Kids on Bikes explained

Kids on Bikes
Designer:Jonathan Gilmour and Doug Levandowski
Publisher:
  • Hunters Entertainment
  • Renegade Studios
Genre:tabletop role-playing game, adventure

Kids on Bikes is a tabletop role-playing game system, and a series of games that use that system. It has won multiple ENNIE Awards.

History

The first game in the series, Kids on Bikes, was inspired by 1980s coming-of-age movies like The Goonies. Cass Marshall for Polygon recommended it for fans of Stranger Things.[1] Kids on Bikes won the 2019 Gold ENNIE Awards for Best Family Game / Product, and Kids on Bikes: Strange Adventures! Volume Two won the same award in 2020.[2] [3] In 2022, the second edition of Kids on Bikes raised $182,049 on Kickstarter from 2,793 backers.[4]

There are two other games in the series, the space-themed Teens in Space and Kids on Brooms, a game about a school for wizards and witches.[5] [6] On February 10, 2023, the designers held a charity sale of Kids on Brooms with all profits donated to transgender rights organization Sylvia Rivera Law Project. This was part of a larger boycott movement against Hogwarts Legacy due to the anti-transgender activities of author J. K. Rowling.[7]

Gameplay

Kids on Bikes character creation involves assigning standard roleplaying dice to each of six stats. Players and gamemaster construct the setting together.[5]

The game features a mechanic to allow for a "powered" character like those from E.T. and Stranger Things. While Powered characters are similar to non-player characters, players are able to exhibit some narrative control over the actions these characters take.[5]

In popular culture

The Kids on Bikes system has been featured on multiple seasons of the actual play series Dimension 20, including Misfits and Magic using Kids on Brooms,[8] Mentopolis using "a 'noir-ified' version of Kids on Bikes",[9] and Never Stop Blowing Up using a system "heavily inspired by" Kids on Bikes.[10]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Marshall . Cass . 2022-10-12 . Kids on Bikes’ new edition adds more ’80s adventure action . 2023-04-15 . Polygon . en-US.
  2. Web site: 2019 Nominees and Winners – ENNIE Awards . 2023-04-15 . en-US.
  3. Web site: 2020 Nominees and Winners – ENNIE Awards . 2023-04-15 . en-US.
  4. Web site: Track Kids on Bikes: Second Edition's Kickstarter campaign on BackerTracker . 2023-04-15 . BackerKit . en.
  5. News: Colleran . Meaghan . Jun 23, 2023 . Indie RPG Spotlight: ‘Kids on Bikes’ . . 2023-09-04.
  6. Web site: Wieland . Rob . Build A Better Magic School With The Kids On Brooms RPG . 2023-04-15 . Forbes . en.
  7. Web site: Glassman . Julia . 2023-02-10 . Boycotting 'Hogwarts Legacy'? This Fantastic 'Harry Potter'-like TTRPG Is Raising Money for Trans Charity Instead . 2023-04-15 . The Mary Sue . en.
  8. News: Crider . Michael . Feb 3, 2023 . Skip Hogwarts Legacy and watch some Harry Potter-style D&D instead . . 2023-09-02.
  9. News: Zambrano . J.R. . Aug 22, 2023 . You Should Absolutely Watch the 1st Episode Of Dimension 20’s ‘Mentopolis’ . . 2023-09-02.
  10. Web site: DIMENSION 20: NEVER STOP BLOWING UP FAQ . 2024-06-05 . docs.google.com.