Prisoners of the Village (PBtA)
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This game is set in the Village¸ inspired by the 1970s TV show starring Patrick McGoohan. The players are all prisoners on a surreal resort full of psychedelic mind games¸ which is actually a retirement home meant to contain spies¸ undesirables¸ or other people who know too much. This game functions best as a sandbox - there is no concrete plot¸ but several intriguing situations players can use to investigate the environment and approach their goals. Each character has a specific backstory and a personal objective meant to wind them up and get them invested in the story¸ such as escaping from the Village¸ taking charge of the place¸ and determining why it exists in the first place. The Village is a puzzle¸ a riddle inside an enigma. At the outset¸ it appears to be a fun¸ pleasant resort¸ with a retro-futuristic feel¸ but it is actually a prison. No one in the village has a name - everyone is assigned a number. No one knows how they got here. No one knows the real location. No one ever leaves. If asked¸ guests will state there is no outside world¸ not anymore. There are no guards and no guns¸ because everyone is supposed to be a guard¸ turning in non-conformists to the collective immediately. As far as one can see¸ everyone is happy here¸ or pretending to be happy. Games and events are frequently held to keep the several hundred residents busy¸ and attendance is strongly encouraged. Defiance is punishable. The odds of anything in the Village being true at face value should be divided by zero. Can you escape? Do you want to? Why is this place? There us a unique game mechanic that allows players to compete and drive the narrative to the ending of their choice to answer the ultimate mysteries. The game comes with an adventure guide¸ a map of the Village¸ and six Apocalypse Engine characters with secret origins and motivations.