Back from Vilnius and time for part two, this time with demons and mad musicians. Just a quick summary of how I do this:
I won’t write much on what the game is about, just my thoughts, you can read about the games themselves on the webpage, I’ll link to each game.
When we sign up for Fastaval, we have to give the games we want to play a priority from one (I really, really, really wanna play this game) to four (if there’s nothing else, I want to play this game) or just nothing.
In this write up I’ll give each game a “Do I want to play this?” priority from 1 (a lot) to 5 (ah properly not, not that it’s a bad game, it’s just not for me.)
Dæmoner (Demons, text (and maybe game?) only in english)
This sounds like a cool, cruel game. Forced korean prostitutes in the japanese army, looking for a lost child, and then the sexual assaults on them are played out metaphorically by cutting to a japanese theater troupe rehearsing a game about female servants fighting to save their princess from demons (read the text for a better description). Uh! I like that switching mechanic. (And the theater troupe is based in Hiroshima, so we can all guess where that is going.)
Sounds like a game ripe for tragedy. BUT: I really don’t like sex in role play. If all sex is in these metaphorical parts, then it could work really well for me, humm I’m more tempted than before I wrote this.
And then they write this: The scenario is equal parts “Pans Labrinth”, Spirited away and The Pianist.” See I really hated “Pan Labyrinth” but “Spirited away” is one of my favorite films, (I don’t know The Pianist.) This is hard.
Do I want to play this?: 3
I don’t know, 3 is quickly becoming my I don’t know category
This is one of those games that I could play just based on the writers, Jeppe and Maria made the by now famous Sarabande, a really brilliant game that used music and repeated scenes in such a great way. (I was just about to link my play report, but it turns out that it is one of the many I have not gotten around to write yet.)
Anyway it looks like this is game also draw a lot from from music just read this:
“Deranged is for players who want to be engulfed by a continuous flow of scenes about love, madness, and genius, which they create together on a foundation of beautiful romantic music”
In fact just read the last paragraph on the webpage, that is enough to make me want to play it. It just sounds beautiful, and using music to create both continuous flow and as a framework for the story is just brilliant, I can’t wait to play this.
Do I want to play this?: 1
Hell yes!
Fables from five fallen realms
Ah! the nano anthology makes a return, the format is: write a scenario on a postcard, and the groups play the ones they like. I contributed with “Two ravens and a pile of rotting corpses” to last years collection “In the deep dark forest.”
I like the sound of the five games this year, I had actually not thought I was going to play them, but I might change my mind. But I do wish they had included more games, I think the theme could survive more exploring.
Do I want to play this?: 2
Up from a 4
This is actually very close to the game I had rejected two years ago, mine was about second world war soldiers and especially the wives waiting at home in a country changed by the war. But as I said, this seems so much better. It’s closer to home, we all know someone who knows someone who’s been to war, (kind of depressing really.)
It seems like a quiet, heavy game of the type I really like. I mean the game has my by the end of the flavor text, it doesn’t say it but by god I hope letters play a role, I hope the communication between wife and soldier play a role, because that sounds awesome.
Also: “There is awkward Skype sex” what’s not to like!
One complaint is that the text is messing the: “for players that like…” “and for GM that like…” and that’s a little frustrating because I think it could had helped me chose. This game can be compelling for several kinds of players, I would like to know which ones it is.
Do I want to play this?: 2
Would be one, if the play type sounded like me, but alas we will never know.