Congas 101

A conversation game, or "conga" for short, is a game you play by having a conversation. Most people call them "table-top role-playing games" or "TTRPGs," but "congas" is more fun to say.

In 2024, the most popular congas tend to follow a cycle of conversation that looks roughly like this:

1. First, the Game Master (GM) describes your character's situation.
2. Second, you describe what action you want your character to take.
3. Third, the GM decides and describes what happens next. Repeat.

Modern congas tend to fall into one of three broad categories: crunchy, gritty, and sticky.

Crunchy congas focus on tactical combat. They're "crunchy" because they tend to involve "number crunching," i.e., doing math. Examples include Lancer, Fabula Ultima, and modern editions of Dungeons & Dragons. You might enjoy crunchy congas if...

1. You enjoy a good tactical challenge in-game and the "lonely fun" of building out your character's combat abilities inbetween sessions.
2. You prefer to react to prompts from non-player characters ("stop the villain's plan before it's too late!") rather than play a more active role.
3. You like a more relaxed form of role-playing. Yes, describing your attacks is role-playing, and combat abilities can be role-playing prompts!

Gritty congas focus on exploration and lateral thinking. They're "gritty" because they emphasize realism and open-world "sandbox" settings (and sand is gritty). Examples include Mothership, Mausritter, and Dolmenwood. You might enjoy gritty congas if...

1. You would rather come up with clever, surprising solutions to problems using weird items and abilities than be boxed in by complex rules.
2. You want to play an active role in the game and make decisions that transform the setting and change the direction of the game.
3. You would rather the game be immersive and challenging than narratively satisfying. You love exploring flavorful, gameable setting material.

Sticky congas focus on keeping the story interesting. They're "sticky" because they emphasize messy narrative complications. Examples include Powered by the Apocalypse, Forged in the Dark, and No Dice, No Masters games. You might enjoy sticky congas if...

1. You want to dig deep into your character and relationships between characters. You want to focus on acting, improvisation, and storytelling.
2. You want to tell stories about complex social situations, not just heroes reacting to villains or adventurers transforming the setting.
3. You would rather the game be narratively satisfying than immersive or challenging. You want to help create the setting, not just explore.

This introduction owes a lot to Brad Kerr's conception of "door D&D, fight D&D, and sticky fingers D&D," but I wanted to do my own take. I hope it proves helpful to someone, though I fear that in creating a new standard I may just be adding to the confusion.