Ace is Low

Ace is Low, is a rules-lite ttrpg system created for simplicity, ease of access and narrative heavy one-shots or mini campaigns. All that is necessary for play is the rule set and a full deck of 54 cards.

Inspired by journalistic works such as "How Inmates Play Tabletop RPGs in Prisons Where Dice Are Contraband", authored by Elisabeth de Kleer for Vice, accounting the ingenuitve ways people on the inside of the US prison system find ways to enjoy this way of gaming, as well as first hand accounts of the difficulties of playing ttrpgs as deployed servicemen in the armed forces, Ace is Low asks one question. "What is the least someone needs to play a ttrpg?".

Taking design cues from other games, like the incremental success system from Forged in the Dark, and the thrilling mix of strategy and chance found in Dread, Ace is Low combines all this in a compact package that can fit in a pocket, and uses a recreational item that is allowed in many US incarceration facilities: cards, or even a load of labeled paper scraps,  Ace is Low aspires to be an accessible way to spread the joy of this style of gaming and story telling.