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Scott Pilgrim explores the challenges of adult relationships and responsibilities against a backdrop of video game action. Our titular hero, Scott, must defeat Ramona Flowers’ seven Evil Exes if he wants to date her. But, as Scott smashes giant robots, he’s also evolving as a person and finding a place in the world. Scott battles half-ninjas and demon hipster chicks, but his true triumphs are mastering empathy and responsibility. I love Scott Pilgrim, so when Oni Press offered me the opportunity to develop a Scott Pilgrim game, it was both thrilling and terrifying. How do you create a game that lets players feel that they’re building their own story in that universe? How do you create a tabletop game that has the twitchy feel of a video game while also involving personal growth? This led to the idea that while the game involves zany combat, the goal is to deal with your drama and get your life together. But, what does that look like?
Building a Life Scott Pilgrim’s story revolves around a young man getting his life together. This led to the idea of a deckbuilding game where the process of acquiring and eliminating cards reflects your journey through life. In Scott Pilgrim’s Precious Little Card Game, each player assumes the role of one of the central characters of the story: Scott Pilgrim, Knives Chau, Ramona Flowers, Kim Pine, Wallace Wells, or Stephen Stills. Each character starts with a unique ten-card starting deck that reflects their approach to life. What’s important to each character? Music? Romance? Getting things done? Over the course of the game, a character acquires Action Cards from the plot line spread out in-between the players, and these are the tools that improve their personal decks. Scott or Stephen might acquire a Power Ballad or learn to play a Terrible Cover to improve their musical capabilities. Mastering Empathy or acquiring a Training Montage could help with romance or professional success. But, the reason to improve your deck is so you can acquire Power-Ups… the building blocks of a successful life. You might start out Crashing With A Friend or Working as a Dishwasher, but over time you could work your way up to live with Housemates or a mysterious Dream Job involving nudie suits and flying burritos. Or, perhaps, music will be your path to greatness, and some initial Buzz will lead to an Opening Act or a Song on the Radio. Friends are especially useful, whether that’s Comeau, Stacey Pilgrim, or the mysterious Guy With A Car.
Two Sides to Every Story Scott Pilgrim blends the challenges of real life with video game fantasy. I knew from the start that the game should span the same two worlds. The basic goal is to build a better life… but, the path to success needed to include an option for over-the-top battles. Tied to this was the revelation that since players aren’t directly attacking each other, it doesn’t matter if the other players know what you have in your hand… and this, in turn, meant that all cards could be double-sided! Every action card has a story side and a combat side. All Power-Ups can be flipped over to reveal Challenges… things you must fight to overcome. A Challenge can be something straightforward, such as Ninjas, Giant Robots, or A Giant Guy In A Purple Suit. But, a Challenge can also be something more abstract, like Stage Fright, a Brutal Break-Up, or a Job Interview. Typically, when you defeat a Challenge you flip it and acquire the Power-Up on the other side. This gives you a path to acquire Power-Ups you can’t simply buy. Scott Pilgrim won’t ever be able to buy that Dishwasher job with hard work, but if he can flip it he can kick the crap out of the Job Interview and acquire it that way. Likewise, overcoming Stage Fright could get great Word of Mouth for your band… and if you can beat Crash and The Boys as a Challenge, you can earn them as a friend. Each player’s turn is split between Acquisition and Combat. During Acquisition you buy cards; when the Combat phase turns around, you can pick a Challenge to fight. To defeat a Challenge you create Combo Moves using your Action Cards; each character has their own unique sets of moves, which will lead you to acquire different cards. You have to commit to a battle before you draw your hand for combat, and you may be able to draw additional cards as you play your combos; all of this makes combat unpredictable and risky. And there’s one more catch: Drama.
DRAMA! Every character starts with three Drama cards in their deck. Drama cards have two effects. On their own they’re dud cards that take up space and slow you down. However, whenever an opponent initiates Combat, the player to their left reveals a number of cards from the top of their deck… and each Drama card revealed in this way makes the Challenge more difficult to defeat. So, as Drama makes your life more difficult, it also causes trouble for the people around you. Some characters want to eliminate Drama. This ensures your deck runs smoothly, and there are cards that provide bonuses if you have no Drama in your hand. However, there’s also Action Cards that gain bonuses if you match them with a Drama card. This is generally the approach Scott Pilgrim and Knives Chau take: embracing Drama and riding out the chaos, and in the process causing trouble for their friends. So, in the end, you need to decide whether you’re going to eliminate the drama in your life or work around it; whether you’re going to achieve victory through hard work or by beating the obstacles in your path; and exactly what your priorities are in building your perfect life. Smooth Move, Ex! Of course, a Scott Pilgrim game wouldn’t be complete without an opportunity to battle an Evil Ex. The game comes with ten Evil Exes. In addition to the members of the League, there’s also exes tied to other characters, such as Envy Adams and Julie Powers. At the start of each game, one Evil Ex is set at the end of the plot line. This determines the number of victory points required to win and can also change up the rules of the game. For example, all robots are tougher when you’re dealing with the Katayanagi Twins, while sell-out Todd Ingram raises the costs of Power-Ups. The Evil Exes are, themselves, Challenges that can be fought, but they’re too powerful for anyone to face at the start of the game; thus, over the course of the game, you’re working to build up the power you need to take down the Evil Ex. Defeating an Ex doesn’t instantly end the game or ensure victory, but it provides a significant amount of Victory Points and it’s always worth doing if you can. Between the variant rules and the range of victory points, the Evil Ex helps define the game experience and to enhance replayability.
In the end, Scott Pilgrim’s Precious Little Card Game is about taking your favorite character and navigating them through life in the world of Scott Pilgrim. Will your path to victory take you through mobs of robots and ninjas? Will you finally defeat the Evil Ex? Or will you focus on cleaning up your drama, finding a soulmate, and getting that dream apartment? There’s only one way to find out!
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