Mum Chums
A slice of life RPG about the people who care for kids.
Requirements:
- 3-5 Players
- 90-180 Minutes per Session
- 1-2 Sessions
- Best played with a cuppa
The concept for Mum Chums is a slice-of-life game. Each player portrays a Mum (or other adult carer) of their own young child. The default game is written from a White Scottish perspective, with rules that adapt to your locale. Play begins as the kids are about to start school for the first time.
The aim of the game is to portray the situations at hand with emotional honesty. There are no winners or losers, and as a group you are working together to make the narrative both engaging and poignant.
The tone is that of a kitchen sink drama. Realism is the key. This means we don’t have to lean into or out of exaggerated joy or sadness, but instead follow what feels true to life.
Caring for kids and family dynamics can bring up a lot of difficult subjects for people. While the game mentions a wide range of struggles, it will provide support and guidance on how to set the focus of your games.
This is an early draft of a game still in development. Content, editing and layout is not yet completed, however this is a fully playable and tested version of the game.
Purchase
In order to download this game you must purchase it at or above the minimum price of $13.12 USD. You will get access to the following files:
Free Copy - Link Below
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Free Download
Digital media should be freely available. Download a copy for any reason whatsoever. Once you have the files, feel free to upload and share them however you like.
Development log
- Mum Chums Goes Live!20 days ago
- Close to Completion46 days ago
Comments
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This sounded like a cute idea, I started reading the rules and got to
"At least half of the characters must be cis-gender women." I was honestly stunned by this. There are many trans + non-binary people who are primary caregivers for their kids. There are tons of trans + non-binary people who play story-based RPGs.
The idea of a "cis quota" is baffling and offensive and will needlessly put people off of what might otherwise be a good game. I hope you will reconsider whether such a rule belongs in a game (it absolutely doesn't).
Thanks for giving Mum Chums a read.
I am transgender and a mum. I am the primary caregiver for my child. Talking with other trans parents, I have never heard of a class at a mainstream school with more than a couple of parents being trans. I get the impression that it is rare enough for any parent in a class cohort to be transgender.
It should also go without saying that if someone doesn't like a rule, they can do what they want.
However, as written, Mum Chums is a slice of life / kitchen sink drama about mainstream parenting spaces. The game is set to reflect this heteronormative (and to a far lesser extent homonormative) environment. Challenging aspects of parenting have been directly referenced rather than shied away from.
Thanks for your thoughtful reply!
I do think the game might be more welcoming to potential players if you provided a bit of context, like "the game is meant to reflect a mainstream environment and the challenges it presents, to this end it is suggested that at least half of the characters are cis women." The way it's worded now, I felt blindsided, it was literally one of the first things in the rules and I was confused by the intention behind it. A bit more context might make the game more accessible to trans audiences and provide perspective to other players.
It's likely I'm being a little thin-skinned about this but it has been a historically difficult week to be trans in the US and little things can matter a lot.
Anyway thanks again for your thoughtful comments, I wish you well on this project and your other endeavors!
I hear you. It is a really tough time, both here in the UK (where I am) and in the US (where my partner is based). Also, I'm hearing that different people will get different vibes from this rule.
With that in mind, I'll keep the rule as-is, but add in a note of context. Keep an eye out for the revised version later today.
Thanks for going into depth about how reading the game made you feel, and apologies for the unpolished presentation of the early version. I'm hoping our conversation has rebuilt some trust, and you'd like to give Mum Chums a go in the future.
Incredible premise, Tanya, best of luck with the devolpment!
Thank you! I think this is one of the best games I've put together.
Yay, can't wait for the KS! \o/
Yaey!
So looking forward to this! Going to dive into the draft files now 😊
Excluding the obvious missing parts, and if you get the chance, do let me know what you think needs improved. I'm keen to polish this as much as possible over January.