I had a riot running Escape From Dino Island at my weekly game this week. It was a welcome return to a classic PbtA game after what must be years away from the form. Dino Island does an excellent job getting a solid group of characters in a tight spot and with plenty of open questions to chew on all in like 15 minutes of setup. It’s also built effectively for very short term play, 1-3 sessions, while still packing action and character in. I could do a whole episode of the podcast on the move Tell A Story if The Hard Move hadn’t done so years ago.

But the experience clarified for me a problem I’ve long had with PbtA games: as a GM, the number of principles and moves I’m expected to remember at any time is completely overwhelming, and it makes running these games intimidating.