Reviews

Apocalypse World: The Master of Ceremonies Playbook 2nd Edition by Meguey Baker, D. Vincent Baker

jexjthomas's review

5.0

Honestly, I don't know if I'll ever run Apocalypse World. I'd love to play in a one-shot or maybe even a series of games, but I don't think it's the kind of game I really want to run, just in terms of what interests me in terms of genre and storytelling. It asks interesting questions and puts characters in interesting spots, and I think it's awesome for that--but it's something I'd rather play in than run. Not sure if I can articulate it any better than that. But that said, I think Apocalypse World is one of the most important games I've read, and sections of it should probably be required reading for all GMs, regardless of whether they are ever going to run it, regardless of which side of the (manufactured) story-game vs. OSR divide, or what-freaking-ever. I think there's good food for thought in here about what running a game looks like, what the role of the GM/MC should be, and--for game designers--how to write about running a game in a way that's true to the genre and gives GM the information they actually need, as opposed to assuming what they do or do not know.

Apocalypse World is also an enjoyable read, though at times can feel a bit grueling because the voice is so consistent (it took me a while to get through for that reason). But even that is something different than we usually see in the traditional RPGs--the game being written in a "voice," in a way that drives home the exact feel you're trying to achieve. I'm not talking here about the sidebars written by famous wizards or what-the-fuck, but rather the whole book is written in a way that points the reader toward the tone and genre. It's really kind of remarkable in a lot of ways.