Mixtape (36-word RPG)
A downloadable game
MIXTAPE is an introspective micro-game for 1 to 5 players made for the 36-word RPG Jam (January 2025) .
Here are more detailed rules:
- A player selects a piece of music (ideally lasting 3-4 minutes).
- For the first 30 seconds (at least), everyone listens attentively to the music. You can close your eyes if it helps.
- When ready, a player (not the one who chose the track) begins to speak, inventing a memory, anecdote, or life moment inspired by the music. They can draw inspiration from the musical and emotional atmosphere of the piece and/or from the lyrics (if any).
- Describe the memory in the first person, but try to keep it improvised and imaginative: you can draw from your own life, but don’t recount an actual memory as it is. Unless you prefer to play in a more personal and intimate way, which can be a great way to connect with strangers – but make sure that everyone agree on this point before starting the game.
- Other players can ask questions to the active player, as long as they remain short and benevolent.
- The story must end before or at the same time as the music. It shouldn’t continue beyond the track. If it ends early, everyone continues listening to the piece for 30 more seconds or until the end. Use a fade-out for a smoother transition.
- Once the track is over, another player chooses a new piece, and the next round begins until everyone has told one memory (or more, if you prefer a longer play).
MIXTAPE can be a highly emotional and personal game, players are encouraged to use the common Safety Tools.
For a similar but longer and even more intense experience, try our other game Nightwaves.
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⚙️Game design: Corto Damon
📜CC-BY-NC-SA
🖼️ Image: Freepik
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Comments
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I really liked this! I’m getting more into designing games that have kind of an inbuilt soundtrack to them, so this is kinda my jam. The idea of sharing invented memories implies that this game could be about playing a now-dispersed high school friendgroup at a reunion or something – or a good game to play along to a character playlist by yourself, fleshing out backstory as you go before you play a different TTRPG. Could be a great game to pass time on a road trip, too! Thanks for submitting it :)
Well, since you ask! It was on my mind because one of my submissions to this jam, Space Banjos, asks the player to play some of the titular space banjos genre; mainly because the game was very much inspired by listening to a playlist of that as work music while working on the art for one of my other submissions. Useful for efficient tone communication.
But the main resonance I felt with your approach here was a game I made a few weeks ago, Dreamlined, for the Tabletop Train Jam. Dreamlined is about playing as a sentient train, and I wanted to give the journeys between stations a feeling of progress and meaning and time, without being too prescriptive about duration or mood and without that time stretching on into boredom. I ended up with the idea of marking the time between stations with songs – It’s about the right length of time to wait, it gives the imagination a sense of movement, and it resonates with how often I listen to music while staring out a train window.
Thank you again for your message. Great concepts you have here, I will have a closer look at them. It's quite extraordinary to see the power of music on narrative inspiration and the resurgence of real emotions, even when the memory is an invented one. Btw, we are collecting games for an anthology, and some of your creations might be a good fit: how would I reach you by email?
Re: email, still setting up that sort of thing properly, but for now mar.malade.1066@gmail.com should work to get in touch.