Someone needs to make a freeform game about drag queens in a reality TV competition.

Someone needs to make a freeform game about drag queens in a reality TV competition.

Someone needs to make a freeform game about drag queens in a reality TV competition. I’d pay five American dollars for that!

22 thoughts on “Someone needs to make a freeform game about drag queens in a reality TV competition.”

  13. Ha. I thought maybe I got too silly and pulled it back. Sorry about that. Honestly, I didn’t think it was a half bad system idea. 

    Here’s the gist. There are obviously some missing pieces still. The game has 5 contests/5 rounds. Players get 7 cards at the start of each contest. The suits of the cards are something like:

    Glitz (Diamonds) – flashy beauty, animal magnetism, low style

    Glamor (Hearts) – high style, grace, poise, also used for intimidation

    Wiles (Spades) – intelligence, cunning

    Desperation (Clubs) – how bad do you want it!!?

    Each player plays out a card face down and describes how he attacks the contest using the suit of the face down card (so the suit isn’t a secret, just the value). 

    The players then role-play, argue in character, etc. until the MC calls a halt. At that time the MC says which suit is the trump for the contest based on his opinion about who chose/role-played the best attack. All the players have to then give each other player “respect” (a face down card from their hand). If a player gives away a joker, he does it face up and describes how he humiliates one of the other contestants – both players lose their highest respect card. But the joker counts for ‘0’, so the humiliated player gets a double-whammy. 

    Players then reveal and add up all their cards. Face cards are 10, aces are 1s, trump cards count for an extra 1 point each. The high score is the winner and he scores points equal to 1 plus the difference between his score and the next lowest player. So if a player gets 22 and the next lowest is 18, his score would be 5.

    Players then choose to keep or discard their 7th card. The rest of the cards are then shuffled and players are dealt cards to get them back to 7 (so 6 or 7 to each).

    It seems too fiddly at this point, I would love to work in some kind of weakness for each player (like one suit they suck at). 

  14. Ha. I thought maybe I got too silly and pulled it back. Sorry about that. Honestly, I didn’t think it was a half bad system idea. 

    Here’s the gist. There are obviously some missing pieces still. The game has 5 contests/5 rounds. Players get 7 cards at the start of each contest. The suits of the cards are something like:

    Glitz (Diamonds) – flashy beauty, animal magnetism, low style

    Glamor (Hearts) – high style, grace, poise, also used for intimidation

    Wiles (Spades) – intelligence, cunning

    Desperation (Clubs) – how bad do you want it!!?

    Each player plays out a card face down and describes how he attacks the contest using the suit of the face down card (so the suit isn’t a secret, just the value). 

    The players then role-play, argue in character, etc. until the MC calls a halt. At that time the MC says which suit is the trump for the contest based on his opinion about who chose/role-played the best attack. All the players have to then give each other player “respect” (a face down card from their hand). If a player gives away a joker, he does it face up and describes how he humiliates one of the other contestants – both players lose their highest respect card. But the joker counts for ‘0’, so the humiliated player gets a double-whammy. 

    Players then reveal and add up all their cards. Face cards are 10, aces are 1s, trump cards count for an extra 1 point each. The high score is the winner and he scores points equal to 1 plus the difference between his score and the next lowest player. So if a player gets 22 and the next lowest is 18, his score would be 5.

    Players then choose to keep or discard their 7th card. The rest of the cards are then shuffled and players are dealt cards to get them back to 7 (so 6 or 7 to each).

    It seems too fiddly at this point, I would love to work in some kind of weakness for each player (like one suit they suck at). 

  15. Slow clap building for Ray Otus.  Though I think keeping with in the theme already present in the drag race judging would add to the flavor, and reinforce the game with real world connections.

    Charisma (Hearts)

    Uniqueness (Diamonds)

    Nerve (Clubs)

    Talent (Spades)

     

  16. Slow clap building for Ray Otus.  Though I think keeping with in the theme already present in the drag race judging would add to the flavor, and reinforce the game with real world connections.

    Charisma (Hearts)

    Uniqueness (Diamonds)

    Nerve (Clubs)

    Talent (Spades)

     

  17. Yeah, I like those stats! I watched the first two seasons of RPDR. But I sort of lost track of the show and haven’t seen it since, so I forgot everything but the basic premise and “Lip sync [dramatic pause] for your life!!”

  18. Yeah, I like those stats! I watched the first two seasons of RPDR. But I sort of lost track of the show and haven’t seen it since, so I forgot everything but the basic premise and “Lip sync [dramatic pause] for your life!!”

  21. FYI, when you describe your character’s approach to a contest, don’t outright “say” the suit/stat you are using even though some might guess it. That makes the MC role a bit more interesting/impartial and it preserves the fiction a little.

  22. FYI, when you describe your character’s approach to a contest, don’t outright “say” the suit/stat you are using even though some might guess it. That makes the MC role a bit more interesting/impartial and it preserves the fiction a little.

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