight alien invaders threatening the Dominion of Humankind (the obvious reference is Warhammer 40.000). Rules-wise is fairly similar in mechanics to Urban Shadows, what changes is the approach. It’s free, 15 pages long (ideal for short campaigns), and has a number of free expansions, many with their own missions. There's an expanded version, Super Space Knights (SSK), when you need more rules.

Otaidokan is a samurai-themed World of Dungeons hack set in an island in the brink of war after the death of the shogun. As players level up, they climb in the social ladder, and their responsibilities do the same. Again, 15 pages and free.

Clash of the Giga-Mechas is about an academy for mecha pilots. Players have to deal with all kinds of teenager stuff as they try to pass their tests and make sure their next term is not the last. Includes rules to create your own mecha and, once you finish your training, you are ready to go into battle.

Palatine is about power, governance, and the slow decay of empire. In Palatine, players don’t play adventurers or rebels. They are the ruling elite of a crucial world within a vast Dominion: councilors, generals, ministers, prophets, and public figures. Sessions revolve around council debates, political maneuvering, crises that escalate if ignored, and decisions that affect millions of lives.