Playing role-playing games can be a blast, but sometimes there are moments when things slow down, like when someone needs to look up a rule or calculate a stat. As enjoyable as these games can be, it’s natural for your mind to wander during these lulls. Years ago, when I first started playing role-playing games, I wanted to keep the story moving as quickly as possible. So, I grabbed a sketchbook, a small figurine, and set out to create the simplest possible rule set that still captured the essence of role-playing games. That’s when I came up with 6X.

6X is a streamlined role-playing experience so simple that I can explain the rules right here in this blog post. All you need is a six-sided die. I chose a six-sided die because not everyone has access to specialized dice or randomization devices, which shows just how long ago this idea was conceived. Every roll represents an attempt to achieve a specific goal. The player decides what they want to accomplish and sets the desired outcome as the number one on the die. In contrast, the narrator assigns a proportionally opposite negative outcome to the number six. For the numbers two through five, players fill in a continuum of results between the positive and negative extremes.

Over the years, I’ve created several variations and rule expansions, but the core idea remains the same. You can play 6X with just these simple rules and have a great time. I was so fond of my little system that I posted it online years ago, without any marketing or community support. To my delight, I’ve recently found variations of 6X floating around on the internet.

As I embarked on my new adventure of bringing board games to people, I decided to start with 6X again. I put it in a book, illustrated it, and made it available online. Much like the first time, there hasn’t been much fanfare or marketing, but if you’re reading this, you’re now part of our growing community. So grab a six-sided die and give 6X a try! If you’d like a little more nuance or want to show your appreciation, you can purchase a copy on Amazon or find us at a local convention. Enjoy playing, and have fun from the Robo Bonobo team!

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Filed under: News - @ May 1, 2023 8:21 pm

Tags: 6X, Games, RoboBonobo, TabletopGames