"Researching" for a new #TTRPG idea

I think it's finally time for me to return to a moves-based PbtA, and work on my FIRST campaign-ready game.

Still have a solid premise/endgame in mind tho, those are hard for me to quit!

Honestly the main reason I'm ready to make this game is because of the @GauntletRPG community and how supportive they are of indie games.

Last time I tried making a moves-based PbtA, scheduling playtests was an absolute nightmare (in a game like this, playtests are essential!)

I cannot stress enough how easy it is to offer a game up for playtest, play with the fantastic folks through Gauntlet Hangouts, and get essential experience and feedback.

I'm way more confident that I can pull off this game, thanks to the community!

Mechanically, I'm inspired by games I've played recently! Taking and tweaking a little from here and there

This game focuses on:
Being a monster that fights other monsters
Your found family
Balancing the darkness within you
Solving mysteries
Facing the Apocalypse

[animated GIF of Abe Sapien and Hellboy joking with each other]

Mechanically my main inspirations (so far) are:
Brindlewood Bay
Heart of Wulin
Changeling: The Lost (PbtA hack)
Libreté

But I'm trying to keep the moves lean, and allow for playbook growth

I'M CRYING WHILE WORKING ON THIS GAME, JUST TYPING THROUGH THE TEARS, OH THESE DOOMED CHILDREN I WANT THE BEST FOR THEM.

...this is totally normal while writing a game, right?

(psssssssssst first pass at basic moves done, one playbook done, including DOOMED moves...)

Writing this game is SO different from my first and second attempt at PbtA. Before it was stressful, mind-numbing, battled with my self-doubt CONSTANTLY.

It's so much fun now, my doubts are manageable, this is fantastic!

All that practice with other game design helped so much

I also can't underestimate how much playing SO MANY different games and systems really helped!

Playing with different folks, seeing how they interacted with the narrative and its mechanics, has made designing so much easier and fun.

Let's see if I can pull it off

Sent what I have so far of #ApocalypseKeys to some folks and PHEW the response is positive!

It definitely feels like Hellboy, but also still very much a Sword Queen Game

There's still a lot to do, then playtest, but I'm really excited, I may be able to pull this off

I'm so happy to announce that I've commissioned the amazing @SweetCyanid3 to work on art for #ApocalypseKeys!

I'm only able to finally afford art commissions thanks to folks who buy my games and support me on Patreon! TYSM https://twitter.com/SweetCyanid3/status/1239824384182718466?s=20

Playtesting #ApocalypseKeys starting next week and I'm looking forward to it!

I'm really nervous and excited and anxious and thrilled and ready to die and ready to live

In a monstrous world, let's be monsters who take care of each other and hold back the darkness

Here's a sneak peek at the Character Keeper I'm putting together for the playtest!

Aaaaaaa just finished the first two-shot playtest of #ApocalypseKeys and miraculously it went waaaay better than I expected. My players were absolutely amazing!

There's still so much testing to do, but I'm so grateful for the feedback, I feel this could be something special!

Leah of @ClovenPineGames said some wonderful things about #ApocalypseKeys on the Gauntlet Podcast!

I really appreciate everyone helping me to playtest, and the very cool stories we're telling together

(Also the episode in general is great!) https://twitter.com/GauntletRPG/status/1265273085801967617?s=20

Wrapped up the Black Nazarene mystery in our latest session of #ApocalypseKeys and DANG all these great big moves came into play in the way PbtA can accomplish

There's a lot of work to do, but this game delivers emotionally charged and awesome stories in such a great way!

I also love how so many of the moves and playbooks encourage the construction of NPCs!

Both the Hellboy comics and movies had a great cast of characters, but in general I just love games that ask players to create a cast of NPCs to engage with and help clarify their own PCs

Updating this thread!

The latest version of #ApocalypseKeys (Alpha V1.1) is available to my $5+ patrons!

Pending spoons, I'll be working on a rough GM guide and playtest kit, which patrons will have access to ASAP! Exciting stuff!

https://www.patreon.com/posts/39918364 

Also I upload all my playtest videos of #ApocalypseKeys to my YT channel!

The @GauntletRPG folks have been absolutely amazing in helping me bring this game to life! Awesome play from all of them

You can find the playlist to that here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjQd10MVA_8cxi0Q1gn844wWdqIJHlIjS

I've been getting good feedback about #ApocalypseKeys, I think we're getting closer to a Beta release of my Hellboy/BPRD inspired PbtA game!

Honestly this is pending spoons, but my health has been slowly and steadily improving. I don't know if this will keep up but if it does...

I'm supposed to be resting (I've been badly dizzy for a few days now) but I can't get the next design hurdle for #ApocalypseKeys out of my head So a quick tarot reading then!

The deck is the "How To Deal Tarot", art by Marisa de la Peña!

Work on #ApocalypseKeys slowly continues! I released a Pre-Update post (haha) for my $5+ patrons. This includes the first written mystery, "The Manananggal Murders". If you're familiar with Brindlewood Bay, you'll recognize the structure of the mystery! https://www.patreon.com/posts/apocalypse-keys-40625820

My health has taken a pretty bad dive again, so I'm no longer confident about releasing a beta version of #ApocalypseKeys this month. On most days I can barely breathe past the pain.

But thinking about this game, when my brain lets me, on the bad days keeps me going

IT'S OUT IN THE WILD, the beta is here! Are ya ready?

APOCALYPSE KEYS is a #PbtA game about monsters holding back the end of days, now available on itchio!

It's 100+ pages of an investigative #TTRPG of high emotions! Inspired by Hellboy and the BPRD

https://temporalhiccup.itch.io/apocalypse-keys 

APOCALYPSE KEYS BETA 1.0 is absolutely FULL of content. We have 6 complete playbooks, basic and situational moves, DIVISION moves, TWO whole mysteries, and a basic GM guide that'll help you dive right in. It's not an in-depth guide yet, so knowledge of PbtA will help!

I didn't go all out with the usual Sword Queen Games layout because a) omg I have no spoons, my health can only handle so much and b) this game is in beta, I'll be updating things regularly in response to playtests and feedback.

Still, I love the minimal layout we have here!

Pssst I've been meaning to talk about the #ApocalypseKeys mechanics in detail and gasp someone wrote it out perfectly!

Here's a fantastic thread that describes the main flow of the game https://twitter.com/McGyrk/status/1305826216889520128?s=20