If Not Us, Then Who?
A downloadable game
There is no tale more compelling than a group of kids from disparate backgrounds coming together to confront a threat against overwhelming odds. Once you mix that with spandex, helmets, and giant robots—what more does a story need!?
Power Rangers, Animorphs, Sailor Moon, She-Ra and similar shows have always resonated with me because they are about coming together and doing the right thing. When in the face of danger, these characters don’t run, but instead ask “If Not Us, Then Who?”
We are at our best when we fight together; when we fall together; when we work together; and when we collectively gather to fight against a villainous force that threatens everyone.
We also have giant robots and matching suits—and that shreds.
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To play this game, you will need nothing more than a deck of cards, goofy ideas, and friends.
Create the characters together and then draw one card to begin the game. Each card drawn is an episode. Each player will take a turn reading out one of the Narrative Beats of an episode and describing what happens. When you reach the conclusion, the episode is complete. After each episode, as a group, you will choose an Episode MVP and a Best Moment.
You can address the episodes as precise or as broad as you would like. You may think of game play as playing out each line of an original script or as a recap podcast for that show—either way, together with your friends, you will make your way through a full season until the End Game is drawn. When this card is drawn, you will wrap up loose ends, find out if the heroes win this one, and then press on to the next season.
Even between seasons, it is key to remember that when the heroes put their morphers back and relax in a time of peace, they are still out there protecting others and working to improve the lives of the people around them. Because it was never the morphing that made you a ranger, a scout, a vandal, or a princess. There is a hero inside each person, and once they tap into it, it doesn’t switch off. Once a Ranger, Always a Ranger.
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by Riley Hopkins
Cover Art: Cody Hawley, @HodyCawley
Book Art: Caro Ascercion, @SeaExcusrion
Helmet Art: CrossMirage, @kineticharvest
Consulting: Natalie The Knife
Editing: Mandy Lissak
Purchase
In order to download this game you must purchase it at or above the minimum price of $15 USD. You will get access to the following files:
Development log
- New Update to the PDF! Check it out!Dec 04, 2021
- Kickstarter for the Physical Copy!Nov 08, 2019
Comments
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This sounds great, just wondering if you plan on doing community copies for this?
this game rules! i have only a passing knowledge of power rangers and that is totally fine for this game. easy to pick up and play, very fun, and knows the genre so well that it gives you the chance to make a really fun and creative story together. i played this in the context of a larger anthology campaign that takes place in a superheroic city recently, and we made a kickass show. thank you also for including the "evil" trait, as 2/3 of us ended up with that, and it was a blast.
If Not Us, Then Who? is a game about transforming teenage hero shows. Think Power Rangers, Sailor Moon, or Animorphs. It is unique in that it is more about the narrative structure of this kind of show than individual actions.
The episode-structure prompts that Riley has written are spectacular, and really evocative. Get ready to play though holiday episodes, bottle episodes, crossover eps, and more!
This game is just begging to be hacked to play through some other types of procedural show! Also the villain of your story can be “Yule Lads,” so you know this is a great game.
That sounds really cool !
Do you have a preview of what kind of card your game uses ?
Or may be an example of how the game works ?
Thank you
Yeah! I just added a picture of two of the cards, and the rules breakdown of The Episodes and Beats, along with what the "character sheet" looks like!