Slower Games vs. Cypher System

I play the Cypher system; I can sit down at my table, play for 30 minutes, and get an entire day of adventure done for a character or two. It is a narrative-focused game with enough crunch and character build detail to create various character types.

Then I get on a high, feel good about myself, and try to play other games.

And they often fail me, have too many books to reference, or just sit there on a shelf while I tell myself I will play them but never do. And I end up not playing the hanger-on games or Cypher System, and I stall again. I get into this bad habit of switching games when I should stick with the one I love and ignore everything else.

And they ruin my focus. I like Castles & Crusades but don't want it out when I focus on another game. Same with ACKS, Dungeon Crawl Classics, and others. I love you, but not now. I am playing this.

AI Art by @nightcafestudio

So I box up the games I am not playing and put them into storage. This helps me; it takes away the choice paralysis and focuses me on the one set of rules I have out. I don't want to front a shelf of dozens of games; that is a worst-nightmare scenario. Good for streaming and showing cred but terrible for sitting down and playing.

The hanger-on games are the enemy of my focus and concentration. If I am playing them, they are my main game. If they are out and begging me to play them instead of what I am having fun with, I don't want to see them. If I focus on playing something like Pathfinder 2, I will box up Cypher, but I don't foresee that happening soon.

I can get a lot done in 30 minutes in Cypher System compared to other games, where it takes me 30 minutes to read the first few pages of an adventure, and I am still trying to reference the rules and monsters I will need. Having that "instant fun" and "turn off whenever" is why I love the Cypher system so much.

AI Art by @nightcafestudio

Cypher feels like a portable game system to me. It is always ready to play, fast to pick up, and quick to put down. The interface and design elements are focused on streamlining the play experience. You may not have the full-bore power of a gaming PC, but for my needs, a fast, light portable game system that does many different things quickly fits my time and expectations for a game.

I can walk up to my gaming table, come up with a scenario - with characters - in my head, and play it out in 5 minutes as I stand there and make the rolls. I don't need to open a book to look up a goblin's unique abilities or hunt down monster stats in a book. If a monster needs an ability, like troll regeneration, it gets made up on the spot. If it is too strong, award an extra XP for the trouble and adjust down for next time.

That is fun.

Is it "rules as written?" In Cypher, yes. In the other games, no.

Too many games ship these days with a book full of lists or random charts, and call that a game. More is not better.

There is a suggestion in the excellent Solo Game Master's Guide that says, "everything is playing." In many games, you never get to play because too much work is involved. Designing a GURPS character and sorting through build options for Pathfinder seem on the same level of complexity to me. With those games, there is a high cost of entry, and even playing the game requires a significant amount of effort in setup and combat management.

"Everything is playing" is a great rule that keeps me in the game.

But this is taken to another level in a game like Cypher, where the "instant fun" button is always ready to be pressed. In 30 minutes, I can play an entire adventuring day - with a party. In many systems, doing that would take me 8 hours minimum, and so many rules referencing that my wanting to repeat the process would be strained.

Creating a Cipher character takes me 10-15 minutes, an upfront campaign cost. I can do this by hand and on paper, which is nice. Past that point, there is zero cost in preparation, reference, or setup.

Everything is playing past character creation in Cypher - is playing.