Hello Wizard, I Have a Problem is a new tabletop role-playing game that allows players to become powerful and incompetent spellcasters.
The upcoming RPG lets multiple players collaborate to tell a story about a band of chaotic wizards. Similar to absurdist, fantasy comedies like the works of iconic British group Monty Python, along with The Mighty Boosh and What We Do in the Shadows, Hello Wizard I have a Problem relies on quick cutscenes filled with the strange and unexpected.
Unlike many other tabletop RPGs, in Hello Wizard players take turns assuming the roles of player character and game master. In each scene of Hello Wizard, a single player takes on the role of spellcaster, aiming to impress their fellow wizards with their magic. The active player describes what spells their wizard casts, and the other players collectively act as DMs and decide how these spells can go wrong.
Players will use a problem generator included in the fantasy role-playing game's rulebook as inspiration for what could go wrong with the wizards' spells. The book is capable of generating over “200,000” prompts for possible disastrous outcomes. Once all players have had a chance to step into the spell spotlight at least a few times, the game ends and players add up their “points” (which are decided by a flexible improvisation system) and determine who is the most impressive wizard.
The Hello Wizard rules system is very simple and is designed to be easy for players to learn. The setup of the tabletop RPG is also designed to be quick and easy, and players are expected to get started in no time. The game rulebook will also contain tips and optional rules that players can use to improve their games.
Hello Wizard I have a Problem was created by Sam Armstrong, a tabletop RPG designer who has previously created titles such as All Bastard, a fantasy RPG in which players take on the roles of a group of swaggering heroes or the bastards they defeated, and the horror RPG Slasher. The game's artwork was created by illustrator Evlyn Moreau, who previously worked on RPGs such as Liminal High School.
The crowdfunding campaign for Hello Wizard I Have a Problem is up on Kickstarter until this afternoon, and the title may be available on Armstrong's Itch.io page. A pledge of £8 ($10) will get backers a physical copy of the game in June; a PDF version is also available for £4 ($5).