A downloadable game

Buy Now$8.99 USD or more

Never Knows Best is inspired by an anime called FLCL (Fooly Cooly) and wears this influence on its sleeve. This game and its rules focus on my own interpretation of the source material, rather than attempting to emulate the anime as closely as possible.

Never Knows Best (NKB) is a roleplaying game about middle school kids facing impending adulthood, growing up, and society’s­—sometimes nonsensical—expectations and obligations. It’s designed for three-five players plus a game master (GM) who facilitates the game.

This game uses absurdism, metaphors, motifs, and literalization to represent the struggles and growth these kids go through. Society’s obligations and expectations manifest as outrageous forms—creatures and monsters not of this world. The kids combat these creatures by transforming into robots. Whenever a kid transforms, their robot takes on their unique strengths and traits representing how they reject society’s attempts to make kids conform and obey.

In this way, the internal conflict kids face when growing up becomes something real and seen. Battles are metaphors for their inner turmoil about who they are, where they fit in, and who they want to be.

This is an ashcan version of the game not be the final version. Based on playtesting and feedback of this version, mechanics may be tweaked and changed. It is somewhere between a quickstart and the final product. 

StatusReleased
CategoryPhysical game
Rating
Rated 4.7 out of 5 stars
(23 total ratings)
AuthorFraser Simons
GenreRole Playing
TagsAnime, best, flcl, fooly-cooly, knows, never, PbtA, storygame, Tabletop role-playing game

Purchase

Buy Now$8.99 USD or more

In order to download this game you must purchase it at or above the minimum price of $8.99 USD. You will get access to the following files:

Never Knows Best Ashcan Edition.pdf 80 MB
Never Knows Best Playbooks.pdf 13 MB
Pages from Never Knows Best Reference Sheets.pdf 16 MB