Nighthawks by Lex Kim Bobrow is a role playing game published by Titanomachy RPG. The game is built on Caltrop Core.
The supplement is available from itch.io as a 26-page PSF for $7.97 although it was purchased at a reduced price as part of a special bundle. Two pages are the front and rear covers two the front matter and one is Acknowledgements. There is also a second, 23-page PDF with different fonts for greater readability.
The first page has a content warning and a couple of helplines. The second page of content is essentially fluff. Similar pieces, often opinion pieces or sidebar types, are scattered throughout the text, all in capitals.
What is NIGHTHAWKS? explains that this is a role playing game for 3-6 players based on the painting of the same name by Edward Hopper. The players create their own Diner and the characters are lonely people. Each player needs 2-5 d4s.
Running the Game explains that tone needs to be determined beforehand, and could vary from a comedy of errors to planet on the brink of destruction. This section also references and recommends safety tools.
No Need for a Game Master explains a GM isn’t needed but a facilitator can be useful, though they, as the name suggests, facilitate the game; they don’t GM it.
The Diner explains that this is where the game takes place and there are various suggestions for designing it.
Inescapable explains that characters are in The Diner and cannot leave until a certain time.
Making Your Character have some suggested wounds and some suggested ways of healing them.
The Nights explains that the game happens in Nights, which have no fixed length of time. Every Night, platers have their character either Daydream, Reach Out, Withdraw or Keep Going. Tokens are a narrative resource that can be accumulated during Daydream and Reach Out, and are spent during Keep Going, though their precise meaning is up to those playing.
Actions covers the four. Daydream has a scene narrated and one token gained, Reach Out initiates a scene with other characters, and tokens may be won or lost but cannot go negative, Withdraw is do nothing and Keep Going is an attempt to move towards happiness, with d4s equal to a chosen number of tokens rolled, the highest result determining what happens, from Absolute Failure, losing 2 on Connection Die, to Absolute Success, gaining 2.
Play Example is as it suggests.
Connection Die explains that this begins at 2. If it drops to 0, the character temporarily loses the ability to reach out and loses the Reach Out action. Success with a Connection Die of 4 means the result can be given to another player.
Ending the Game explains that this is played for as many Nights as desired and when everyone feels the story has come to an end, narrate an epilogue for each character. Optional endings happen if everyone hits either 0 or 4 at the same time.
Bleed explains that an intense session character feelings may bleed over.
Nighthawks in Review
The PDF lacks bookmarks and is long enough that they would have been useful. Navigation could be better. The text maintains a single column format and appeared to be free of errors. The interspersed sections in capitals are difficult to read which makes the alternative version useful. The only illustrations are sections from the Edward Hopper painting. Presentation is okay.
This is a light game that is best described as a group journalling game with very little in the way of crunch, so it will not be for everyone. Nor will the theme be for everyone either. Those who want more crunch, or dislike the topics, should choose something else. Nighthawks can be found by clicking here.
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