Dollhouse D.R.A.M.A. is a tabletop roleplaying game that translates traditional TTRPG play into the implicit language of playing with dolls.
That's probably too stodgy of a way to put it, but I think it's still important to say. This isn't just a game that's about dolls. It's a game that uses that dollish play mindset to frame how it approaches stories.
Also, this is a system you could use to play Kim Possible or Monster High or Winx or Life In The Dreamhouse.
The PDF is 31 pages with a solid and evocative cover, plain but readable layout, and some colorful and helpful graphics. There's good GM support, some scenario starters, and the writing is clear and easy to follow.
Dice-wise, Dollhouse D.R.A.M.A.'s core mechanic is simple. You have three stats, Brawns/Brawn/Beauty, and each has a number out of 6. Get that number or higher on a d6, and you succeed. Notably, your dice are all pre-rolled, and you pick them one at a time from the pre-rolled pile, so you're choosing whether to succeed or fail each time a check is called for. When you run out of pre-rolled dice to pick, you reroll and refill all of your pools.
There are also accessories that let you manipulate the dice, and that add some nice color to your character. Mechanical character building is done by leveling up accessories, and it should feel meaningful for a couple of sessions, but may not support year-long campaign play. Some accessories are scenario specific, but can be carried between genres if players spend points on them.
Some other neat things:
-This game encourages players to use dolls (physical, paper, or digital) as character models, which is great. They both fit the theme and are easier for other players to glance at during play than an illustration on a character sheet.
-Failing rolls gives you currency, Drama Points, and turns failures into a form of mechanical progress.
-Scenarios come with multiple conflicts, any of which could be the A-plot. This gives the GM room to pivot to a second or third set of tracks if the first set looks like it might be out of order.
Overall, this is a cleverly designed and accessible game. It captures the feeling of playing narratively intense stories with dolls (which I believe is the only way anyone played with Barbies?), but the dice are easy to use and having a background in doll storytelling *isn't* required to enjoy it. I think its target audience may actually be nostalgic adults more than kids, but it's absolutely an all-ages game, and a very solid one at that. It's also still in development, and could easily double in length just from new scenarios being added. If you have positive memories of dolls and currently enjoy RPGs, give Dollhouse D.R.A.M.A. a look!
Minor Issues:
-It feels like having to use all dice from all pools before you can reroll any might cause some awkward situations where you only have, like, Brawn left so you're forcing justifications for why you use Brawn to solve problems. Choosing failure rewards you with Drama Points, so there isn't really a reason to avoid the bad stat pool. I don't think it would be disruptive mechanically to allow players to reroll individual pools as soon as they're empty.
Thank you so much for the thoughtful review! I'm making a note of your comment on refreshing dice pools individually rather than all at once, and will give that a try in a future playtest!
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Building something out, what fonts did you use for the title?
Yellowtail (which is in google fonts) and TAN Headline, which I think I've seen on various font sites (cover was done in Canva)!
Dollhouse D.R.A.M.A. is a tabletop roleplaying game that translates traditional TTRPG play into the implicit language of playing with dolls.
That's probably too stodgy of a way to put it, but I think it's still important to say. This isn't just a game that's about dolls. It's a game that uses that dollish play mindset to frame how it approaches stories.
Also, this is a system you could use to play Kim Possible or Monster High or Winx or Life In The Dreamhouse.
The PDF is 31 pages with a solid and evocative cover, plain but readable layout, and some colorful and helpful graphics. There's good GM support, some scenario starters, and the writing is clear and easy to follow.
Dice-wise, Dollhouse D.R.A.M.A.'s core mechanic is simple. You have three stats, Brawns/Brawn/Beauty, and each has a number out of 6. Get that number or higher on a d6, and you succeed. Notably, your dice are all pre-rolled, and you pick them one at a time from the pre-rolled pile, so you're choosing whether to succeed or fail each time a check is called for. When you run out of pre-rolled dice to pick, you reroll and refill all of your pools.
There are also accessories that let you manipulate the dice, and that add some nice color to your character. Mechanical character building is done by leveling up accessories, and it should feel meaningful for a couple of sessions, but may not support year-long campaign play. Some accessories are scenario specific, but can be carried between genres if players spend points on them.
Some other neat things:
-This game encourages players to use dolls (physical, paper, or digital) as character models, which is great. They both fit the theme and are easier for other players to glance at during play than an illustration on a character sheet.
-Failing rolls gives you currency, Drama Points, and turns failures into a form of mechanical progress.
-Scenarios come with multiple conflicts, any of which could be the A-plot. This gives the GM room to pivot to a second or third set of tracks if the first set looks like it might be out of order.
Overall, this is a cleverly designed and accessible game. It captures the feeling of playing narratively intense stories with dolls (which I believe is the only way anyone played with Barbies?), but the dice are easy to use and having a background in doll storytelling *isn't* required to enjoy it. I think its target audience may actually be nostalgic adults more than kids, but it's absolutely an all-ages game, and a very solid one at that. It's also still in development, and could easily double in length just from new scenarios being added. If you have positive memories of dolls and currently enjoy RPGs, give Dollhouse D.R.A.M.A. a look!
Minor Issues:
-It feels like having to use all dice from all pools before you can reroll any might cause some awkward situations where you only have, like, Brawn left so you're forcing justifications for why you use Brawn to solve problems. Choosing failure rewards you with Drama Points, so there isn't really a reason to avoid the bad stat pool. I don't think it would be disruptive mechanically to allow players to reroll individual pools as soon as they're empty.
Thank you so much for the thoughtful review! I'm making a note of your comment on refreshing dice pools individually rather than all at once, and will give that a try in a future playtest!