Meatframes

Meatframes is a roleplaying game in which young robots train to operate human bodies for use in responding to an impending threat. You play as the robots. The human are known as meatframes, because you wear and/or otherwise manipulate their bodies when you fight or run important operations. Otherwise, the humans are sentient beings just like you and me. No referee or game master is required, just paper, pencils, a handful of tokens, and a few six-sided dice. And maybe — because of how human bodies are operated — a strong stomach.

This is the alpha trashcan playtest edition, with public domain cover art, a bit of Google Docs layout, and a not-quite-complete set of rules. It's been cleaned up a bit, but it's still a work in progress, it could use an editing pass, and it's not quite complete, but it's a playable game. (Now with character sheets!) Have a look. Feedback welcome.

The main gameplay of Meatframes comprises a set of roleplaying scenes or minigames — known as "programs" — that players can choose from on their turn. Each program will give central roles to one or more players, with the other players taking secondary roles and/or describing aspects of the environment or events. Some of the programs or their subroutines may require you to spend Tokens to undertake them, while others will earn you Tokens, and still others are available at all times. A few other things may happen, but that's the basic loop: Choose a program, play out the scene or scenes, record its effects, and move on to the next player.

And yes, this is a hack of Mobile Frame Zero: Firebrands, with a dose of Belonging Outside Belonging stirred in. Well spotted. (There's a little bit of OddFolk as well.)

Content warning:

Because Meatframes is a game about operating a human body you do not actually occupy, you may encounter themes of body horror, bodily injury, loss of agency, dysmorphia, other body-image issues, and maybe nonconsensual sexual situations along the way. It's a game that might make you uncomfortable. That's okay. Everyone should be clear that anyone can voice their discomfort, ask for the story to be rewound, fade to black, and/or stop playing at any time. Respect those requests and don't be a jerk.

In one sense, this is a game about having a body. If you're ever stuck, just replace the word "meatframe" with the word "body" and see if that loosens up any ideas, or helps you care more about the people you're playing this game with.