Inferno №3 · The Rules

Make a Tabletop Game

This time we're making tabletop games. Cards, dice, paper, a board, an RPG, whatever you come up with. As long as it doesn't need a screen to play.

⚜ ⚜ ⚜ Two things to watch out for

No half-finished projects. If you had a game already half-designed, do something else. The point is starting fresh.
No AI for design. Don't ask GPT or Claude to invent mechanics, themes, names, art, or write rules text for you.
AI is fine for fact-checking. “How does Magic's mana system work?” Go ahead.
AI is fine for feedback. “Is this rule clear?” Sure.

⚜ ⚜ ⚜ Show us the game in action

At the end of the 48 hours, we would like to see roughly 5 minutes of someone playing your game and explaining it. It's hard to understand a game from a rulebook, but watching a short playthrough makes it click.

You can do it live at the retro, pre-record it on your phone, do a screen-share, put together an annotated photo storyboard, or come up with something else. Whatever works for you.

⚜ ⚜ ⚜ A few more things

The general Inferno rules still apply, see the FAQ on the home page.
Try to actually playtest before the retro on Sunday. Even a 10-minute round with your teammate counts.
Take photos as you go and keep the rules drafts around. Makes the retro way better.