A few weeks ago I ordered The Shab-al-Hiri Roach on account that it sounded like a good time. And, boy howdy, it was. The concept of the "Roach Game" is this: its 1919 at Pemberton University, an aged school in New England. You all play professors seeking delicious tenure. Unfortunately, the Shab-al-Hiri roach has its sights set on Pemberton, and on you. The Roach is a centuries old and from ancient Sumeria. And it seeks poooooower.

We had:
Sir Bogarious Suttonhaig, played by Rene: "a formerly highly regarded professor at Oxford, he was run out of the country for using his students as guinea pigs. He fled to America to continue teaching....and his experiments."

Joseph Giovanni DeLuca, played by Dan: "First generation American, got a good education to make his parents proud, but laments the lack of history and culutre in his current surroundings, jealous of the tales of conquests of his cousins back home."

William Henry Clarkson, played by Chris: "His home destroyed by a zeppelin raid during The Great War, Clarkson came to America with the promise of work at Pemberton. Clarkson has an intense dislike of THE GERMANS!"

Celestino Mathias, played by Doug: "German assistant professor of physics, moved to America at a young age, grew up in poverty to university on scholarship."

Dermont O'Learly, played by me: "Young professor of Theology from Dublin Ireland. Left the dreary, rainy Ireland to seek adventure in the New World."

The game system is very simple: there are six events during the fall term, and during each event each player may suggest a scene, wagering his reputation. At the end of the game, the player who has the most reputation and is not controlled by a Roach, wins.

Highlights of each event:
Convocation and Greeting of the Class of 1923: Clarkson attempts to discredit O'Learly to the university Chancellor. Clarkson has an intense dislike of O'Learly because of his Irishness, but O'Learly was able to defend his reputation.

Founder's Day Wine & Cheese Social: O'Learly has just printed a new book on Irish Theology, but Clarkson has discovered that its been plagiarism! Scandal! Much academic arguing goes on!

Pemberton Follies of 1919: Suttonhaig and Mathias are annoyed with the Dean of Students, who has been threatening to cut the budget of the hard sciences. The dean is lured outside of the Follies, and given a "tour" of the chemical vats... He is never seen again.

Homecoming Football Game: A roach-controlled Daluca wants to discredit an equally roach-controlled Clarkson. So, he convinces Clarkson to sneak under the bleachers during the football game and get drunk, and then grab the bottoms of some co-eds through the gaps in the bleachers. Things do go well for Clarkson.

Faculty Senate Meeting: At this point, everybody is roach-infested and things are spinning wildly out of control. The Sciences want to 'revert' back to the good old (Sumerian) days: Chemistry replaced with Alchemy and Astronomy with Astrology. The roach-infested humanities professors don't think replacing the gymnasium with a giant pit of sand (an idea of the scientists) is a good idea - it may give away too much.

Gamma Gamma Gamma Christmas Ball: Clarkson has been irritating O'Learly. O'Learly gets drunk, and starts a punch-up. Mathias and Suttonhaig come to the defence of Clarkson, while Daluca sides with O'Learly. Hot Roach-on-Roach action!

The game is an incredibly good time, and it seems to have a lot of replay potential. I look forward to playing it again!

I was initially suspicious of a GM-less system, but the rules are so simple that you don't need a GM to arbitrate rules disputes. And, since each player gets a chance to set the scene, you don't need a GM to write the story. Plus, the game is geared towards dark comedy, so the rules are much more lax than they would be in a fantasy or horror game.

Tags: gaming