I’ve been playing TTRPGs online with a group of friends for close to a decade and later this year we are planning an in-person meet up. I’d like to find some options for rule-light games that can be learnt quickly, and would play at least mildly well with upwards of 12 players for a mega-session, for 6+ hours of game.
Open to any suggestions to get the ball rolling. Rules-light, big group, go!
Edited to add:
Some suggestions I have received from other places. I haven’t looked into any of these but wanted to add for discussion’s sake:
- Everyone Is John
- the Borg games (Mork Borg, etc)
- Fate
- Tiny D6
- Kobolds Ate My Baby
- Daethmatch Island
- Dream Askew
- Shadowdark
- Perils and Processes
If you have any experience with these, your input is appreciated!
My 2 classic options would be
Split the game in 2 or even 3 4-5 persons tables, works way better. On a tabletop game, if everyone takes a one minute turn to act, 10 players means you need 10 minutes per turn, it’s slow not just RPG, but in boardgames too. So split into smaller party.
12 players, rule-light, look for a parlour larp. There is some “easy to set-up” parlour larp, with very simple mechanics, and that you can play in a 2 room appartment (or even a barn) so they’re not as big/complicated as actual larp with big rule-books, 100’s of players, and a whole castle. Just like a real LARP, it requires a bit more “buy-in/prep” from the player, but it can be a great experience. As a rule of thumb, plan 1 extra hour before game-start for briefing/set-up, and 1-2 extra hour for debrief/cool-down (turn out that after such an intense experience most player don’t want to go home immediately but talk about-it, especially if PvP tension was rising until the final scene which is a classic larp format)
We are two, kinda three groups that already play separately and have known each other for nearly a decade but never been in the same room all together. We specifically want to come together, and do something all together. We have a lot of ttrpg experience. We know the pitfalls, we know the dangers. We’re prepared to face them!
Then I would recommend again the LARP route, either as a “light indoor larp for 10 people” or at a 10 people faction at a larger game. When I was active part of an online RPG community, we would join a LARP per year so we could play a large faction and see each others IRL. Often it was more the “Barbecue LARP format” so the not that great one but you end-up doing a barbecue and getting beer in a ridiculous costume
Thanks for the suggestion. I don’t think this is the route we will go but I’ll keep it in the back pocket.