Powered by the Apocalypse

Powered by the Apocalypse, or PbtA, is perhaps one of the most prolific game engines ever, with thousands of games spanning every genre, theme, and tone you can imagine. This style of game gets its name from Apocalypse World, a groundbreaking game originally published in 2010 by Vincent and Meguey Baker about people surviving in a post-apocalyptic wasteland. The designers allowed anyone who wished to adapt and use the game's mechanics, and the Powered by the Apocalypse movement was born. PbtA's design philosophy focuses on "the fiction," the shared collaborative narrative that roleplaying games generate as they're played, and "the conversation," the negotiation, worldbuilding, character interaction, player action and GM reaction that keeps games alive at the table. Beyond this, due to the highly democratized nature of the movement and the diversity of its designers, PbtA games can look extremely different from one another, and no single element is common to all of them. However, a number of conventions have emerged. Most common are "moves," which are mechanical triggers available to players and game masters alike. Player moves trigger when they take specific actions in the fiction, like "act under fire," "seduce or manipulate someone," or "seize by force" in Apocalypse World. A move usually tells players what to roll, and what outcomes they can potentially expect. GM moves are typically reactions the game master can make when players roll poorly, invite a consequence or complication, or look to the GM to see what happens next. They can also use GM moves to foreshadow trouble and introduce threats into the fiction. Players usually roll two six-sided dice and add a relevant stat to resolve their moves, and in many PbtA games, a total of 6 or less is a miss, or bad outcome, a 7-9 is a partial success, where they get most or all of what they wanted, but at a cost, and a 10 or higher is a complete success, with no complications. Because of this, the GM typically doesn't roll at all, as the player's roll covers both their own action and the opposition's response. Many PbtA games also have classes, sometimes called "playbooks," which have special moves, equipment, and narrative roles. Players in PbtA games tend to have more narrative control than in many other game styles, as collaboration on worldbuilding, character relationships, and the shared fiction is strongly encouraged. PbtA RPGs also maintain a tight focus on a specific genre or theme, and tailor their mechanics to delivering on it. For example, Avatar Legends (fantasy adventure a la Avatar: The Last Airbender), Apocalypse World (Mad Max-style post-apocalyptic survival), Monster of the Week (supernatural monster-hunting mystery), Masks (teen superhero drama), Urban Shadows (urban fantasy), Brindlewood Bay (murder mystery eldritch horror), Monsterhearts (paranormal teen drama), Thirsty Sword Lesbians (thirsty sword lesbians), and thousands more. If you're looking for a game with a laser focus on collaborative storytelling in your favorite genre, it's practically guaranteed that there's a PbtA game out there for you.