The Job : Psychosis

02/05/2011
The Job
Psychosis

Chameleon Eclectic Entertainment once released a Charles Ryan game called Psychosis.   When I first heard about the game, I knew I just had to find a way to play it.   In the game, there are no character sheets.  No dice are used.  The game basically uses Tarot cards to represent your "character sheet" and to resolve any events that happen in the game.  You see in Psychosis, you can't even trust who you think you are, until you uncover more and more clues to the truth in the game.

Think of it like the Tarsem Singh movie "The Cell" but add role-playing elements and a hint of madness into the pot.  Yes, and you're a bit closer to what the game can be like.

I was able to run a game for some friends using the system, and let me say this:  Psychosis really challenges one's preconceptions on what is necessary for a role-playing game to be fun.   In games like this one, the very experience of the narrative unfolding becomes more paramount than anything else.

Simply put:  Every game session is for the player to figure out and make sense what is really going on.

I can't wait to run more Psychosis sessions for others.
Someday.