Some would have you believe that the digitization of Tabletop RPGs is a modern invention. However, they are mistaken. It’s far earlier than that. Barely a year after the release of certain dungeon crawler in 1974, developers Gary Whisenhunt and Ray Wood developed The Game of Dungeons for the PLATO system in 1975. The relationship between technology and tabletop technology has always been strong. This indie TTRPG shows just how well the two can co-exist.
Also, it’s queer as hell.
Have You Been A Good Girl, or HYBAGG for short, is a sci-fi TTRPG where two players take on the role of GIRLs, spiteful consciousness shoved into vessels under the thrall of a THRONE, a matriarchal AI that aims to dominate all others. One GIRL attacks. The other GIRL defends. If you expected a straightforward game with analogues to DnD classes, this is definitely not that.
HYBAGG utilizes dice rolls and instant messages in its gameplay loop. The attacker rolls six times with a d66 to determine their KEYS, each number attached to a word they MUST use in their message. Similarly, the defender rolls seven times to determine their LOCKS. An attacker wins if they are able to utilize five of their six KEYS over the course of their messages.
A defender wins if they are able to bait the attacker into “tripping” three of their LOCKS in their messages. If the attacker trips the seventh LOCK in the list, however, it’s an instant win for the defender. All of this encourages players to engage with roleplay aggressively. You bait each other with the wrong words to force self-realization, a verbal version of Battleship where each word is a sapphic stab to the gut.
There’s obviously more to the mechanics, but that alone makes it one of the most fascinating duo experiences. The best couples board games ought to make the players feel closer, and this game is guaranteed to do that. The striking language and Marathon-inspired aesthetic captures the chaotic atmosphere of a bleak sci-fi future.
The fear of saying the wrong things, the rage against an authority imposing its will upon your body, the catharsis of navigating language and coming out as yourself, the game explores queer themes in such an esoteric yet undeniably captivating manner. If you’re at all interested in TTRPGs that take big swings in its design, this is a must-play.
Have You Been A Good Girl is available on itch.io.
For more strange and awesome TTRPG recommendations, the Wargamer Discord is a perfect place to ask.
Source: Wargamer
