Scan barcode
dennyabraham's review against another edition
2.0
Not laid out well for readability
Game begins after 100+ pages of introductory setting material.
Renames familiar concepts without referencing those concepts.
Game begins after 100+ pages of introductory setting material.
Renames familiar concepts without referencing those concepts.
sjlee's review
5.0
I am a fan of the zombie subgenre, and tabletop role-playing games has been an interest of mine for a long time. I first learned about Red Markets while it was still in development when Caleb Stokes was recording about the design process on podcasts. I became fascinated by the entire process and every step along the way it felt like he was going after subjects that I found interesting to explore in a game within this genre. When Red Markets went to Kickstarter I gladly backed it.
I have read the entire book cover-to-cover, run it as the GM (or Market), and played it as a player. I think this is a remarkable game and system. When I play other games I often find myself thinking about elements of Red Markets that I'd like to use or import.
I could go on and on about what I love about Red Markets, but I'll do my best to be succinct.
First, the backstory, setting material and game material is excellent. The section explaining the backstory could be entirely left out by people who just want to play, but the content inside is enriching and brings a lot to setting the overall tone and logic of the world of Red Markets. At the same time the world is not constraining, not really. Red Markets can be fairly easily adapted into other settings or contexts.
Second, the mechanics are very simple and create really great stakes for the players and GM. The profit system involves two D-10 dice. You roll them, add your modifiers and compare the numbers. It's simple and doesn't require a lot of work to figure out how something is going to resolve.
Third, the game balance and sharing for storytelling and campaign creation. The book lays it out that the Market, Players, and Dice share about a third each of how to tell the story. In my experience it has been a very collaborative and fun way to create a campaign. Players really buy in because they have ownership and the burden on the GM is much less. There's a lot of great things to say about NPCs and vignette scenes where players take on secondary roles. Great moments and characterization can emerge from that.
Fourth, the sort of stories that can be told in Red Markets are really amazing. Stress and trauma are very important components to the game systemically and narratively. Players can, and will, become broken husks, struggling to cope without the right care and attention. This game is not a power fantasy for big damn heroes to rule the wasteland.
Fifth, related to the above, this game is about economic horror. The tension in Red Markets just as often comes from fear of not being able to pay the bills or something breaking and you're not sure how to fix it, or a loved one getting sick than getting shot at or chased by a zombie.
I wish to be clear that Red Markets is not a grim, miserable game. My friends and I laughed to near tears playing it, had fun being silly at times, but we also were genuinely brought to tears by the emotion of some scenes, witnessed tragedy, were filled with rage, and heartbreak. I felt like nearly every person I played with came to love their characters because of the challenge and circumstances.
I love Red Markets and would highly recommend it.
I have read the entire book cover-to-cover, run it as the GM (or Market), and played it as a player. I think this is a remarkable game and system. When I play other games I often find myself thinking about elements of Red Markets that I'd like to use or import.
I could go on and on about what I love about Red Markets, but I'll do my best to be succinct.
First, the backstory, setting material and game material is excellent. The section explaining the backstory could be entirely left out by people who just want to play, but the content inside is enriching and brings a lot to setting the overall tone and logic of the world of Red Markets. At the same time the world is not constraining, not really. Red Markets can be fairly easily adapted into other settings or contexts.
Second, the mechanics are very simple and create really great stakes for the players and GM. The profit system involves two D-10 dice. You roll them, add your modifiers and compare the numbers. It's simple and doesn't require a lot of work to figure out how something is going to resolve.
Third, the game balance and sharing for storytelling and campaign creation. The book lays it out that the Market, Players, and Dice share about a third each of how to tell the story. In my experience it has been a very collaborative and fun way to create a campaign. Players really buy in because they have ownership and the burden on the GM is much less. There's a lot of great things to say about NPCs and vignette scenes where players take on secondary roles. Great moments and characterization can emerge from that.
Fourth, the sort of stories that can be told in Red Markets are really amazing. Stress and trauma are very important components to the game systemically and narratively. Players can, and will, become broken husks, struggling to cope without the right care and attention. This game is not a power fantasy for big damn heroes to rule the wasteland.
Fifth, related to the above, this game is about economic horror. The tension in Red Markets just as often comes from fear of not being able to pay the bills or something breaking and you're not sure how to fix it, or a loved one getting sick than getting shot at or chased by a zombie.
I wish to be clear that Red Markets is not a grim, miserable game. My friends and I laughed to near tears playing it, had fun being silly at times, but we also were genuinely brought to tears by the emotion of some scenes, witnessed tragedy, were filled with rage, and heartbreak. I felt like nearly every person I played with came to love their characters because of the challenge and circumstances.
I love Red Markets and would highly recommend it.
More...