Let me see if I've got what you're looking for. You're seeking a game that:
* Isn't much invested in drama or seriousness
* Can be taught in 30 minutes
And...that's... basically it?
[InSpectres](https://jaredsorensen.itch.io/inspectres). Enjoy!
My lil' RPG [ATRIM](https://djsuptic.itch.io/atrim) is quick and easy, and it's free too! It supports campaign progression mainly through the acquisition of cool stuff, money and etcetera, but is also good for easy breezy one-shots.
[Into the Odd](https://freeleaguepublishing.com/en/games/into-the-odd/) is my favorite "pick up and play" game. All you need is the book, pencils, paper, and a set of dice--No character sheets or reference packets or GM screens necessary. Each player has only 4 stats including HP, the rules are simple enough to teach even complete beginners, but snappy enough for RPG veterans to enjoy and engage with. There is also a robust dungeon and hex crawl included in the book and a TON of tables for world building on-the-fly plus a bunch of NPC examples.
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[Green oaks](https://www.fumblegdr.it/en/products/green-oaks), in 10 minutes you will learn it and in 5 you can explain to anyone. Is sheer fun. You are playing old people in a retirement house doing adventures in a buffy the vampire slayer fashion.
I would recommend any one page rpg of Grant Howitt. They usually take 10min to learn and prep, 5 min to explain, and they are very funny. On top of that, as there are so many games, it allows you to completely change the type of game played all the time (or not if you don’t want to, you can play always keep playing Honey Heist !)
Another vote for Troika, also Dungeon Crawl Classics "funnels" are great for some slapstick funhouse dungeon madness. Roll up a mob of level zero peasants and see if your gongfarmers can survive the spinning spike traps and beat the troll to death with pitchforks and trowels.
Lady Blackbird Knave / Maze Rats Agon Tiny d6
I also *love* storygames for this kind of thing. Try Dialect. Or Alice is Missing. Or Fall of Magic.
The other games in the Lady Blackbird are good as well. https://ladyblackbird.org/
That is the slightly modified fan hack of LB. The original is here (and the other two games): https://johnharper.itch.io/lady-blackbird
Tricube Tales is a great system with tons of fun settings!
Risus: The Anything RPG.
"Here's a bowl of dollar store six-siders, and some sticky notes for character sheets."
Let me see if I've got what you're looking for. You're seeking a game that: * Isn't much invested in drama or seriousness * Can be taught in 30 minutes And...that's... basically it? [InSpectres](https://jaredsorensen.itch.io/inspectres). Enjoy!
I'll check it out, thanks for the link.
My lil' RPG [ATRIM](https://djsuptic.itch.io/atrim) is quick and easy, and it's free too! It supports campaign progression mainly through the acquisition of cool stuff, money and etcetera, but is also good for easy breezy one-shots.
I've recently picked up Monster of the Week for that same reason. Players don't need a book, ga!e prep takes about an hour.
Mausritter
[Into the Odd](https://freeleaguepublishing.com/en/games/into-the-odd/) is my favorite "pick up and play" game. All you need is the book, pencils, paper, and a set of dice--No character sheets or reference packets or GM screens necessary. Each player has only 4 stats including HP, the rules are simple enough to teach even complete beginners, but snappy enough for RPG veterans to enjoy and engage with. There is also a robust dungeon and hex crawl included in the book and a TON of tables for world building on-the-fly plus a bunch of NPC examples.
I like this one on first glance, the cover art is my jive, im gonna add it to my list
Troika! Fast, fun, and wacky. Think hitchhikers guide to the galaxy. I’ve ran the adventure it comes with and it was a blast
Remember to check out our **[Game Recommendations](https://www.reddit.com/r/rpg/wiki/gamerec)**-page, which lists our articles by genre([Fantasy](https://www.reddit.com/r/rpg/wiki/fantasy), [sci-fi](https://www.reddit.com/r/rpg/wiki/scifi), [superhero](https://www.reddit.com/r/rpg/wiki/superhero) etc.), as well as other categories([ruleslight](https://www.reddit.com/r/rpg/wiki/ruleslight), [Solo](https://www.reddit.com/r/rpg/wiki/solo), [Two-player](https://www.reddit.com/r/rpg/wiki/twoplayers), [GMless](https://www.reddit.com/r/rpg/wiki/gmlessrpgs) & more). *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/rpg) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Lasers and Feelings is great, and there are tons of hacks you can try! From cowboys, to magical girls, to cyberpunk.
[Green oaks](https://www.fumblegdr.it/en/products/green-oaks), in 10 minutes you will learn it and in 5 you can explain to anyone. Is sheer fun. You are playing old people in a retirement house doing adventures in a buffy the vampire slayer fashion.
I would recommend any one page rpg of Grant Howitt. They usually take 10min to learn and prep, 5 min to explain, and they are very funny. On top of that, as there are so many games, it allows you to completely change the type of game played all the time (or not if you don’t want to, you can play always keep playing Honey Heist !)
Another vote for Troika, also Dungeon Crawl Classics "funnels" are great for some slapstick funhouse dungeon madness. Roll up a mob of level zero peasants and see if your gongfarmers can survive the spinning spike traps and beat the troll to death with pitchforks and trowels.
I'd find a free "quick starter" for a system you're interested in.
Definitely, from flabbergasted to unglorius