![Scene Thieves](https://img.itch.zone/aW1nLzY2NTk5NTAucG5n/original/GSA3m8.png)
Scene Thieves
Physical copies available at store.possibleworldsgames.com!
Scene Thieves is a theatrical roleplaying game where players collaboratively “write” a play while simultaneously choreographing an elaborate heist in the background.
During the game’s pre-show, players create a band of thieves who use theatrical performances as cover for their crimes. Players also establish broad strokes for the game’s show before writing down a variety of props on notecards. Then, it’s showtime. In Act I, everyone draws prop cards from a pot and incorporates them into the progression of both the play and the heist. At Intermission, players take note of whether the evening is trending towards comedy or tragedy. In Act II, they have a final chance to reverse their fates before the end of the game.
To play Scene Thieves, you’ll need:
- Two or more players
- A coin
- Writing utensils
- A six-sided die (optional)
- A stack of notecards (3” x 5” recommended)
- A pot for collecting and mixing cards, like a hat or a bowl
Scene Thieves is 25 pages long, and modifications are included for online play.
Scene Thieves is illustrated by Pol Clarissou, a filthy little creature who beguiles the unwary eye with mystifying devices such as “Art,” “Videogames,” and other such tricks. You may gaze upon his wretched designs at polclarissou.itch.io or polclarissou.com, and find him on Twitter as @polclarissou.
Scene Thieves was funded as part of the Possible Worlds RPG subscription Kickstarter.
Possible Worlds' series covers are designed by Austin Breed.
Status | Released |
Category | Physical game |
Rating | Rated 5.0 out of 5 stars (28 total ratings) |
Author | Possible Worlds Games |
Tags | Comedy, GM-Less, Heist, improv, One-shot, playwriting, Tabletop, theatre, tragedy, Tabletop role-playing game |
Purchase
In order to download this game you must purchase it at or above the minimum price of $7 USD. You will get access to the following files:
Comments
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This looks great! Is there a GM? And how many players?
There is not a GM, and all you need is two or more players! Personally I've played it with as many as 8!
fun, fast, and festive - Scene Thieves invites you to weave two stories together: a crime happening backstage and, depending on how good you are, on-stage. get the goods, secure the bag, and leave 'em wanting more. a classic.
PHENOMENAL game!! Just played this as a one-shot with some friends and we had a great time staging our play/heist. SCENE THIEVES' rules are lightweight and were really easy for us to pick up.
I want to specifically shout out the rules for resolving scenes, and how these change between Act I and Act II. In our game, this created a fun balance between random chance and the ability for players to exert control over the story. The result was a very tense final few scenes as we all scrambled to rescue our heist from a string of failures, all while the characters onstage bumbled their way to a happy ending. Playing this game feels like watching an under-rehearsed comedy careen wildly out of control on opening night. Highly recommend!
Those are EXACTLY the kinds of moments I'd hoped for, and I'm so glad you all enjoyed yourselves! Bravo on pulling off both the heist and your play in the end, and thank you so much for your support!
I have to ask, how did you pick Die-Nasty as one of the example troupe names? My friends and I are all from Edmonton, and Die-Nasty is a longstanding local improv group here. When we saw that name in the book, we all had a good laugh.
I come from a theatre and improv background myself! I didn't want to just include conventional theaters in the list, so I included a number of improv troupes as well. They're ALL real, and I LOVE it whenever someone recognizes one. Earlier this month someone from Woolly Mammoth saw their company in the list and brought the game in to show coworkers, haha.
Hi, I work at one of the theatres listed in the sample funny names! This game is hilarious and I will 100% be trying to play this with the rest of the production department.
That’s fantastic!! Which one? I was a professional dramaturg for about a decade before starting my career in games!
Woolly Mammoth! I’m an electrician. A lot of others in the production department are also into games (mostly D&D) so hoping to use this for a game night.
I love Woolly! I trained under John Baker for a hot second while he was still there, and I LOVED your productions of The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity and Botticelli in the Fire! It's been a minute, but keep up the great work!
Those were before my time but it's a great theatre. Thanks for making me burst out laughing when I read those theatre names!