Role-playing games offer opportunities to put players in interesting situations. Gamers can experience the thrill of exploring lost dungeons, the terror of battling vicious monsters in their lairs, and the joy of scooping up handfuls of gold, silver and magical treasures. What else offers thrills, terror and joy in equal measure? Romance, of course!
With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, it’s the perfect time to pull together a game featuring romance as a central theme. Designer Emily Care Boss created three RPGs with romance as the central theme that she’s collected into her Romance Trilogy collection. Each game focuses on a different aspect of relationships and each one is an excellent way to spend Valentine’s Day as a night to remember.
The first game in the trilogy book is Breaking The Ice. It’s a romantic comedy RPG for two people that focuses on the first three dates of a new couple. Players make rolls to increase attraction levels to each other and forge connections with each other. The game requires no setup, can be played in one evening, and is easy to explain for non-gamers, such as significant others that might want to get into gaming, or new partners curious as to what the big deal is.
The second game in the trilogy book is Shooting the Moon. This game focuses on one of the staples of romantic tension; the love triangle. Up to three players set-up an intense situation where one character, the Beloved, is pursued by the other characters, or the Suitors. The players define what the Suitors want from the Beloved, why there’s a conflict with achieving that goal, as well as the general setting of the game. Love triangles exist in nearly every genre of fiction, so couples that love modern fantasy, hard sci-fi or any other shared intrest can set this game in a world they both love.
The third game in the trilogy is Under My Skin. This game explores the Big Event style of romantic story, where a wedding, funeral, or other big life event shakes up the connections between people. There’s ample opportunity in the game for hookups, breakups, and other dramatic ways for relationships to grow and change. Under My Skin comes in both tabletop and LARP variants, making this an intriguing selection for a Valentine’s Day party as well as an intimate night in for a couple. The game seats between 4-8 players and plays in up to 6 hours.
Each of these games was released separately, but the Romance Trilogy collected these games into a single volume. It also offers several hacks of the original games, like double dates for Breaking the Ice, as well as several smaller RPGs that debuted in the volume. The Romance Trilogy is available in PDF and print/PDF combos, with a February special that allows for a personalized gift card to come along with the package.
If two-player RPGs seem like an interesting idea do explore, the Bundle of Holding has a collection on sale until Monday, February 20th. The Romance Trilogy is included with games like Mars Colony, Stories From The Grave and Scarlet Heroes. PDF delivery is available instantly, so there’s still time to get a game for this Valentine’s Day—or pick it up for a unique experience ready to go next year.
What is your favorite love triangle? Let us know in the comments!
Featured images courtesy of Pixabay, Black and Green Games
Rob Wieland is an author, game designer and professional nerd. He writes about kaiju, Jedi, gangsters, elves, Vulcans and sometimes all of them at the same time. His blog is here, his Twitter is here and his meat body can be found in scenic Milwaukee, WI.