Brian Hazzard is Kickstarting One Night Worlds for ZineQuest4.
Question: Easy question first: Give us the elevator pitch of your project. Tell us about it in two sentences or less.
Answer: One Night Worlds is a collection of Zero-prep, GM-less, one page tabletop roleplaying games. They’re designed so that you can learn the rules, create characters, and explore their connections to an evocative world, while working together to complete your high-stakes mission, all in just just an hour or two.
Q: Is this your first Kickstarter project or have you done it before? If it's your first, talk a bit about what inspired you to give it a shot this year. If you've done it before, what's something you've learned from previous Kickstarters that you may be doing differently this time, or, if you're not doing anything differently, talk a bit about your previous projects.
A: This is my very first Kickstarter. Less than a year ago I had never even played an rpg. But when I fall in love with something, I fall hard! After discovering simple games that prompt complex stories like The Wretched by Chris Bissette, Alone Among the Stars by Takuma Okada, and The Outcast by Cezar Capacle, The Time Traveller’s Life by Will Lentz, I knew I would eventually have to make some myself. Then between November 2022 and March 2023, I wrote 5 small game experiences for various game jams, learning a little with every submission.
In February 2023, Cezar Capacle released the Push SRD which is such a brilliant and streamlined system for creating tight story-driven game experiences in a rich world. I had the opportunity to design a game on camera with his guidance. The result was The Fires of Chaterra. And I’m pretty proud of the game itself, and the stories that it can create.
So when the one page ttrpg jam 2023 rolled around I started designing more Push games. But it just so happened to coincide with the late Zinequest this year, and I thought… why not do a Kickstarter? Since it’s my first time, I decided to stick with a digital only reward, and to deliver WAY more value than people are paying for, hence the $1 pledge level.
Q: Finally, tell us something about your current project that really excites you but the average backer may not be aware of. Maybe a twist to an old trope, a new way of presenting something, or maybe just something you've never tried before that you're using this as an opportunity to try out.
A: I think backers will be most excited to know that they can pick up several games in different genres for just $1. But what I’m most excited about is putting my own little spin on the Push system with the Campaign Editions of these games. I’m taking the One Page format for the One Shot Edition of the games, and then expanding them with additional content that isn’t original to the Push structure. Most of that content is inspired by the Belonging Outside Belonging game structure, with character playbooks and setting elements to add depth and variety to the gameplay. The idea of the Campaign Edition is that if you enjoy your time in the world with the One Shot Edition of the game, you can extend to a multi-session campaign and never run out of twists, turns, or things to do.