So I attended CanGames this weekend and ran a little Orboboros. It went well, it went really well. So well, in fact, that at every game, I sold at least three copies.
Which is huge.
For me.
I'm no Cam Banks or Fred Hicks, okay?
I wrote Orboboros for the Troika 2021 Game Jam.
Trokia is a surreal science fantasy RPG that doesn't take itself at all seriously. You make wacky characters and explore a hunchbacked sky. Not a lot is explained, just floating flavor text, but it works. You fill in the blanks with your own bizarreness. The rules are open-ended, but not too much so. It has a solid core, but the gaps in between make it super easy to hack, even on the fly.
Since it's open source, I can make my own Troika stuff. As for what I did:
A Sphere created for Troika, the other world's favorite fantasy role-playing game.
Journey to a world created by the RBG Trinity. Explore towns, ruins, and temples. Struggle with strange monsters, as you try to save a wondrous land from Calamity. A Troika expansion born out of nostalgic love for old-school console adventure games.
Orboboros is an independent production by Christopher Challice and is not affiliated with the Melsonian Arts Council.
The RBG Trinity are Goddess Red, Goddess Blue, and Goddess Green. You play little goblins who go on adventures and protect their world from all sorts of trouble. The denizens of Orboboros don't need to eat or drink, and don't need to sleep, but they can if they want to. In short, your characters live in an old-school console adventure, overseen by chill folks but besieged by hacker trolls.
Given that Orboboros did so well at CanGames, I'm going to write a solo journalling adventure for it that can be expanded for group play. Play the game on your own to learn it, then, afterwards, run games for your friends.
I'll still use Troika, it just fits.
Here's a blurb for what's to come:
Five generations ago, the Order vanquished the RBG Trinity and their Holy Royal House, bringing peace to Orboboros. Life under the Goddesses was chaotic and full of strife. They were ineffective in dealing with the Astral Trolls, so Calamity after Calamity struck. Furthermore, the Trinity put Goblin above Goblin, great heroes and princesses holding unjust power over the people. The Order’s brikernaughts put an end to them and ensured pure equality.
The Order vanquishes Calamity. The Order keeps the people safe. All are free to pursue humble, joyous lives.
However, despite their doctrine of equality and humility, the Sages of the Order live in ostentatious luxury, and their word is absolute law. Anything a gob or a group of gobs build that is deemed too grand is destroyed. Paintings, carvings, and books are seized to protect the masses. Only specific songs praising the Order may be sung. Theater is banned. The great Red, Blue, and Green temples have been demolished. The power of the ruby and sapphire orbs is forbidden.
The Order can do this thanks to their cold and deadly brikernaughts.
A great malaise has settled over the world, and it’s getting worse. Behind it, you can sense something ominous. A Calamity, perhaps, one greater than anything the world had ever known.
I hope this piques your interest and that you'll join me on this little endeavor.
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