Anthropology 101: The TTRPG
A downloadable game
Submission to Human Diversity Game Jam 2022
"Hello! I am enjoying having my head throb and having noise distort into identifiable soundwaves, are you?"
"Well... I guess?"
- exchange between Blargh (Alien) and Marie (Human) at a concert
Anthropology 101 is an asymmetric role playing game about an Alien Anthropologist, who just wants to finish their thesis on the human species, and their Human test subjects, who are [un]intentionally messing up their data.
The Intergalactic Council has almost approved Earth for First Contact! The only thing stopping them is the lack of actionable material from the planet's dominant intelligent species: the Humans.
Luckily, there is one Alien who is ready to step up to the challenge. Can they whip up a Theory of Humankind? Or will the Earth be doomed to face another millennium in isolation?
Play as the Alien Anthropologist: try your best to covertly test (and prove) your theories. Talk with the Humans, initiate incidents for them to respond to, and take note of their interactions. Get ready to revise your hypothesis as your Humans will inevitably mess it up.
Play as the Humans: just livin' your life, vibin'. Blissfully unaware of any going-ons, except maybe the ones on their handheld devices. Will the Humans manage to drive off the Alien? Or will the their interactions shine a light on the Alien/s lurking in our midst?
Featuring...
- 16 pages worth of rule explanation, and gameplay guides for your first few runs
- Pre-generated Humans based on the team's cultures and backgrounds
- A 6-minute soundtrack to get you on that sci-fi exploration vibe
This game is best played with 3 - 4 players.
The Team
ctathkren - Lead Game Designer, Editor
Hinaqui - Lead Editor, Game Designer
Wheelsgr - Lead QA, Game Designer
Wiljunow - Lead Game Designer, QA
Download Guide
Unsure which file to download? Get the:
- Rule book, if want a comprehensive, guided playthrough
- Sample Characters, if you need inspiration for your Alien or Human
- [Soon!] Quick Start, if you're used to playing TTRPGs and can play with minimal guidance
- [Soon!] Roll Tables, if your imagination isn't very active right now and would like help fleshing things out
Download
Click download now to get access to the following files:
Comments
Log in with itch.io to leave a comment.
pretty sad I discovered this game jam too late. pretty glad I discovered it, therefore I saw this game and now I truly want to play it. Studying humans with alien point of vue is one of my fav thematic. need to test this game some day.
Not sure if it will be great for 2 players, but sounds awesome for 3?
thank you! it did well when we playtested it for 2 players, but please tell us about your experience <3 super excited to see what kind of alien/human shenanigans you get up to