I’ve been aware of the annual 200 Word RPG Challenge for a few years now, but this is the first year I’m actually submitting something and I’m feeling pretty proud of myself. Better yet, a few friends and my partner have submitted games as well, which has helped to build a lovely sense of camaraderie as we work on each other’s games (most of my best ideas being stolen from them).

Whilst discussing the competition with another friend, we noted how the EXTREMELY tight word count forces games to adopt a very specific focus – adaptations of a TV show won’t cut it, only adaptations of a specific scene. He joked about examples of what that scene would be, and I, being a person who takes things too seriously, decided to go home and write it.

For a while, this was almost the entry I submitted – which is a good sign, I guess – but I decided to prioritise my original idea, which I personally prefer and find more interesting (even if it’s less likely to win). Lest my extra work go to work, here’s my rejected second entry. No prizes at all for guessing that the show is.

Count to Ten

You’re teenage anger and hormones personified. Grab 20 red D6s.

Play with three friends, team-mates. They share 9 d6s: 3 purple, 3 blue, 3 orange.

Tell them why you’re upset in EXACTLY 10 words, no more, no less. Then, talk it out.

When they try to calm you down they can roll:

• A blue die when appealing to duty.
• A purple die when appealing to logic or reason.
• An orange die when appealing to friendship.

They never HAVE to roll, nor use all their dice.

You roll red dice when you’re pissed off. Roll multiple dice, one-by-one, if you’re REALLY mad.

Rolled dice stay on the table. If a die shows a number already shown on another die of the same colour, remove both dice from play.

When you’ve rolled all 20 red dice, the dust settles. Assess the damage:

• If blue dice were removed, someone’s morale is broken.
• If purple dice were removed, something physical is broken.
• If orange dice were removed, someone’s friendship is broken.
• Add up red dice on the table. Add up all other dice. If the red total is higher, the team is broken.

CODA: You may, optionally, play ninjas and/or mutant turtles.