RPG Design Competition - Now Accepting Entries

[TSGames]

Hello fellow Playgrounders!

TopSecret Games is proud to announce the First Ever Two Page Tabletop Competition will begin accepting entries tomorrow!

The top two winners of the contest will be given a chance to expand their work and have it published as part of a tabletop anthology.

What’s in it for me?
Money, fame, glorious prizes, world domination, etc.

OK, so maybe we’re getting ahead of ourselves. The top two winners will be offered the chance to expand their work and have it published as part of an upcoming Succinct Tabletop RPG anthology.

All entrants will receive constructive feedback from our hand picked panel of excellent judges and some lucky few will even have their work featured on the TopSecret Blog.

What’s the catch?
Nothing! You retain all rights to the work that you submit for the competition. You grant TopSecret Games the right to digitally display, rate, and review your submitted work.


Who can enter the contest?
The Two Page Tabletop Contest is open to everyone, unless you’re a judge.

When is the contest?

The contest opens May 9th. You can submit entries all the way through June 9th, at which point the competition closes for final judging. Only two entries are allowed per contestant.

What are the competition rules?

Simply create a playable tabletop RPG using only two single sided pages of American letter size paper.

The tabletop that you create must be:

• Playable – Someone uninitiated to it must be able to pick it up and understand how to play.
• Have a Setting – RPGs do not exist in a vacuum, your setting needs to allow the reader to gain a feel for the type of RPG they are about to play. Go for as much or as little detail as you feel you need.

This is not a challenge for the faint of heart.

In addition, we will be allowing entries with an optional third page for character sheets and character sheets only. This third page will not be judged in the competition so as to avoid adversely affecting our two page participants, but you may receive feedback from the judges on it.

How do I enter?
The competition opens, today, May 9th. You can submit your TPT entry here. Happy designing, and good luck!

[TSGames]

The contest is now open. You can now submit your entries and learn about our awesome judges.

Of course, designing a Two Page Tabletop is a little beyond the kern of most starting designers and this is not a challenge for the faint of heart or the easily discouraged.

[TSGames]

We got got our 10th entry. It's definitely a fairly unique take on the RPG genre:

Grab your polos and flip-flops, it's time to Whip it Out!

[Ninjaman]

About the whip it out game:
So the Situation is relevant during a Throw-down, where they add situation modifiers. But to get to the throw-down they have to pick the same sign, therefore get the same modifier, so how does the situation matter?

[Amechra]

I might enter something.

Depends on whether or not I can squeeze my idea(s) into two pages.

[TSGames]

I might enter something.

Depends on whether or not I can squeeze my idea(s) into two pages.

You should go for it, but don't underestimate the challenge of a Two Page Tabletop: it always seems CR 0, but then you approach it and suddenly it's not quite what you expected.

[Ninjaman]

If i put cards on one of the pages, will they be treated as if the reallife cards were the same size or can they be assumed to be larger?

[TSGames]

If i put cards on one of the pages, will they be treated as if the reallife cards were the same size or can they be assumed to be larger?

That's up to you: if you specify the cards should be larger, then they can be treated that way. Just remember the more complexity you add, the more effort it takes to set up and review the game.

[gr8artist]

So what exactly must the two pages entail? I could easily fit race descriptions, mechanics overview, rules for encounter design, and a brief discussion of plot or setting, but could not fit an appropriate feat list, spell compendium, or bestiary in 2 pages.
If we're only expected to create a workable demo, that could probably happen, but giving a DM enough information to build a whole campaign seems like a tall order.

[Amechra]

Well, you're designing a whole new RPG; a lot of those things are completely unnecesary, when you get down to it.

There are games that fit on one side of a business card, for Heaven's sake!

[Bhu]

Do we need to submit a handwritten copy? I can't really write due to carpal tunnel and nerve damage but I can type.

[TSGames]

Do we need to submit a handwritten copy? I can't really write due to carpal tunnel and nerve damage but I can type.

