Take a character on a journey across distant lands and locations in the chapter-based stories of Roll Player Adventures.

Onto the conclusion of Ribby Pixiecrunch’s tales in Roll Player Adventures! I was eager to follow along with the different storylines that seemed to place my character right at the center. It all felt meaningful, leading to a finale that I was sure would somehow solidify this version of Mr. Toad in the history books. Ha ha! Just needed to survive as worlds collided…

Spoiler Alert

Included here are some vague and general ideas about everything from adventure 5 onward, including sidequest 1 and the finale. It’s mostly top-level without any specifics, but just be aware that if you haven’t played, some topics may be revealed.

Memories That Stick and Why I Forgot the Finale

Perhaps the most interesting part of this experience was how I completely lost any memory of the ending and how the finale felt like it went against the overall storyline. I loved experiencing the thought process of thinking the story was headed in an obvious good vs. evil direction, only to suddenly realize it wasn’t so cut and dry. That was an awesome shift!

To find out that I was leaning towards supporting one faction seemed to make decisions obvious… But not always. Not every character had motives I agreed with, so there were times when I found myself going against “my” faction to make the choices I thought were right. It was a rather deep reflection point, and one I didn’t expect to encounter.

But all of that felt like it was erased by the ending. I was forced to follow “my” faction, and the allies I ended up with weren’t necessarily the ones I held integral to my story. Characters I supported were left out or, worse yet, given a small paragraph about how I helped kill them. I lamented that loss of choice, for a couple were ones I vividly remembered.

In this sense, it felt like it didn’t matter that I was playing as Ribby Pixiecrunch. My silly antics as an homage to Mr. Toad never affected anything, and he helped bring about the end of some characters, even though I never would have made that call. I enjoyed most of my time with this campaign, yet I sadly won’t forget how crushing that finale felt. Farewell, Ribby.

Reusability

Achievement & Enjoyment

4

Variability

Distinctness & Randomness

4

+ Pros (Positives)

• Collecting title cards is interesting with the lovely illustrations and story moments that can be reviewed at any time.
• Each chapter offers an interesting and very different story that adds to the lore and ties into previous storylines.
• Random encounters add a bit of unpredictability to traveling to new locations, as well as callbacks to prior title cards.
• There is an interesting sense of supporting a faction, but not necessarily allying with every associated character.
• Although there is a lot of reading and flipping around, pages are laid out nicely and it’s easy to find each entry.
• Stories are written in engaging ways that use humor sparsely, and cover serious topics, encouraging a bit of reflection.

– Cons (Negatives)

• The way the finale wraps up the story can be disheartening, as it seems to erase important choices and alliances.
• Backstories feel like they matter very little, adding on extra bookkeeping and reading without much overall impact.
• A character’s choices feel meaningful throughout most of the chapters, but the finale plays out in a scripted manner.
• Dice puzzles and hand management can be interesting, yet they often take the focus off of the ongoing narrative.

Goals and Milestones

Continue the Conversation

Have you played through Roll Player Adventures? Were there any memorable chapters or moments that stood out for you? I did enjoy a lot of my earlier sessions and the way the story moved along, but it was the finale that got to me. Still, it was nice to play through the campaign for a second time. Certainly helped teach me more about what I enjoy in my solo games!