Minimalist RPGs that I love

Hello! It's been a couple of months since my last update. But fear not! Here's a new entry for all of you. Today, I'd like to delve into the realm of tiny yet flavorful role-playing games.

I have been reading, collecting, and studying a bunch of minimalist RPGs that are available for free for the past year or so. There are LOTS of different options available, and most of them take but a couple of minutes to read. Because I'm a solo RPG enthusiast, part of my research has focused on the possibility of being able to play those games on my own. And, I've found two systems that I consider to be a true delight: Bivius and USR!

BIVIUS
The first one, I've already referenced here on the blog. I'm talking about Riccardo Fregi's (AKA Lost Pangolin) glorious and minimalist: Bivius

What makes it so great? For starters, it's main aim is solo gaming, which means that you need no special circumstances to play, as long as you have the time to do so. Also, it revolves around a very simple binary random oracle (B.R.O. for short).

• It's binary because all you ever need is something that can give you an option A and an option B, and based on that, you get to make decisions. It can be as simple as a coin (heads or tails), a deck of cards (black or red suits), a six-sided die (even or odd numbers), or two beads of a different color (yellow or blue), among other options. 
• It's random because you essentially get a 50/50 chance of either option being the result. 
• It's an oracle because you can ask YES/NO questions and answer them with ease. For example, option A can be YES, and option B can be NO. Then, you ask your question and check for the result!

Additionally, Bivius is incredibly flexible and easily adapts to any game genre you may like to play. Be it fantasy, sci-fi, medieval, vampiric, Lovecraftian, romance, medical, superhero, or any other theme you may think of, Bivius works!

There are three essential documents you can use to play Bivius:

• The first document is the original Bivius booklet (5 pages long). It summarizes the 8 basic principles around which a game of Bivius is played.
• The second document is the Bivius companion (4 pages long). This companion adds 6 extra principles to the system. They're optional, so you may take them or leave them.
• The third document is the Bivius: Tunnels & Dragons edition (31 pages long). This one includes all 14 principles from both basic and companion booklets, PLUS a lot of extra goodies for playing fantasy adventures. 

I've enjoyed Bivius immensely, and I've even shared some of my gameplay sessions here. You can also read some pretty cool examples from the author's page here.


USR
The second one is a new one, as I haven't published anything about it yet. It's called USR or Unbelievably Simple Roleplaying. This one has been designed by Scott Malthouse from Trollish Delver Games. If the name rings a bell it's most likely because Trollish Delver Games is also responsible for Quill, the letter-writing game for a single player.

USR is not necessarily a solo-oriented system, but it works too! This one is a little bit closer to other more traditional (or recognized) RPGs, as it works with three essential skills when it comes to character creation: Action, Wits, and Ego. Your health is known as Hits.

• You have a d6, a d8, and a d10 to assign.
• Your character's area of expertise receives the d10. If you're playing a Barbarian, then that would most likely be your Action skill.
• The area in which you consider your character to be somewhat skilled receives the d8. We could say our Barbarian would like that to be their Ego.
• The area in which your character is average at best receives the d6. Barbarians are not known for being very smart, so that'd be Wits.
• Your HP is calculated by rolling both Action and Wits. The sum of that roll makes up your Hits. Our Barbarian would have a d6+d10.

You also receive specialisms or specific talents in given areas, that add a bonus of +2 to a core skill of your choice when used. What's great is that weapons, equipment, and other goodies, can be specialisms, so whenever you use them, you get to add their bonus. (e.g. our Barbarian has a d10 in Action, and a Sword specialism that adds +2 to his Action roll whenever he swings it in combat for a glorious 1d10+2).

Combat, conflicts, and other types of checks can easily be done by comparing your skill of choice (and any applicable specialism) to, either a difficulty level, or a given skill from a foe. Foes and NPCs can be created in a blast. All you need is to identify which skill they would most likely have, and maybe assign them a quick specialism or two if needed (Evil Ninja Boss, Action 1d10, specialism: shurinken +2 [Action], acrobatics +2 [Action]).

Your characters can receive narrative points to give them an edge, and you can also track their progress.

There are two versions of the game.

• Version 1.0 is 10 pages long and is quite simple to understand.
• Version 2.0 is 21 pages long and it adds numerous examples that you may find useful. It also has a new visual aspect (but I honestly prefer that one of v.1)

I've enjoyed the simplicity of this system, and playing it solo is easy. All you need is an oracle to accompany it (like the famous Mythic chart, or the Fate/Fudge Oracle I shared here on the blog a while ago), and away you go!

You can find some really cool ideas and add-ons for USR on this blog. My favorite entries are those on Superhero Tiers (for creating extra powerful or even superhuman characters), and on Monsters (for having your own express monster manual to use along the game).

If you want to give either system a try, just follow the links. Again, both games are FREE.

Enjoy!