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Friday, August 8, 2014

Why Isn't There A Game For That?

There are a number of genres/subgenres that are under-utilized or not utilized at all in rpgs, despite the fact they would probably work pretty well. Here are a few off the top of my head:

Humorous Adventure Pulp
Basically this would cover the whimsical, fantastical, and often violent world of Thimble Theatre (later Popeye) and the Fleischer Popeye cartoon. A lot of fist-fights, fewer guns. This would also cover Little Orphan Annie, various kid gang comics, and (on the more violent end) Dick Tracy.

Wainscot Fantasy
Little creatures hiding in the big world. Think The Burrowers, The Littles, and Fraggle Rock.

Kid Mystery Solvers
Scooby Doo is probably the most well-known example, but you've got several Hanna-Barbera returns to the same concept. Ditch weird pet/side kick, and you've got The Three Investigators, Nancy Drew, and the Hardy Boys.

Wacky Races
I've written about this one before--and Richard has run it. Still needs a game, though.


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16 comments:

  1. Brandon LighterAugust 8, 2014 at 9:03 AM

    There was a series of Dungeon Magazine articles in the early 2000's that tried to introduce the d20 system to new (mostly humorous) genres. I know they covered the Wacky Race and Kid Mystery Solvers concepts. I'll see if I can dig up links for you...

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  2. rainsweptAugust 8, 2014 at 10:55 AM

    You best me to it, Mr. Lighter. The awesome Hi Jinx was from Polyhedron 158/Dungeon 99. Paizo sells a pdf.

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  3. TreyAugust 8, 2014 at 11:03 AM

    Cool! Thanks for the heads up, guys.

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  4. DesdichadoAugust 8, 2014 at 11:37 AM

    As a slightly off-topic aside, The Great Race is one of my favorite movies from the vast body of movies that are older than me.

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  5. garrisonjamesAugust 8, 2014 at 1:04 PM

    I think that designers have tended to lean on 'generic' systems that can be adapted to these or other genres, like say GURPs or FATE or some other acronymic abstract amusement apparatus. Do you really need a dedicated system to play a Popeye game? Maybe not...but a system that was hardwired to handle the specific expectations and conventions of that genre would be a great way to immerse oneself in the cool-stuff that informs that particular sort of thing. Maybe WaRP could be re-worked to serve each of these examples...

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  6. Chris C.August 8, 2014 at 5:02 PM

    It's true I would never have thought of these myself, but they'd probably make good games. I could totally see myself playing a humorous adventure pulp, like Popeye.

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  7. Jack GuignolAugust 8, 2014 at 5:50 PM

    Doesn't the Rocky & Bullwinkle game with the hand-puppets count for "humorous adventure pulp"?

    Okay, I know full well it doesn't count for anything.

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  8. AnonymousAugust 8, 2014 at 6:17 PM

    Scooby Doo - Cthulhu mashups actually seem to be pretty popular amongst Savage Worlds GMs. I've thought of running one myself as a one-shot.

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  9. UnknownAugust 8, 2014 at 6:45 PM

    Toon?

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  10. bombasticusAugust 8, 2014 at 7:05 PM

    I have been waiting for a Popeye game since that property went public domain (also gonzo Popeye fan films but that's another story) and attaching it to the Bullwinkle & Rocky game flicks a big light bulb.

    Now where did I put that spinner....

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  11. Jeffrywith1eAugust 9, 2014 at 12:22 AM

    There is a game about tiny people. It's a spin off or expansion of Mermaid Adventures. *Thimble*

    http://rpggeek.com/rpgitem/145252/thimble

    The Secret World of Arrietty is an amazing film, btw.

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  12. Simon J. HogwoodAugust 9, 2014 at 12:51 AM

    Ken Hite is reportedly working on a Kid Detective variant of 'Trail of Cthulhu' called 'Bubblegumshoe'.

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  13. Fabien LyraudAugust 9, 2014 at 2:05 PM

    Do you remember The Comets, a wacking race Hannah Barbera series about a futuristic skating race ?

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  14. TreyAugust 9, 2014 at 2:35 PM

    Good suggestions, guys.

    @Fabien - You've stumped me with that one!

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  15. Fabien LyraudAugust 10, 2014 at 2:28 PM

    For the Wainscott fantasy you have two french games :
    - Elfirie : for playing little faerie creatures living among the human house.
    - Nains et jardins : for playing a garden dwarf.

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  16. Matthew SchmeerAugust 11, 2014 at 11:46 AM

    Meddling Kids = Scooby Doo rpg

    http://www.rpgnow.com/product_info.php?products_id=83837&


    Monster Kart Racing = Wacky Races

    https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/accessiblegames/monster-kart-mayhem-a-fudge-kart-racing-rpg

    http://www.accessiblegames.biz/our-games/monster-kart-mayhem/

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