KOKAZO

a language-based RPG

you need: 2+ players, paper, writing utensils

you are a community of newly sapient creatures inventing language for the first time.

SETUP

• agree on who your community is.
  [like "computers developing sentience after human extinction"
  or "ants granted the power of speech by a wizard"]
• place a paper in the center of the table. this is the DICTIONARY.
• agree on 6 basic, useful concepts.
  [like "YES," "NO," or "ME"]
  write them in the dictionary.
• taking turns, give each concept a corresponding new word.
  [like "ALOK," "WAWSI," or "KOKAZO"]
• give each player their own paper for notes and interpretations.

GAMEPLAY

• during play, no existing language may be spoken. you may only say words defined in
  the dictionary.
• start with the oldest player and take turns clockwise.
• on your turn, do 2 things:
1. add a new word and its definition to the dictionary.
2. tell a short piece of the community's story. the other players secretly write
   down what they think you're saying.
• after each full round, the players vote [with thumbs] on whether the story is over.
  if it is, stop playing. afterwards, you may compare your notes [or not, if you want
  to preserve the mystery].

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this game was written for the 2024 Tumblr 200 Word RPGs Jam. it is exactly 200 words
long, unless you count "language-based" as one word, in which case it is 199 words long.