Cover for 1st edition |
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| Designer(s) | Jason Morningstar |
|---|---|
| Publisher(s) | Bully Pulpit Games |
| Publication date | 2007 |
| Genre(s) | Indie |
| System(s) | custom |
Grey Ranks is a role-playing game by Jason Morningstar, independently published by Bully Pulpit Games. The game is designed for three to five players and puts each of them in the shoes of child soldiers during the Warsaw Uprising, serving as members of the Grey Ranks (Polish: Szare Szeregi).
Play is conducted over three sessions using a scene structure, with each scene corresponding to a specific date in 1944. Players choose historical and dramatic elements that pique your interest to include in each scene. The game is collaborative, and together the players work to create challenging, exciting, and poignant scenes for the crew - some mission-oriented, and some strictly personal.
As the game progresses, success becomes increasingly difficult and players are faced with difficult choices. Is achieving a goal worth destroying the thing your character holds dear? How will reputations change over time as youngsters have adulthood thrust upon them? The emotional state of the players' crew is tied to the Grid, which tracks their individual condition as they are drawn to the opposing extremes of love and hate, enthusiasm and exhaustion. Success or failure will pull them in unexpected directions, and where these strong currents intersect lie death and heartbreak.
On July 4th, 2008, Grey Ranks was included in the shortlist for the 2008 Diana Jones Award.
On August, 2008, Grey Ranks won Game of the Year and Most Innovative Game in Indie RPG Awards 2007 contest.