The player characters frequently receive mission instructions from the Computer that are incomprehensible, self-contradictory, or obviously fatal if adhered to, and side-missions (such as Mandatory Bonus Duties) that conflict with the main mission. Failing a mission generally results in termination of the player character, but succeeding can just as often result in the same fate, after being rewarded for successfully concluding the mission. They are issued equipment that is uniformly dangerous, faulty, or "experimental" (i.e., almost certainly dangerous and faulty). Additionally, each player character is generally an unregistered mutant and a secret society member (which are both termination offenses in Alpha Complex), and has a hidden agenda separate from the group's goals, often involving stealing from or killing teammates. Thus, missions often turn into a comedy of errors, as everyone on the team seeks to double-cross everyone else while keeping their own secrets. The game's manual encourages suspicion between players, offering several tips on how to make the gameplay as paranoid as possible.
But I don't know if it violates your ask in terms of complexity - I've never run a game and it's been decades since I played it. As, in fact, a first-year college student. But looking briefly at the Wikipedia entry, it sounds like Paranoia XP, "Zap version," might be workable.
Someone crowdfunded a card-based adaptation of it in 2017, which I admit that I bought and have not played ever.
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branchandroot
no subject
Date: 2022-07-21 03:36 am (UTC)The player characters frequently receive mission instructions from the Computer that are incomprehensible, self-contradictory, or obviously fatal if adhered to, and side-missions (such as Mandatory Bonus Duties) that conflict with the main mission. Failing a mission generally results in termination of the player character, but succeeding can just as often result in the same fate, after being rewarded for successfully concluding the mission. They are issued equipment that is uniformly dangerous, faulty, or "experimental" (i.e., almost certainly dangerous and faulty). Additionally, each player character is generally an unregistered mutant and a secret society member (which are both termination offenses in Alpha Complex), and has a hidden agenda separate from the group's goals, often involving stealing from or killing teammates. Thus, missions often turn into a comedy of errors, as everyone on the team seeks to double-cross everyone else while keeping their own secrets. The game's manual encourages suspicion between players, offering several tips on how to make the gameplay as paranoid as possible.
But I don't know if it violates your ask in terms of complexity - I've never run a game and it's been decades since I played it. As, in fact, a first-year college student. But looking briefly at the Wikipedia entry, it sounds like Paranoia XP, "Zap version," might be workable.
Someone crowdfunded a card-based adaptation of it in 2017, which I admit that I bought and have not played ever.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paranoia_(role-playing_game)