I might be running Apocalypse World for my gaming group as an alternative to our AD&D game. Or it might be Dungeon World.
My question is, will having only two players be a problem? Has anyone had experience running either game for small groups? Any tips or insights?
2 players is fine.
I’ve run some 2-player Apocalypse World and it’s really quite fun. You don’t end up using all the game as readily, but don’t let that worry you—what you do use works wonderfully and is worth it.
2 is awesome, it gives them lots of space to develop. I would remember to…
-ask questions and build on the answers
-leap forward with named npcs
-make pc npc triangles
in smaller groups I find that the last two are really important.
In Dungeon World you can pull off the buddy cop/partners (in crime) sort of vibe really easily.
The one thing I would suggest for running a two-player game is that you really think about the playbooks you want to make available. Some combinations work super-well for that, others not so much. Here’s a couple lists that are likely to hit well.
Hardholder, Angel, Hocus, Savvyhead, Brainer, Skinner, Operator, Maestro’D, Battlebabe, Gunlugger = probably a more hold-centered game
Chopper, Driver, Angel, Savvyhead, Brainer, Operator, Gunlugger, Battlebabe, Hocus = possibly a more mobile game
The combos that can be harder for a two player game are when you have one PC that’s more tied to a place (Hardholder, Maestro’D, maybe Skinner and Savvyhead) and one that’s more about movement and vehicles (Chopper, Driver). Not impossible by any means, but something to consider.
I have found both to be less than optimal with two players. Both games get a lot of richness from more tangled PC relationships than two characters can support on their own. That said, the mechanics and whatnot for both work fine with two.
Looks like AW is a no go. Thanks anyway folks 🙁
I think you should give it a try anyway, you’ll never know what lies beneath the AW surface 😉
Personally, I’ve enjoyed in different ways every game of Aw I’ve played regardless of the number of players.
Of course some combo of playbook may work better than others, but you’ll never know what may come up as you sit at the table.
Maestro ‘d running an itinerant establishment on a truck, adn guess who is driving? Phoenix the Driver!
It’s not up to me, my group has decided not to go for it at this time .