Pocketmod Playbooks

There seems to be a growing community of game designers working on the Pocketmod platform. A single sheet, folded and cut in such a way that it produces a tiny eight page booklet that can fit in a pocket or a wallet.



It's similar to the ideas that have been floating around the roleplaying community for at least two decades now...an entire game on a single sheet of paper.

I've been thinking about the concept, and taking my own spin on it.

How about a game in three parts.

Part 1: Core rules that everyone uses. These are the basics of the game divided into eight small pages.

Part 2: Character booklets. Everyone gets their own character booklet based on their character's specific type or class. The front page is a title, the back page is statistics, and the middle is an explanation of powers and abilities specific to this character.

Part 3: Scenario booklets. For each game, a random scenario booklet is chosen (or maybe a progression of scenario booklets for an ongoing story over several sessions). Each scenario booklet has a few twists on the rules specific to the events unfolding.

A single session for two players would take 4 pages to print (folded down into 4 booklets). Every additional player or session only adds one additional page to the game (each folded down again into a single booklet).

I've got a few ideas for the style of game where this publishing format might work...but I've got a few too many other things on my plate to start developing yet another new concept.

Comments

thesethingsthatiwrite said…
I've just downloaded the awesomesauce rules in pocket format, and I like the idea. their rules system is so light that they even manage to fit art work in too.

I think I would be happier with a slightly more detailed system though...
Tuesday, 23 October, 2012
D. Priebe said…
I'm not sure, it seems to me that it would be easier to read on a single, flat sheet of paper than folded down into a booklet. At a gaming table space can be limited, but I would think it would be harder to keep track of all the little booklets. Although I may be biased because my own system (Tiny, Versatile Role Playing System, or TVRPS)is in the single sheet front and back format. I can, however, see real advantages to the pocket format in a LARP setting.
Thursday, 25 October, 2012
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