Crow Jam is our monthly game jam podcast, which you can listen to here. Below is an overview of Ghossum & Poszom, our co-operative roll & write adventure game.
THE ELEVATOR PITCH
Ghossum & Poszom is a two-player (or solo) co-operative adventure roll & write. The hero(es) of our story is a possum adventurer whose spirit and physical body have been split apart and trapped on separate planes of reality. During the game, players will roll dice and navigate identical grid maps, taking turns to play as the incorporeal ghost possum (Ghossum) and the uncoordinated zombie possum (Poszom), on a quest to magically re-unite the two.
Important elements:
- Hidden, simultaneous turns
- Asymmetrical play, with players each controlling one of two possum characters
- The “Active Player” makes all decisions about dice allocation, and the “Passive Player” has severely limited control
THE LOOK
The game’s main component is a paper grid map of a spooky maze-like forest with varied obstacles: solid walls, running streams, and dangerous enemies who must be defeated to proceed.
This map is drawn in a style evocative of top-down 8-bit dungeon crawler games: tiled elements with simple but characterful illustrations.
The components include:
- 2 pads of identical grid maps, described in more detail below
- 2 six-sided dice described below
- 2 pencils: one green, one blue
Within the map, there is a maze made up of solid walls (illustrated as brambles & trees) and running water (illustrated as natural streams). At the top of the map is the destination, the witch’s cottage which both characters must reach in order to win.
As well as obstacles, the maze contains enemies: monsters illustrated as ferocious-looking woodland creatures (a dire badger, adder dragon, or owl roc for example). Each enemy has two different Health Scores: one which relates to its physical defences and one its magical defences.
The maze also contains 5 Magic Crystals, which are each illustrated as different shapes (square, rhombus, teardrop, etc.)
Outside the map’s borders are the following trackers:
- 2 Life Trackers consisting of 5 hearts: one tracker in blue (for Ghossum); one tracker in green (for Poszom).
- 2 Strength Trackers each counting from 0 to +4: one tracker in blue (for Ghossum’s magical strength) and one tracker in green (for Poszom’s physical strength).
- Illustrations of the 5 different Magic Crystals, for tracking when they have been collected and when they have been used.
The two dice which come with the game are different colours: one orange, one black. The ‘6’ side of the orange die is replaced with a star symbol, and the ‘1’ side of the black die is replaced with a skull symbol.
THE AIM
Taking simultaneous turns, the two players navigate their own map privately, choosing whether to use dice rolls for movement, upgrades, or for attack when facing an enemy. Working together, if the players can help both possums reach the Witch’s Cottage holding one Magic Crystal, then both players win.
TURNS
Ghossum & Poszom is always played with an “Active Player” and a “Passive Player”. The Active Player is always controlling Ghossum, and the Passive Player controls Poszom. The two possums follow different rules when adventuring:
- Ghossum can pass through walls, but cannot cross running water
- Poszom can cross running water, but cannot move through walls
- Ghossum can gain magical power, and can only fight enemies with magic
- Poszom can gain physical strength, and can only fight enemies with physical attacks
- Additionally, Poszom is only able to move one direction per turn, i.e. cannot turn a corner within one turn.
Each player has a sheet and will draw arrows (and other symbols) on their sheet in the colour of the possum they currently control (blue for Ghossum, green for Poszom). Arrows are used to illustrate movement between grid squares. The players may not look at one another’s sheets or share information unless stated otherwise. (Shared information includes lost lives, Magic Crystals collected/used, enemies defeated, and strength gained on either strength tracker).
At the beginning of each turn, both dice are rolled and the Active (Ghossum) Player chooses which die they will keep and which they will give to the Passive Player.
The number on a die can be used for movement (moving one grid space per pip) or, if in the same space as an enemy, for attack (see Combat, below). A player may choose to use less than their available movement if they wish. Additionally, the special symbols on the dice have the following effects:
- Star symbol on the orange die: increase Strength on the relevant tracker by 1 (physical strength if playing Poszom, magical power if playing Ghossum). This information is verbally shared between players and tracked on both sheets.
- Skull symbol on the black die: lose a life from the relevant life tracker (cross out a heart symbol). This information is verbally shared between players and tracked on both sheets.
If either possum lands on or passes through the space of a Magic Crystal, they announce this and both players circle that Crystal on their sheet to indicate that they have picked it up.
Combat
If a possum would land on or pass through the space of an enemy, they choose whether to fight that enemy. If they choose not to fight, they cannot pass through that space. On subsequent turns, the number on that player’s dice represents the damage done to that enemy’s Health (remember, Ghossum can only fight with Magic, Poszom can only fight with physical strength). If their possum has gained any strength on their tracker, this bonus is applied to any rolls used for combat. Once an enemy has taken damage equal to or greater than their Health in the relevant form (physical or magical), they are defeated. This information is shared verbally and both players cross that enemy out on their sheet.
Using Magic Crystals to Warp
If the players currently hold one or more Magic Crystals, then at the beginning of a turn either player can announce they are going to use a Magic Crystal to ‘warp’. When this happens, both players cross out that Crystal at the edge of their map and the following happens:
- Each player draws a circle on the space their possum currently occupies.
- The two players then swap pencils. The previous Active Player becomes the Passive Player, and now controls Poszom, who appears in their map in the space which Ghossum just left. The previous Passive Player becomes the Active Player, and now controls Ghossum, who appears in their map in the space which Poszom just left.
SUMMARY
Turns continue as above, with both players working to defeat enemies, collect Crystals and advance closer to the Witch’s Cottage. In order to win, both possums need to arrive at the Witch’s Cottage space while the players hold at least one unused Magic Crystal. Once a player achieves this with the possum they currently control, they can announce this to their co-player.
WHAT’S UNIQUE ABOUT THIS GAME?
Ghossum & Poszom is a game which uses limited communication in combination with asymmetrical gameplay, challenging players to ‘share power’ fairly and effectively.
- Co-operative take on roll & write, where the effects of different die results affect different ‘realities’
- One player always takes on the role of “leader” – a role which can be taken over deliberately and mechanically by the other player if their decisions are detrimental.
Big Crow Games 