Ask The Readers: Can You Recommend Any GM-Less Games?

Apart from Fiasco I don’t think I’ve personally ever played a GM-less RPG, but I would like to bring Fate up here anyway. While it isn’t intended to be played without a GM I think it provides players with all the tools necessary to do so. Setting up the campaign aspects and character creation and such is already a very cooperative exercise in the game and you wouldn’t need to change that many things to extend that into the actual play part.

It might be worth looking into.

There are two flavors of GM-less games: The GM-less group RPG and the GM-less solitaire RPG. Most of the group RPGs spread story-telling responsibility around the group. The solo RPGs can generally be played as a group, but the action is handled by a decision-making engine that is interpreted by the player(s).

Here’s a pretty comprehensive list of GM-less solitaire RPGs — there are more,if you count computer-based tools. http://dieheart.net/useful-stuff/solo-rpg-resources/

Concerning Fiasco: Where did you get it? I checked a few months ago and wasn’t able to find it at any german retailer. I am VERY interested in that game.

Concerning your immediate problem of gaming without being the GM:
Obviously, I am going to push boardgames as an no-headache alternative to rolelaying. While they obviously are not the same thing, there are a lot of RPG-like boardgames by now, that can scratch the itch. And I am realy a big fan of cooperative boardgames, which can have similiar group dynamics to a RPG, even if they are not about playin a roll at all.

A current favorite is TIME-Stories, which is quite similiar to a roleplaying game and actualy tells a story. Which of course comes with the drawback, that you can only play each adventure once. Check it out here: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/146508/time-stories

Another interesting upcomming game is 7th Continent, which allows you to explore a huge area and has enough options/randomness to play differently each time. I also has a heavy dose of Lovecraft. More details: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/180263/7th-continent

And for a general CoOp-fix, I can not recommend Pandemic Legacy enough. Again, you can basically only play it once – but this still means at least 12-15 plays. Details: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/161936/pandemic-legacy-season-1

So, why don’t you take a break from RPGs in general for a few months? With boardgames you don’t have to take responsibility of running the game and entertaining the players. You only have to read the rules. It takes MUCH less prep time and leads to fewer headaches – which sounds like the thing that you are looking for at the moment.

Ah…I am still not big on ebooks. Especialy in gaming, when I will want to leaf through the rules to find an entry. Thanks…I’ll keep looking.

Recommend: Kaleidoscope, Primetime Adv. ‘Terps, Love in the Time of Khvareneh, Carolina Death Crawl, Shock, Until We sink, Archipelago III

Would like to try: 183 Days, Annalise, The Quiet Year, Montsegur 1244, Bacchanal, ViewScream, Okult, Lovecraftesque ++

You HAVE to check out Durance! I just picked it up. Completely GM-less. Really, really good stuff.

Never played, but I read “Do: Pilgrims of the Flying Temple” (the original one, not the Fate Accelerated version) and it looks like a nice GMless game.

Here is the link : http://danielsolisblog.blogspot.ca/2007/08/do-pilgrims-of-flying-temple.html

What about a game where GMing is shared? If you are interested and you like pulp style sci-fi try http://www.cosmicpatrol.com/, or if you want some Supers action try http://www.catalystgamelabs.com/valiant, both are the same rules-set

Have you looked at the “Mythic: Game Master Emulator”? It was originally written for the Mythic RPG, but then they recognized games might want to use it with other systems, so they published it as a separate entity.

From the Intro:

Welcome to Mythic: Game Master Emulator, improvisational role-playing using your favorite role-playing games. Mythic: GM Emulator is meant for use by role-players with a little experience under their belts and their favorite game in hand. It is not a stand- alone game. For that, we have Mythic (just Mythic), which is a fully fledged, universal role-playing game. Mythic was published in early 2003 as an attempt to produce an rpg that could be played solo or with a group, minus the game master. Or, with the Game Master, but without preparation.

you might look at http://www.rpgnow.com/product/114895/Black-Streams-Solo-Heroes

this guy has some interesting things to say
http://tabletopdiversions.blogspot.com/p/campaigns.html

Do: Pilgrims of the Flying Temple is an awesome game where in the end, the group has physical artefact of your game as you write the story.
The Quiet Year does the same but you draw a map.
Microscope is a fun game where you’ll then have a history for a setting.
Cosmic Patrol feels more like traditional RPGs but the role of GM changes after each scene. It recreates pulp sci-fi stories.
Becoming has been described as 1 PC & 3 GM. One player plays the protagonists and the other 3 players plays the fates trying to pressure the story towards them.
Posthuman Pathways is a great 3 player RPG where you explore the stories of 3 characters has technology on them.
While in Heroine there is a GM role, it will change when one player gets enough points to take over.
Project Ninja Panda Taco is basically Despicable Me the RPG. On your turn, you play a super villain trying to take over the world, another player plays your super illusion nemesis and everyone else are the minions who you are trying to convince to help you. Those roles rotate.

I am currently working on a game called Troll Jaw Tavern it is a legitimate Roleplaying Game (I have to stress that cause it’s important to me). The game is turn based and online to allow play throughout the week with far away friends (PC or Mac now mobile coming soon)Trying to launch a massive free beta test for anyone interested next weekend. Google Troll Jaw Tavern website for info and to sign up for the beta test weekend. Thanks!

Sorry to ad to that last post. I forgot to tell you there is no GM required (that’s the main reason I posted here) We have successfully simulated a DM. It’s not perfect but it’s pretty cool.