Bus Hard - A solo RPG of sorts with real world stuff in it
This is what happens when I'm left alone to my own devices
Man the bus sucks. I know, it’s important and affordable and how I get to my train station. But it sucks. It’s always late, and sometimes kinda scary.
Now I dislike the bus, but do I become a bitter twisted person because of it? Letting my hatred of the bus corrupt my mind until I’m a husk of my former self? Left alone to wander this earth with nothing, not even my soul?
Yes.
But I also made a game about it.
Bus Hard is a real world RPG, written on my commute into work one cold rainy Tuesday. It is simple, as simple as anything can be. You are a secret agent that has lost their super fancy car and you need to take a bus in to fight your nemesis to save the world or something.
Start with 20 points.
Subtract a point for every minute your bus is late.
Add and subtract points for things that happen on your ride.
At the end roll a D20. If your score is equal or higher to your roll, you’ve vanquished your rival.
If it’s under, you’ve failed today and you are a failure and disgrace. (I’m joking, I’m sure you are still loved by someone).
That’s it!
Play testing?
Proof-reading?
Layout?
-Insert ‘We don’t do that here’ GIF-
Here is the game!
But I do want you to play it before I put this abomination up on Itch for PWYW (I think I’ll be more insulted if anyone pays money for this).
What other things could happen in a bus ride that may add points or remove them? I want regular things and a few clearly insane situations (but could happen in theory).
So what do you got? Pop it in the comments.
Future plans for this game would be to make it into a pocket version that can be printed and a player can check off things that happen on the bus ride, to make it a bit easier. But I dunno, I am a lazy frog.
Thanks
Your Boi - Croaker
If it had to be said, this is all human-made. As if an AI would be caught dead making something so stupid.
Maybe if you run into someone you know on the bus you gain points cause they're a fellow agent and can help. If they're someone you know but you haven't spoken to them in over 6 months then they're a double agent and you lose points.
Oh and last week someone shit themselves on my bus... you immediately lose. Whole city nuked. Endgame. Fuck that
In random order, how about -1 point if, after sitting down, you realise that the seat is wet (you don't know what with); -10 points if someone unsuccessfully tries to pickpocket you (they're clearly an enemy agent), but automatic failure if when you leave the bus you find that your wallet has been stolen; +5 points if you give up your seat to someone who needs it more than you (every little bit to save the world); automatic failure if you fall asleep and miss your stop; -1 point for each person listening to music whose music you can hear despite their headphones; -3 points if a fellow passenger stands up between stops and starts preaching...
I could go on, as these are all from experience (except my wallet wasn't stolen - the pickpocket was so inept, it tickled a lot).
And in case it isn't obvious, I think this game idea is great. It almost (I repeat, almost) makes me want to catch a bus...