Hello,
I have created a tabletop card game that has elements of RPG but has a more casual, party game feel. It requires lots of imagination and creativity. I describe it as a mix of DnD and apples to apples.
Something that sets it apart is the intention that players make their own custom cards to put themselves into the game; make variations of themselves in fantasy (or any) context and use them to imagine the fulfillment of different tasks.
The idea is that the skills and qualities of the real life person the character is based on can be a factor when determining the outcomes, along with the implied characteristics of that version of themselves. For instance "Jake the apple farmer" would have all the qualities of Jake IRL, but also probably be good at gardening, and whatever else you can convince the judge logically follows. "Lisa the Loud" would probably be good at shouting a long distance, and also whatever she is good at in the real world. It is worth noting that you don't necessarily use the characters based on yourself- anyone can be dealt them, it is a shared deck game.
Fully fictional characters are also ok, as long as they are not copywrite protected. In these cases, it would be fully up to their implied characteristics to give them their qualities.
To make the custom cards, you use the card creator on the website to make character cards based on yourself and your friends. You can also make custom item cards, and even custom tasks and effect cards as well. And you should!
The gameplay consists of equipping your characters with items to prepare them for the tasks, which will be acted out in the imagination of the group, with the judge deciding the ultimate outcome, and awarding the task card to the player whose approach to the task they like the best. Gameplay approximately 30-90 minutes depending on number of players and how many prizes/task cards you have set to be the goal. There is not a hard minimum age, it can be customized to be family friendly, or raunchy and mature, it is up to you. Number of players is best around 4-8.
The judge is a temporary and constantly changing role. This creates amusing chaos and shifting strategies. The judge interprets the cards whenever they have ambiguity, and is the master of the universe while they occupy the role. Logical interpretations and humor guide the gameplay.
It is a casual game where the intention is to have fun and make jokes, not necessarily to win, although competitive people will no doubt yearn to be the victor. The real prize is the imagination and jokes we make along the way.
I am looking for a few groups of 5ish people to
1.) customize some cards
2.)assemble a deck with the deck builder feature on the website
3.)receive a printed copy of the deck and play the game with them
4.) let me know how it goes.
If you think this sounds fun and want to be one of the first groups to play 'chocolate mustard toothpaste' then please give me a holler.
I have marked it 'unpaid' but you would be receiving a free deck of customized 'chocolate mustard toothpaste' cards at my expense.
Regarding the name- yes it is a silly name. My daughter made it up, and I decided it would represent the amusing item combinations one might use to solve a task.
The customizing of the cards can take anywhere from 20 minutes to several hours, depending on how custom you want your game to be. The idea is you load it with inside jokes, special sentimental or funny items from your lives, and other personal effects, but it is also compatible with fully fantastical, whimsical, or any other flavor of adventure. Most often, it is an unhinged collision of all the above.
If you don't want to create every card yourself, you can apply an auto-fill to use highly rated 'community' made cards, and cards provided by 'chocolate mustard toothpaste'. The auto fill feature will eventually support automatically crafted themed decks.
One final thing worth noting is that the software supports each individual participant to customize their own cards and assemble a proportion of the deck privately, so that when the deck arrives, everyone can be surprised as the game unfolds.
You can try the 'characterizer' (a feature that can create an alternate version of you on a character card) for free here.
After your one free 'characterizer' generation, you can create an account and join the email list for an additional 5 and 10 artwork credits, respectively. If you are accepted to be a playtester, I will provide additional AI art credits for you to create all your cards. Cards can also be made for free with your own provided artwork.
I am working on getting the kickstarter going, and the website will support direct sales after that. For now, I hope you check out the website and try making some cards!
Thanks!