Type is definitely preferred! It's easier on your hand and on my eyes. =)

For some examples, I'd recommend checking out the contest gallery. We've had a lot of really good submissions and more than a few very strange ones.

Well, you're designing a whole new RPG; a lot of those things are completely unnecesary, when you get down to it.

I think you hit the nail on the head here. To pull an excerpt from the original Two Page Tabletop proposal:

The most well-known RPGs are written in books well in excess of 100 pages. By constraining the tabletop rules and setting to 2 pages, the budding designer is forced in a very real and hard way to reconsider what makes an RPG. Every sentence of setting description, every mechanic, and each and every ability must be communicated clearly, effectively, and concisely.

The challenge is simply forcing new designers to abide by the designer's mandate:
A designer knows he has achieved perfection not when there is nothing left to add, but when there is nothing left to take away.
Which turns out to be surprisingly challenging and most young designers give up about half way through.

[Bhu]

In that case, if I can do them well enough in the time left I will present you with the following:

Damn You Nicholas Cage
Zombie Pigs Take Afghanistan
The Carburetor Gawds are Angry
The Cultist Wrasslin' Federation

maybe some more

[TSGames]

Bear in mind, there's an entry limit of two per contestant.

Granted, with the interest this has generated, there's a slim possibility of that changing at some point, but you should definitely plan for two.

[Bhu]

I'll go with the first two then. Hopefully you don't mind a viciously absurd sense of humor.

[TSGames]

Week 1 write-up is out.

I've seen so many unique mechanics and game ideas in one week of this competition; it truly boggles the mind what can be done in two page.

[Bhu]

One of my entries is being proof read now. Will have it for you soon.

[UristMcRandom]

Sounds fun, I'll try it.

[TSGames]

I'm little behind on this, but the week 2 recap is out.

We're nearing 50 entries. I wonder if the 50th will come from the Playground?

[inuyasha]

Ooh, i might just have to attempt this...

[Amechra]

Could we make two interlinked games?

You know, two games with the same base mechanics (which'll probably take up half a page), and then build up their own rules from there.

So they are both standalone games, but you coud use either as a supplement for the other.

Because I have two... different games I'm working on (one has you playing high school girls in a haunted prep school, the other has you playing as swords.), and I'm wondering if it would be fine to use the same mechanical basis.

[TSGames]

Could we make two interlinked games?

You know, two games with the same base mechanics (which'll probably take up half a page), and then build up their own rules from there.

So they are both standalone games, but you coud use either as a supplement for the other.

That's completely fine; just make sure that when you submit them, you do it under the same name so that we don't get worried about plagiarism.

[TSGames]

The week 3 recap is out. Lot's of genres and unique ideas were represented. This week had more science fiction entries than any other single genre.

[UristMcRandom]

Will we be allowed to submit entries on June 9th, or do last-minute entries need to be in by the end of the 8th?

[TSGames]

Will we be allowed to submit entries on June 9th, or do last-minute entries need to be in by the end of the 8th?

June 9th is the last day to submit entries; we'll be accepting entries all day. Once it hits midnight on the 10th, no more entries will be accepted.

[Amechra]

Here I was, about to say that I can't finish my games due to time crunch... and I see that the deadline is the 9th and not today.

Excellent.

[Bhu]

I submitted Zombie Pigs Take Afghanistan. Lemme know if it doesn't show up. Alas I do not have the time to finish up the second game...

Shame too, it was much less conventional.

[TSGames]

I submitted Zombie Pigs Take Afghanistan.

Looking forward to reading it. =)

One day left in the contest! Submissions are open all day tomorrow and it closes at midnight. We have 75 entries at the moment; there's definitely something for everyone.

[Octopusapult]

Didn't discover this thread until just about oh.. ten minutes ago. Thought I only had an hour and half to try, but apparently I have all of tomorrow as well. Good for me.

Going to do my best here.

[Time Blossom]

What time zone is that midnight gonna happen in, by the by?