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KoN caught my eye last week at Seattle's Dreaming Comics & Games, where I was looking for a handful of new games to use as examples of where the art of roleplaying is headed. As soon as I started reading it, I knew I had to have it.
And WOW. I love it.
KoN's concept is homeless people who's slipped through the cracks of their world. Forgetting even who they were or where they came from, these Lost people survive in a mysterious and often terrifying realm. The City here is a living and changeable entity, filled with nightmarish secrets. Ideally, the Lost eventually puzzle their way out through new-found courage and self-discovery.
I love the concept as a whole. It's timely, evocative, and ideal for creative character-based groups. Beyond that, KoN has marvelous artistic potential beyond the existent "cool factor." KoN stories can say a lot of important things about our world, and Jeff clearly had those deeper levels in mind when he created the game.
The rules system is a textbook example of creating rules to reinforce the theme and nature of the game. I look forward to trying them in play, but the system seems really easy, fast, intuitive and creative. In perhaps my favorite aspect of the game, the Lost characters don't even know their own stories; instead, the other players invent a series of related secrets about each character's past - secrets the player herself does not know about! This emphasis on collaborative storytelling appeals to me tremendously on all kinds of levels. It's gracefully done, with powerful potential.
Jeff's artwork is gorgeous, and suits the subject matter beautifully. In place of the aspiring-artist sketches that illustrate so many small-press RPGs, KoN's art is smooth, potent and professional, complimenting the game rather than distracting from its quality.
From a critical standpoint, I really wanted there to be more information and examples about how to run KoN stories. As I learned after doing Deliria, it's easier to upend the gaming paradigm (which KoN does beautifully) than it is to run such games without substantial guidance if you're not the person who designed or playtested the game. I wound up doing the Everyday Heroes supplement to fix that mistake when I made it myself, but the audience really shouldn't need a supplement in order to play the game. KoN is deliberately slim and simple, but an expansion or supplement would be welcome.
Also, in an effort to be gender-neutral, Jeff uses the word "their" as a singular pronoun. Sadly, this makes the book - and most especially the rules - harder to follow than they should be. When a sentence features both singular and plural parties, "their" really doesn't work as a gender pronoun. (The word "its" is also misspelled throughout, which is an editorial fault.)
These, though, are minor quibbles. For a mere $15.00, KINGDOM OF NOTHING features a marvelous concept, engaging rules, great illustrations, and an artful concept that suits our current circumstances. As an example of the creativity ranging through the RPG medium right now, Kingdom of Nothing sits high on my list... which, given its company among games like Little Fears, Hoodoo Blues, Spirit of the Century, Changeling: The Lost, Life With Master and Grimm, is impressive.
I look forward to introducing my roleplaying group to Kingdom of Nothing. It's well-suited to our style of play.
Check it out!
http://galileogames.com/kingdom-of-nothing/
- Satyros Phil Brucato,
Author, Designer of Mage: The Ascension, The Sorcerers Crusade and Deliria: Faerie Tales for a New Millennium
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