I recently picked up a copy of The Gregarious Goblin Gift Exchange by Thogreer. The following is my summery/review of the system. I have not been paid or compensated in anyway for this review.
This is a rules light, cooperative role playing game. The players assume the role of gift hunting goblins. The gifts have mysteriously vanished and your team will recover these gifts, tracking them to the ends of the earth and beyond. The game play consists almost entirely of role play. It's a real strength of the system that makes it easy to pick up and play without getting bogged down in the mechanics. I found the rules to be well written and easy to read.
The game master, referred to as the Ringleader, describes the scenes. When the players come to a pass/fail moment, the Ringleader will call for a roll to determine success, mixed success or failure. 2d6 are used for all rolls.
The majority of the rules are focused on character creation. It occupies a nice middle ground of being easy to learn, but still providing enough options to make the individual characters feel mechanically unique. Building a character also teaches you the core game rules you’ll use during play. It breaks down into three basic parts, which I have summarized below.
1. Choose a playbook (character class)
2. Choose moves (character actions)
3. Choose spells (magic)
Each goblin chooses a playbook, which are similar to character classes. Your chosen playbook affects your goblin’s stats but doesn't lock you into a role-play type. You are free to make any kind of character you want. The stats, which include “Ghastly” and “Gutsy,” give you a good feel for the whimsical tone of the system.
Next you’ll pick moves. Moves are basically actions. Some are general to all characters and some are specific to which playbook you choose. It takes a while to remember all the moves you can do, but they're pretty straight forward and its easy to reference the rule book while playing. I kept my book open during game play and it was simple enough to quickly find the one I needed.
Finally, you’ll pick spells. Choose two basic spells and one advanced spell from the list in the rules. Basic spells can be used three times a day. Advanced spells can be used once per day. I think my favorite spell was “Da Boosta!” which grants temporary help to a teammate.
As for the setting, the gifts have been scattered across the multiverse, so you can play this in any setting. The game provides rules for the goblins to use portals and jump from one universe to another. This is another strength of the game as it allows for the potential of unlimited crossover. You can start at Santa’s north pole, have a chase through the streets of Water Deep, save a gift from the clutches of Cthulhu in 1920 Chicago and end your trip on a long range space ship back to earth. The options are limitless.
If you looking for something fun, easy to learn, and easy to play. I’d recommend giving this a try.
The Gregarious Goblin Gift Exchange was written by Thogreer. You can find it on his Itch.io page for $10. https://thogreer.itch.io/ggge-rpg
- Review by Dan @StayOnYourCouch