I submitted my entry to this year’s 200 Word RPG Challenge! It’s called “Among the Wreckage.” It takes place following a disaster caused by the “Faceless Beast” — which players can interpret as they see fit. Players basically draw from a scattered deck of cards and create stories based on the cards they reveal, though you should read the full rules on its page.
In writing this, I tried to key into the “new and overlooked stories” element of the judging criteria — and I think it pushed me to come up with a setting that I wouldn’t have originally considered. The Faceless Beast setup lends itself to a city of people rebuilding after a kaiju attack, but it could easily be reinterpreted/adapted to a more realistic setting if players prefer.
In terms of gameplay, I liked the tactile nature of scattering cards to represent disorder and wreckage, then having players slowly clear the space and provide order as they search for their goals. The player interaction component went through a few different iterations, but I think it ultimately turned out well.
All in all, I really enjoyed trying the challenge this year, and I’m planning on entering again next year! Writing game rules is definitely different from writing a story — especially if you only get 200 words. But it was a fun experience and I think I learned a little bit about creating games. If you happen to play “Among the Wreckage,” I’d love to hear what you think about it!