It’s not surprising to see that many of this year’s Zine Quest tabletop RPGs are concerned with resisting fascism. However, the annual crowdfunding initiative, which spotlights indie zines, features one RPG with a totally unique way of fighting far-right ideology – by “f*cking each other like love-drunk idiots”.
This is Dillin Apelyan’s All’s Fair, a modified version of the playing card game War that tells a story of intimacy and connection in the face of fascism. Like many bedroom endeavors, this is a two-player experience. One of you plays The Soldier, “a hot and capable arm for The Regime”, while the other is a Clone, “a beautiful nobody who lives and dies, repeatedly, at The Regime’s whim.”
Play primarily takes the form of ‘dueling’, which is absolutely a euphemism for doing the dirty. You’ll each play a card, and the owner of the high card claims the pair. This initiates an ‘Intimate Prompt’ that’s linked to the winning card. When both cards played match in rank, love is put on pause – and it’s time for War. You must leave your lover’s bed and resume your place as a cog in the wheel of The Regime.
The Backerkit page also mentions a special rule for the Joker card. This introduces a new Clone who is not supposed to exist at the same time as the current Clone, but somehow does. The Regime will not allow this.
The rules descriptions given here are minimal, but my interest is already piqued. Players seem to roleplay as both tools and victims of oppression, and this simple back-and-forth has the potential to pose some big questions. As the crowdfunder says: “How long can you stand by as tools for The Regime? What happens when you can’t take it anymore?”
All’s Fair is being published by Elliot Davis, the designer behind last year’s tear-jerking zombie card game, The Time We Have. Based on my time testing that title, I’m expecting even more emotional gut punches.
If you’re looking for something lighter, though, the crowdfunder can provide. All’s Fair is crowdfunding in partnership with another indie RPG published by Elliot Davis.
Robin Ekberg’s Rise, Wizards! is a slightly more whimsical affair. It turns a classic RPG night mini-game, stacking your dice on top of each other, into a worldbuilding tool. Each turn, you’ll lift your existing tower and place a new layer beneath. Each die adds a new room to the structure, and you’ll roll it to fetch new storytelling prompts. As your tower grows, you’ll also scan the horizon, building a map of the fantasy land around you. “Should your tower fall, where each of your rooms land will have effects on the land for generations.”
There’s more room for silliness and typical fantasy antics here, especially if you’re competing against other players for the highest, fanciest Wizard tower. But there’s still room to tell complex stories here about the nature of legacy and consequences.
Want to talk more about tabletop RPGs? Share your latest game stories – or your favorite Zine Quest reveals – in the Wargamer Discord.