Monster Mash

Wow, two weeks is a long time to go without brain-dumping game thoughts. Here’s a bunch of things that I’ve been thinking about for Giger Counter, my survival horror game.

Playtest Condition List

• Trapped: Can’t leave current Location as long as this Condition is active.
• Fleeing/Chased: Can’t spend more than one scene in the same Location as long as this Condition is active.
• Alone: Can’t be in a scene with any non-Monster/Traitor characters as long as this Condition is active.
• Unprepared: Can’t use any Tools as long as this Condition is active.
• Lost: Is in an unmarked Location that is not on any card, so it is impossible to move into or out of without changing the “Lost” Condition to something else.
• Presumed Dead: Can’t be in any scenes at all while this Condition is active, though the character’s “corpse” can be. While you are Presumed Dead, feel free to assist in playing Monsters.
• Freaking Out: Can’t use any of your Background or Dark Secret/Hidden Talent dice while you’re in this Condition.
• Infected/Compromised: Once you take this Condition, every character that’s in a scene with you should roll a die during the scene. If they get a 5-6, they also gain this Condition, in addition to any other Conditions gained during the scene. You cannot change this Condition until you have given it to at least one other character.
• Traitor: Reveal your Dark Secret. From now on, you must actively seek to harm, delay, or otherwise impair the progress of non-Monster/Traitor characters. You can still fight other Traitors and Monsters and they may decide to fight you. You can only gain this Condition if all the Monster’s traits have been revealed and you can’t change it once you have it.

What You Do On Your Turn

1. Change your characters Conditions to other Conditions, if you like.
1A. Describe a mini-scene explaining how those Conditions change.

2. Pick the characters and location for a scene that you will frame. Try to avoid framing scenes that include your own character until all the Monsters’ traits have been revealed.

3. Set the scene, describing the Location and characters (including their current Conditions) in lurid detail, using shot-framing if you like.

4. Give the characters a few minutes to explore the scene, describing anything they encounter.

5. Create a conflict, assuming the characters don’t find one on their own. The conflict can be of 4 different types:
– impair their progress towards their goals (the passage is blocked! the car breaks down!)
– there is strange new information that must be deciphered (wait, why is it dark? where’d everybody else go? what do these symbols mean? what’s that smell?)
– they are suddenly attacked by Monster or Traitor characters!
– an inter-character dispute arises between them from their exploration of the scene

6. Describe and resolve the conflict, possibly earning characters some Conditions and/or discovering new information about the Monster(s).
6A. Have a mini-scene where the new Conditions or Monster information is explained.

Honestly, I’m not sure about the placing of the “a” mini-scenes. I want them to fit organically into the pacing of the game, but I’m not sure how. If suddenly you are Trapped, it’d be good to explain how you came to be Trapped. We’ll try this for now and see how it works.