The Moxie ruleset is designed for cinematic gameplay. The heart of that is narrative collaboration. It’s all about creating a shared imagination space, managing the spotlight, and diving into narration. The rules will get you halfway there — they’re all pointing towards keeping the pace flowing quickly and the action dramatic. The other half is in your hands, the players at the table, and the attitude you all approach the game with.
Trust in the collaborative process. Everyone at the table adds details into the story. You have to work together and play off of each other or the game, and the story you’re telling, will fall flat.
Use the camera, your shared imagination. Each player has two perspectives, from your character and as the audience watching this TV show. Use the camera and vivid description to paint a cool scene in everyone’s mind.
Tell us what it looks like, before and after your rolls. Give details about what you do, don’t just leave it at broad statements. Zoom in and out. Use the camera to show things outside of your own character as well — pan around, cut to other scenes, and describe NPCs. Invoke cinematic vibes and create great scenes.
Don’t be a weasel. Do what your character would do, then let the GM map it back to the rules. Don’t overdo it trying to work your way into better rolls. The fun is letting the story flow naturally. When you ask the rules what happens next, follow where it points with enthusiasm.
Separate player and character knowledge. It’s more fun when everyone knows what’s going on in the game. Don’t keep secrets from each other, keep them from characters. As a player, be aware of what your character knows and doesn’t know and play towards both.
Use the meta-channel sparingly. This is conversation about the game between players. It’s unavoidable, but minimize it to keep that shared imagination in sync at the table. For anything longer than a quick question, call for a pause to talk things through, a clean break point to resume from later.
Know the rules. When playing a game Made With Moxie, you can always take a look at this SRD for a refresher. The rules say a lot about the types of stories to be told with the game, and the less time you spend talking about the rules, the more time you have for roleplaying. Making a cheat sheet on rules you often forget can be a big help, or even just skimming the books you’re using pre-game.
Think of the game as a series of improv prompts, posed by yourselves and the rules. When you respond to them, consider the following:
Don’t talk yourself out of fun. The first idea that jumps into your head is often the one you should go with. Don’t overthink or rationalize yourself out of it. Like any great TV show character, go where the fun lies. Great stories involve excitement, danger, and hard choices.
Open doors and step through them. The best scenes involve characters playing off of each other, so make chances for others to get involved. When someone invites you into a scene, step through that door — even if it means a bit of mental gymnastics to justify your character’s actions. And as long as you step through the door at times, remember that it can be just as interesting to close the door instead.
Work the spotlight. There’s no turn order of any kind, but there is screen time. Strive to make sure everyone gets their fair share, including yourself.
Don’t play to win, play to tell stories. Work towards the same goal — to tell a great story where everyone’s PC has a chance to grow. Failure isn’t losing, it’s just another opportunity to have a great scene. Of course, your character wants to succeed! However, your goal as a player is keeping the story interesting. Play into the bad luck just as you do the good to help ensure you craft compelling stories.
Leave lots of blank space. Your PC starts with a past and connections to the world, but it’s best as latticework. Learn who they are through play. Leave space for the other PCs and story to fit in.
Don’t be afraid to change. PCs often go through hell. Any dramatic story has adversity. Let what happens change who they are. Announce what your PC’s thinking, especially big shifts. If nobody else at the table knows, it’s not really happening in that shared imagination.
Don’t be afraid to stay the same. Some aspects of your character might be immutable. That’s also part of what makes a great character. There can be those things they will stick to, even to the bitter end. Just make sure it’s worth it, and fun. Don’t die on small hills — die on entertaining ones.
Make time for smaller moments. Quiet time, a conversation about nothing, introspection, reflection — these make for great scenes to flesh out your characters and the world. Don’t just rush from action scene to action scene.
Most importantly, do stuff! Find reasons to get into the spotlight, push story arcs forward, and make fun scenes. When there’s no opportunity, add some details to the story to create one!