(RPG PDF Spotlight) Pilot Episode

RPG PDF Spotlights is our daily look at a recent release for a new tabletop roleplaying game, supplement or scenario, or solo journaling game, that has caught my eye. This isn’t a review, although I hope we can start offering reviews in addition to our news coverage in the future, more of a “hey guys, check this out!” shoutout.

Pilot Episode

GM-Less Core Rulebook by SmallRedRobin13

Pilot Episode is a horror hack of Time To Drop inspired by 1950s sitcoms such as I Love Lucy and Leave It To Beaver. The game follows the cast shooting the pilot episode of a brand new sitcom, only for something to go horribly wrong. You use a custom-written soundtrack to determine where you are in the loop; when the music ends, the loop resets, giving you a chance to fix your mistakes. When something is in doubt, you roll a six-sided die to see if the joke lands, or falls flat. 

Pilot Episode is perfect for horror fans, particularly those who enjoy Lovecraftian horror mixed with the bland, idealized conformity of American suburbia as depicted in the sitcom. It plays with the inherent horror of being trapped in a world that constantly resets to its bland, normal state, no matter what happened the previous episode. Significant research into sitcom history and aesthetics went into Pilot Episode, giving it an in-depth understanding of the themes and aesthetics being explored.

3-6 Players, No Gm:Pilot Episode is a GMless system for three-to-six players; instead of one person taking on the mantle of a Game Master or facilitator, the role is divided evenly amongst the players. When your Cast Member is not in the current scene, you will instead take on the role of a non-player character or narrator, giving everyone an opportunity to describe and introduce the conflicts the Cast will face.

Low/No Preparation: Pilot Episode requires little-to-no prep to play! Setting up the characters and the world is part of the session, making it great for a last-minute change of plans at game night.

To play a successful game of Pilot Episode, all you need is a six-sided die, a deck of tarot cards, a way to track your game that everyone can see (e.g. pen and paper, whiteboard), and a way to play the game's soundtrack (or a twenty-minute timer).

Pilot Episode s available through DriveThruRPG in PDF.