I'm thinking about running a one-shot soon and want to give it video game/puzzle sort of feel. It's going to have a mild horror vibe and be exploration heavy (inspired by the game Little Nightmares). The players will be all be a homebrew stat, similar to the Survivors in VRGtR, and will be size-class tiny. Throughout the session, they will be moving through rooms, solving puzzles, and trying to escape a compound they are in. I want to design each room with an escape room in mind, so they have to solve puzzles, unlock doors, and really use their surroundings (being size class tiny, this means the world is their oyster). However, I also want to do this in a way that is fun and engaging, so I'm finding it difficult to, 1) work out the mechanics so that they feel they can really interact with everything, and 2) come up with some meaningful puzzles or skill challenges. If anyone has tips for these things feel free to toss them out here. I know that's kind of a lot of info, and maybe a little confusing, so hmu if you need clarification. Thanks
Since they're a group, it won't be exactly the same as Little Nightmares (at least as the first game. I know the second one has two characters but I didn't play it so Idk how it works). You can make differently interesting puzzles that rely on that, though. Anything that relies on a sequence of actions one character couldn't possibly achieve alone (that might seem possible for a normal person so that the puzzle makes sense). Two switches that have to be lowered at the same time within a normal person's reach, but clearly too far for one tiny character to reach both. Maybe they have to help each other climb something.
A constant threat they must be aware of, like the janitor from the first game, would be very cool. It should be very obvious from the start that it is not something they're supposed to be fighting but running away from instead. Then they'd have to succeed on Stealth checks or a chase encounter would start. Perhaps at the end, there could be some "fighting" scene where the players can use something in the environment to defeat/finally escape from that monster, similar to the elevator scene where the janitor's hands end up being cut off. It would be cool if this took time to set up for some reason, and therefore a distraction would be needed, which only one of the other party members can provide, risking its life to save everyone (and maybe themselves if they're lucky). In a normal campaign, it wouldn't be good, but at the end of a One-Shot I think someone sacrificing themselves for everyone would create a memorable moment, and it would fit the horror theme.
For interacting with everything, just let them do whatever seems to make sense. It's not necessarily useful, but nothing prevents them from picking up toilet paper. If you're really bothered with it, decide on a weight limit that seems reasonable. That said, I think you can really just copy some of LN's puzzles as is and present them that way. Just remember that some puzzles in the game build upon knowledge gained from playing previous puzzles, so giving them without the previous ones might make them harder than first expected.
Since they're a group, it won't be exactly the same as Little Nightmares (at least as the first game. I know the second one has two characters but I didn't play it so Idk how it works). You can make differently interesting puzzles that rely on that, though. Anything that relies on a sequence of actions one character couldn't possibly achieve alone (that might seem possible for a normal person so that the puzzle makes sense). Two switches that have to be lowered at the same time within a normal person's reach, but clearly too far for one tiny character to reach both. Maybe they have to help each other climb something.
A constant threat they must be aware of, like the janitor from the first game, would be very cool. It should be very obvious from the start that it is not something they're supposed to be fighting but running away from instead. Then they'd have to succeed on Stealth checks or a chase encounter would start. Perhaps at the end, there could be some "fighting" scene where the players can use something in the environment to defeat/finally escape from that monster, similar to the elevator scene where the janitor's hands end up being cut off. It would be cool if this took time to set up for some reason, and therefore a distraction would be needed, which only one of the other party members can provide, risking its life to save everyone (and maybe themselves if they're lucky). In a normal campaign, it wouldn't be good, but at the end of a One-Shot I think someone sacrificing themselves for everyone would create a memorable moment, and it would fit the horror theme.
For interacting with everything, just let them do whatever seems to make sense. It's not necessarily useful, but nothing prevents them from picking up toilet paper. If you're really bothered with it, decide on a weight limit that seems reasonable. That said, I think you can really just copy some of LN's puzzles as is and present them that way. Just remember that some puzzles in the game build upon knowledge gained from playing previous puzzles, so giving them without the previous ones might make them harder than first expected.
Golden. I totally agree. Ln is such a good game, so I can't really help but draw from it XD. Yeah I've thought about the puzzle thing that requries more than one person, since most of LN is really stuff one person has to do quickly and skillfully (pull a lever, run, jump, slide through the doorway before it closes), it makes sense that to expound on that concept you make up tasks that require two or more people. Thanks!
I also plan on having a few threat type enemies, ones that they can't necessarily fight, but can get around and distract. Another prop of having two or more is you can make one distract, and the other open a door or something. But then, they have to get the one who distracted out. it's a really fun concept to toy with.
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A little bit of background:
I'm thinking about running a one-shot soon and want to give it video game/puzzle sort of feel. It's going to have a mild horror vibe and be exploration heavy (inspired by the game Little Nightmares). The players will be all be a homebrew stat, similar to the Survivors in VRGtR, and will be size-class tiny. Throughout the session, they will be moving through rooms, solving puzzles, and trying to escape a compound they are in. I want to design each room with an escape room in mind, so they have to solve puzzles, unlock doors, and really use their surroundings (being size class tiny, this means the world is their oyster). However, I also want to do this in a way that is fun and engaging, so I'm finding it difficult to, 1) work out the mechanics so that they feel they can really interact with everything, and 2) come up with some meaningful puzzles or skill challenges. If anyone has tips for these things feel free to toss them out here. I know that's kind of a lot of info, and maybe a little confusing, so hmu if you need clarification. Thanks
-Gh0styy
Updog
Since they're a group, it won't be exactly the same as Little Nightmares (at least as the first game. I know the second one has two characters but I didn't play it so Idk how it works). You can make differently interesting puzzles that rely on that, though. Anything that relies on a sequence of actions one character couldn't possibly achieve alone (that might seem possible for a normal person so that the puzzle makes sense). Two switches that have to be lowered at the same time within a normal person's reach, but clearly too far for one tiny character to reach both. Maybe they have to help each other climb something.
A constant threat they must be aware of, like the janitor from the first game, would be very cool. It should be very obvious from the start that it is not something they're supposed to be fighting but running away from instead. Then they'd have to succeed on Stealth checks or a chase encounter would start. Perhaps at the end, there could be some "fighting" scene where the players can use something in the environment to defeat/finally escape from that monster, similar to the elevator scene where the janitor's hands end up being cut off. It would be cool if this took time to set up for some reason, and therefore a distraction would be needed, which only one of the other party members can provide, risking its life to save everyone (and maybe themselves if they're lucky). In a normal campaign, it wouldn't be good, but at the end of a One-Shot I think someone sacrificing themselves for everyone would create a memorable moment, and it would fit the horror theme.
For interacting with everything, just let them do whatever seems to make sense. It's not necessarily useful, but nothing prevents them from picking up toilet paper. If you're really bothered with it, decide on a weight limit that seems reasonable. That said, I think you can really just copy some of LN's puzzles as is and present them that way. Just remember that some puzzles in the game build upon knowledge gained from playing previous puzzles, so giving them without the previous ones might make them harder than first expected.
Varielky
Golden. I totally agree. Ln is such a good game, so I can't really help but draw from it XD. Yeah I've thought about the puzzle thing that requries more than one person, since most of LN is really stuff one person has to do quickly and skillfully (pull a lever, run, jump, slide through the doorway before it closes), it makes sense that to expound on that concept you make up tasks that require two or more people. Thanks!
Updog
I also plan on having a few threat type enemies, ones that they can't necessarily fight, but can get around and distract. Another prop of having two or more is you can make one distract, and the other open a door or something. But then, they have to get the one who distracted out. it's a really fun concept to toy with.
Updog