Kids on Bikes
Originally created by Jonathan Gilmour and Doug Levandowski
In Kids on Bikes, players take on the roles of everyday people grappling with strange, terrifying, and powerful forces that they cannot defeat, control, or even fully understand. It isn't just a tabletop roleplaying game; it's a collaborative worldbuilding game too! Players work together to create the small town in which their game is set and its unique brand of strangeness. Are there UFO sightings and alien abductions? Mysterious science labs doing secret experiments? An underground criminal enterprise? You'll have to play to find the truth! Inspired by kids' coming-of-age tales like Stranger Things, E.T., and The Goonies, Kids on Bikes stars an intrepid band of young people who will stop at nothing to solve mysteries, stop injustices, protect their friends and save their town! The game even allows you to create a communally controlled Powered Character (like E.T. or Eleven) to add another dimension to your games. Kids on Bikes is rules-light, quick to pick up, and focused on collaborative storytelling. So what are you waiting for? Hop on your bike and solve that case!
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Kids on Bikes Reviews (4)
See what other Game Masters and players are saying about Kids on Bikes
A simple but effective Stranger Things simulator that emphasizes creative collaboration between players and GMs. The town creation questionnaire is a highlight in this book - I regularly make use of it whenever I'm setting a game in a small town. Although the straightforward (if somewhat swingy) mechanics and narrative-first system make it easy for new players to pick up, the lack of character advancement may put a damper on long term campaigns. If you like small town mystery/horror and are trying to break away from d20 systems, give this one a try.
This system is excellent for people new to TTRPGs, storytellers and those that enjoy collaboration. It is one of the more rules light systems that I've played, I find it easy to get into the flow. Rather than focusing on combat and leveling up this system focuses on character development and relationships. Our bonds are what makes us stronger, and likewise your characters are stronger with friends. I like to remind my players that they are main characters, and the Kids on Bikes system allows them to make those main character choices that push the story forward in incredibly interesting ways.
The premise of Kids on Bikes is a great one! The way you approach building characters and telling stories is a lot of fun. The game hinges a lot on the multi-dice system that it uses, which assigns larger dice to the abilities a character is better at, which can be fun, but I have learned it is not my cup of tea. In addition, there is not a lot of guidance in the rulebooks for the ways a powered character can be used, which is a unique mechanic to the system. All that being said, I think Kids on Bikes is a great system for certain games and tables.
How to Build a Character and Play Kids on Bikes
Kids on Bikes is so easy to learn, this video explains how to make a character and get rolling in just three minutes!
To start, you'll make a character by assigning dice to your six stats, which are Brains, Brawn, Fight, Flight, Charm, and Grit. You'll assign a d20 to the stat you want to be your best, then down a d12, a d10, a d8, a d6, and finally a d4 to your weakest stat. You'll also choose your age (kid, teen, or adult), which offers a small bonus to two stats. You can choose a Strength for your character, a special ability or bonus benefit based on their personality.
In play, whenever you attempt something challenging, you'll roll the appropriate die against a target number set by the game master. If you roll equal to or higher than the target number, you succeed! If you roll the highest value possible on your die, that die explodes, meaning you get to roll again and add the total--you can even do this multiple times if you get lucky! Combat is resolved by opposed rolls between combatants and taking the difference between the two numbers, with more extreme results on bigger gaps.
Finally, if your game includes a powered character, you'll create their powers and quirks together with the rest of your table!
Character Creation in Kids on Bikes, Kids on Brooms, and Teens in Space
Kids on Bikes, Kids on Brooms, and Teens in Space all share a basic core mechanical system between them, so if you know how to make characters in one, it's easy to get started in another! In this video, you'll learn the basics that apply to every game in the series, as well as some of the specifics depending on the game you choose.
You'll start by choosing a trope for your character, sort of like a class or playbook, that gives their high concept and general character archetype. Then you'll assign a die size to each of their six stats: Brains, Brawn, Fight, Flight, Charm and Grit, from a d20 in their best stat, down through a d12, d10, d8, d6, and d4 in the rest. Then you'll answer some questions about who your character is and how they relate to the other characters in the group, and choose some strengths and weaknesses, mechanical benefits and detriments based on your characters' talents, skills, or personality.
If you're playing Kids on Bikes, you'll pick your character's age. If you're playing Teens in Space, you'll pick their species (are they an alien?) and get some points to improve your character or the ship they share with their crew! If you're playing Kids on Brooms, you'll choose your character's grade, their magical familiar, their wand, and their broom, each of which provides a few benefits.
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Heather Vaughan
Heather Vaughan is an award-winning illustrator based in Philadelphia, PA. Her work includes game illustration, comics and sequential art, as well as posters, cover art, and spot illustrations. She uses vibrant colors and bold lines with a limited palette to create striking scenes, often of tension and horror.
Explore ArtFrequently asked questions about Kids on Bikes
Explore Kids on Bikes Tropes
Blue Collar Worker
To what extent do you enjoy the work you do? What would it mean for you if you lost your job?
Brilliant Mathlete
Why do you get satisfaction from being good at math (or your other area of expertise)? How does your social isolation manifest itself?
Brutish Jock
Why do you get satisfaction from being good at sports? What does your involvement with sports keep you from doing that you wish you could do?
Bully
What motivates your bullying? How do you feel when you hurt others?
Conspiracy Theorist
What do you think is happening in the town that no one knows about? How far will you go to prove that you’re right?
Funny Sidekick
What do you do that always lightens your friends’ moods? What do you do that always lightens your friends’ moods?
Laid-Back-Slacker
What do you think of people who try much harder than you do? What are you willing to go the extra mile for?
Loner Weirdo
Why are you happier fending for yourself? What part of the “cool” kids’ life do you wish you had - just a little bit?
Overprotective Parent
When do you feel appreciated by your kid/kids? What would losing your child/children mean to you?
Plastic Beauty
How does it feel to have others think that you’re “beautiful but terrible”? What do you sacrifice to remain beautiful?
Popular Kid
Beyond people wanting to impress you and the social capital that brings, what do you like about being popular? How do you treat the unpopular kids?
Reclusive Eccentric
What drove you away from the world at large? What do you miss about being out in the world?
Scout
Who first got you into Scouting (or more generally, the great outdoors)? Who first got you into Scouting (or more generally, the great outdoors)?
Stoic Professional
To what extent do you enjoy the work you do? What would you rather be doing?
Wannabe
What would it mean to be one of the popular kids? What would you sacrifice to be one of the cool kids?
Young Provider
How has working to support your family improved you as a person? What have you had to give up for your family?