"Heist Ahoy!", here we go

Heist Ahoy, here we go to the Pocket Quest!

This is already my third blog (here's the second) text about the process and the progress of making mini TTRPG during the Pocket Quest 2024 jam. Pocket Quest is a thematic game development jam. This year's theme is "Heists!". And yes, I call my quirky little game Heist Ahoy! 

On the official information material of Pocket Quest 2024, there are some suggestions for different kinds of heists to be used in the game you're making. I copy pasted at least some of it to my own sketch text file. Here's the list I used to make my brain go buzz buzz:

"Pocket Quest jam in DriveThru

• Reverse heist: Try to get out of a maze or challenging location

• Classic heist: Plan the perfect heist to get a prized possession

• Literal heist: Steal someone’s heart or memories

• Failed heist: All things go to plan until it doesn’t

• Detective Work: You’re trying to track down capers, and they have left only a handful of clues

• Puzzle Madness: You create puzzles for GMs to use in their games for their players to solve in their heists"

That list actually helped me to think about the heist aspect of my game. Eventually, it led me to a realization. Instead of an adventure, I could write a backdrop package. The game could come with places, people, opportunities, and some adventure seeds. Then I just simply went forward with that in mind. Below is the list of heists I decided to use in my Heist Ahoy! game. With a few words to go with, describing, eg. how that kind of heist could work out in the game. Or what that theme means, in a nutshell, in the world of the game.

" What are all these different kinds of heists that can happen on the Island?

• Classic heist: Plan a heist to get the hidden treasures 

•  Reverse heist: Not trying to get in, break the vault, and then flee from the gig place. Instead, the characters are trying to break out, find the way out, and then fight their way to freedom. And preferably, back to their own lives.

• Puzzle waiting to be solved: This whole place is a puzzle

• Failed heist: How hard you plan to cook this heist, things are bound to go on the salty side and turn very sower "

You clever readers (that means all of you) probably already noticed that between the heist suggestion list and my own heist list, there are several differences. My list is shorter. Also, the explanations are different. I believe I put a little twist on some of the explanations and definitions of heists. This all brings the game world alive with subtle choices of words and careful wording. It doesn't need to be enormous or grand to feel Big and Cool. And I honestly think I nailed it with my list.

Once again, I have told you some more of the process (and the progress) of making the Heist Ahoy! mini-TTRPG as part of Pocket Quest 2024 game designing jam. I have so much to tell and to share with you. But, let it be the next time when I shall tell you fine people some more.

Util we meet again, Heist Ahoy!