I ran another game of Getting Away With Murder on Saturday, joined a Call of Cthulhu module set in 1666, and a risqué / comedy Fate Accelerated module set in a world where the Roswell crash really happened and the alien survivors escaped area 52, then integrated with human society.
Getting Away With Murder
Getting Away With Murder is designed as a GM-less game so with 6 players signed up my role at the table was more facilitator than GM, explaining the game, answering questions, and making sure people understood what to do without having read the players guide. I had 6 players sign up for the game, 5 who hadn’t played it before, and one of the players from the group that played on Tuesday joining for a second game.
The game went well and fit the 4 hour slot with a comfortable margin for explanations, table talk and comfort breaks. Across the two games there have been some good suggestions for minor rules adjustments but the feedback was overwhelmingly positive and the experience as a whole left me feeling like the game is in a good place. People enjoyed the writing and tone of the detail cards, and while the mystery got convoluted at times it never fell apart and the players always had fun scenes for their characters. The only real criticism has been of the tactile quality of the cards and tokens – it being a print-and-play game thats down to the type and quality of the card stock I used to print them.
Leaving the con with feedback including “you’ve improved on Fiasco” (from a friend) and “I love this game already” (from a player in Act II) makes it all worthwhile. Not to mention that having a player sign for a second game is as ringing an endorsement as you have have as a GM or designer at an event like this.
Call of Cthulhu in 1666
I am glad I played this module, despite knowing the GM is unhappy with how it has been playing out for them. The characters were interesting and we had some great role-play at the table, with improv poetry and nuanced performances. Talented and generous role-players who Play To Lift can transform a weak module or system in the same way as difficult or disruptive players can ruin the most well designed game.
Viva la Anal Probe
This fun and silly one-shot used the Fate Accelerated system. This is a simplified version of the Fate rule set, I was told, though I honestly couldn’t tell you how it differed from the Fate game I played.
We played the descendants of the Roswell crash, now integrated into human society as a immigrant minority, working at a vegas strip club (the bouncer, the club owner, and two exotic dancers). When an urgent but partial message arrives from outer space how do we get access to the government facilities needed to receive the rest of the message?
A fun way to end the con and a lot less risqué than than the module’s title implied.