Game Spotlight: Adventurers!

Even though I am very busy creating and designing my own game material, I am still a gamer who enjoys a good RPG when I find one. There are lots of fantastic games out there that deserve recognition from many talented publishers. Today I take a look at a game that I enjoy quite thoroughly called "Adventurers!" published by GRAmel, written by Umberto Pignatelli and Andy Slack.

It's no secret that I prefer my games to be lite and simple, focusing more on the narrative. So when I discovered this lite game, a player's guide, and Gamemaster's guide, each only being 2 pages (easily printed on one sheet of paper) I was intrigued. I was even more excited when I realized that the core game is completely free.

Upon looking over the game, I was impressed by the sleek design of the rules that have an "old school" feel with a few modern ideas and mechanics. The task resolution is simple; characters roll 2 six-sided dice and add 1 of three relevant stats (Strength, Agility, or Mind). If the total is equal to a 7 or higher, the character is successful at their action. A Gamemaster can introduce a penalty to the roll if a task is difficult as well, usually a -2 or -4.

There is a short list of skills as well, which essentially function as basic character abilities, allowing for further customization. Each skill can be learned as a Basic or Advanced skill, the Advanced version granting a significant advantage when a character performs actions pertaining to the skill. There is also a list of equipment and optional rules (including races).

Overall, the game is incredibly flexible and well-designed, though admittedly I found the layout to be a little confusing when first looking it over. Quite a lot of material is crammed onto a small amount of space. The main draw of the game, however, are the fantastic mini-settings that GRAmel produces. Each is packed with flavor and shows just how versatile the system is. I found The Dungeon expansion to really add a lot to the game if you want a solid fantasy campaign, including rules to create strongholds.

Each setting is only a few bucks so, they are certainly worth checking out!