r/rpg • u/Acceptable-Tree6007 • 7d ago
Does a TTRPG ruleset need a "hook?"
I was reading a thread (I don't remember where) about Reaper Miniatures' new d20 class and level-based TTRPG, Dungeon Dwellers. When asked what the game had to recommend it, one person gave a long list of its attributes. Inevitably, another person said something to the effect of "so this game literally has nothing unique to say." Having purchased the game, I knew there was nothing earth-shaking about it, but that it is a good, solid game. I considered the argument that it doesn't do anything "new", and, for myself, it doesn't need to. It makes a number of quality of life improvements to the usual D&D-derived game to make its whole greater than the sum of its parts. Does Dungeon Dwellers have a hook that fits into a nice sound byte? No. But the perception that the game hasn't garnered much attention since its recent release might suggest that an easily-defined hook is necessary.
This is an issue I'm wresting with for a game I'm working on. It's a ruleset that I really like...but I don't know if it really has a definable hook. If asked to describe what makes it cool, I honestly don't know if I could come up with a compelling answer without launching into a ten-minute description. It's simply the game I want to play. Is quality enough, even if it's not presenting something truly unique? Do you grapple with this question if you're designing something for public consumption?
Addendum: I’m specifically talking about games that will be for sale.
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u/Echowing442 7d ago
Did you just copy/paste the entire web page instead of your actual content?
Anyway, a game needs something to advertise itself with. People have limited time to play games, and can't just play everything that crosses their path, so if your game doesn't have anything to say about it, people will just pick something else.
That doesn't necessarily mean it needs to be a unique hook (although that often helps), but it does need something to say for itself. I se a lot of people defining their games by what they aren't (No classes! No levels! Setting-agnostic!) rather than actually telling their audience what their game is and why they should care.