Tragedy Looper
First play of the game’s Actually Quite Challenging scenarios, as well as the no-talking rules. Five minute timer between loops for open discussion, then back in to the next run.
What is really intriguing to me about this design is that the no-talking version isn’t (just) there to make the game more difficult or to shut down Field Commander players. Instead, it changes the game into something else: not only are the players trying to solve the loop, they’re trying to read each other at the same time. Amazing, very interesting to watch.
I am absolutely astonished they were able to solve scenario 3 (masterminds, go look it up!) in three loops and no talking. I don’t think I made any major play errors; the game is just very smart about how it doles out clues and structures its logic.
Also interesting: one of the players sussed out the storyline just from the characters and their behaviors. I can’t talk about that because spoilers, but I thought it was pretty neat.
Me thinks we need to give this another go Johan Ahlén.
Lovely game.
I find that as the Mastermind you need to practice each scenario before running them. Just to be sure not to make overtly dumb mistakes. Although that may be mostly my thing.
I have a very difficult time keeping quiet ever, even when games like The Grizzled, or Escape: The Curse of the Temple force me to be with in-game effects. However, for Tragedy Looper I can see it enhancing the experience.
I had to practice keeping my mouth shut recently. When I was playing Pandemic Legacy with two parallel groups. One group finished the game while the other was still in April.
I told them: “Look guys, I’ll play as best I can and I will participate in the tactical discussions. But for the more strategic elements (upgrades, panic level, etc etc) I’m going to have to mute myself because I know too much about what is coming.”
It was really hard and an exercise in poker-face.
Interesting. Do you have thoughts on how this compares to T.I.M.E Stories?
Steve Hickey oh sure.
Time Stories is fully cooperative, and relies on the loop to reveal and accumulate information about a fixed situation. Tragedy Looper is not cooperative, and the mastermind is constantly adapting to the players’ efforts. Different flavors of logic puzzles.
Scenario 3 is still the only full scenario I’ve gotten to run, and I had a similar experience. Players elected to play without talking and just managed to beat it. It helped that they agreed between loops on certain people for certain roles.