Downloading apps for your phone is a thing of the past. The newest way to play an RPG on the fly is with… paper! So in reality, Tom Brinton has created a smart and simple game that he presents as a paper app instead of a digital app. He is currently running a Kickstarter for Paper Apps DUNGEON that has already been funded 6000%. Pretty amazing. I’ve been able to play it myself and it is quite a neat little game that gives the thrills of dungeon crawling at its most basic level. We got a chance to talk with him about what Paper Apps is, how a dungeon crawler works on paper and more.
What is a paper app?
Do you ever need to do something super simple on your phone, like write down a note, and find yourself getting sucked into social media or other apps for 10 minutes instead? A couple of years ago I began thinking of experiences that don’t necessarily need to happen on an internet-connected screen. I started off with a nutrition tracking Paper App called NUTRI-TRACK, which I use to keep track of what I eat and how much water I drink.
A while later, I realized that paper games could be packaged in this same form factor and provide a few moments of fun without getting sucked into a screen. I’m not anti-technology at all, in fact I have released a few mobile games as well. I also work as a UX designer for the Chatbooks app–I love video games and apps!
Why make this a paper version instead of a digital game?
I think there’s something tactile and very final about drawing your path onto a piece of paper. You can also look back at it and remember playing it later. I have made several digital games and I think I just wanted to explore new territory – how much fun could I make a 1-player experience on paper–a form that is thought of as non-interactive. Could I invent new genres of pencil and paper games? I was inspired by Sid Sackson and some of his paper games and wanted to add my twist to the medium. With Paper Apps DUNGEON, I’m attempting to bring the procedurally generated levels and simple gameplay of roguelike video games to a pocket-sized notebook.
About how long does each page take to finish?
Game sessions are intended to be quick, and fun. Something you could do in a quiet moment while waiting for the bus. It depends on how the dice fall, but each level should take a player about 2-4 minutes. There are about 50 levels in a book, so each notebook should last a good long while.
What happens if our character dies?
At the end of the level you add up how much HP you gained and lost (as well as coins) and if your HP is 0 or less, you simply mark a tally on the gravestone at the back of the book and start the next page with no treasure and a set amount of HP. I love this mechanic because sometimes it lets the player “come back from the dead” and go in search of more hearts if there are any to be found on that level. I also don’t want to punish the player–when you die, you simply mark it down and start fresh. You do lose what coins you had, but you can always find more in the next level.
You say each pad is different, how are they different and how did you make them all different?
I am writing level-generation code in Python and using an API called Drawbot. This setup allows me to program a process that generates a PDF for each book. Then I simply send all these PDFs to the printer. I’m basing the code off of tried and true dungeon generation algorithms with a few tweaks to make sure it’s fun to play with the dice movement mechanic.
Are there any other paper app ideas that you want to make in the future?
Definitely. I have a Paper Apps GOLF game that I am excited to release in the future. I would also love to release a dice-powered TO-DO list app and a few other games. There’s plenty of potential that I’m interested in exploring.
Check out the Kickstarter here, it will be finishing in just a few days. We’ll keep you posted on its release and our thoughts on the game as a whole when it comes out!