Awaiting the End

Universal
Future Proof Games
2014
Complexity: 1

Awaiting the End is a game about “a group of people awaiting a doom in an unpleasant place,” which makes it only slightly more uplifting than Camwhores. It’s also a GM-less game focused almost entirely on storytelling, which is the sort of thing that usually end up being a bit too role playing and not enough game for my tastes.

EPICS

Deserve to Survive
Universal (superheroes)
Dragonslayer Games
2003
Complexity: 2

EPICS--The Easy, Player-Initiated Character System--is a superhero game that didn’t want to be a superhero game so it became a “universal” system. It’s also a game that talks pretty big of itself, being described as “one of the most original game systems in years” and “a new type of roleplaying system” by its publisher. Which is convenient for me because that tells me exactly what I should be expecting, and to what standard I should be holding it--obviously very very high.

Deadly Simple Role Playing System

Universal

Self Published
2011
Complexity: unplayable without significant user-generated content

Deadly Simple Role Playing System is an independently-developed universal system with a twist, it’s name isn’t a stupid acronym. This game is promoted as a “very easy to die in game, that is fun and flexible enough to fit into ANY world with a little bit of work,” and obviously if I’m specifically mentioning something in the introduction that means it’s going to come up later.

However, before I begin I should probably mention that I am on record on multiple occasions as saying that when a first-time designer decides to make a “universal system” it’s because they want to feel like they’re a game designer, but don’t want to have to do all the work associated with a fully fleshed-out game. Or they’re so conceded that they think their system is so amazing that they’re going to revolutionize the very concept of tabletop gaming. Although I will say that the creator of this system is probably not the latter.

Lunch Box Heroes

Universal (fantasy)
Chubby Monster Games, Frugal GM
2014
Complexity: 2

I’m starting to feel like maybe I’m specifically targeting games for review that I think will be bad. So here’s what I did: went to DriveThruRPG, searched for free core rule books, generated a random number within the range of total results, selected that number product, and reviewed it.
And fortunately for me, this first foray into randomly-selected content returned Lunch Box Heroes, a mildly delightful, rules-lite, kinda portable RPG.
Now if you’re confused by the concept of a “portable RPG” that’s okay, it’s a stupid term that I made up right now. But what I mean is the game is designed to be played with minimal dedicated resources. Aside from the rules—which can be printed in a 2.75×4.25-inch booklet—is a pencil and coins for randomization—however, I will be referring to the coins as d2s from this point on because it’s my blog and I can do whatever I want.

TWERPS: The World's Easiest Role-Playing System

Universal (comedic)
Reindeer Games, Gamescience
1987
Complexity: 1

Introduction
Published in 1987, TWERPS is one of the first “superlight” roleplaying system. The game was originally published in a pink 4.5×7-inch 8-page booklet—i.e. It is very very small. The minds behind this madness were Jeff & ‘Manda Dee—yes, the Jeff Dee who did some of the best D&D illustrations. So let’s get into this unnecessarily complex review of an unnecessarily simple game.