Of all the aspects of Powered by the Apocalypse, “the conversation” puzzled me most when I first got into it. I understand now that this is the essence of PbtA games, and that for some instances of PbtA, the conversation is the barest bones version of it.
That got me thinking that a “proof of concept*” of a new PbtA game might be just having a conversation, within a particular milieu or genre (or sub-genre), perhaps using a generic move to propel the narrative when necessary.
If you’re in the early stages of a game concept, have you ever just had a conversation, just to see if there’s enough to work with?
I’m curious what else you might have done to develop a “proof of concept” or minimal viable product version of their games. I’m familiar with “Simple World” by Avery Alder, but even that is heavier than I’m imagining.
Extended Footnote:
This weekend on our Father’s Day hike, my 8yo really wanted to play a role-playing game. To be clear: while we were walking. In that moment, I decided to “test” my concept for “The Pack: Pets in the Post-Apocalypse.” I asked each family member to tell me what kind of dog they were, what their name was, and what their special characteristic is.
We then proceeded to tell a story about their characters, and we did rock-paper-scissors when a move was triggered (a tie represents 7-9). As Narrator, my role was to ask questions (which is what I would be doing at the table anyway) and making mostly soft moves to keep things flowing. I shifted the spotlight (acknowledging that 8yo was most interested in playing) and encouraged them to contribute elements to the story.
I was surprised (a) how well it worked and (b) how much insight it gave me into the game design.