Blues From a Gun

“Dear Points High Alumni: Can you believe it's been ten years since you left Grosse Pointe? Where are you now? Are you in an Outward Bound canoe trip like Brook Stinson? Or perhaps in charge of public appearances for the NFL like Leslie Gunther? Sandy Glasser owns a cheese shop. Looking at yearbooks and pictures evokes so many memories. Some good, some bad, but all interesting. Whenever news of you filters back, the school is excited and proud of your accomplishments. As a graduate of the class of 1986, you are someone special. Remember, there's nowhere you can go that you haven't learned how to go in time, whatever the hell that means.”

-Marcela, Grosse Pointe Blank

It’s ten years since the night you left town and became a highly-paid assassin. It’s a steady paycheck, you’re very good at it, and as far as the moral question is concerned, if you show up at someone’s door, chances are, they’ve done something to deserve it. Everything is great. Except, it isn’t.

You’ve been slipping lately, and all signs point back to home, where you broke someone’s heart or had your heart broken. Maybe it started you down this path or maybe it didn’t, but whatever the case, it’s affecting you now, and you have to figure it all out before you’re taken so far out of your game that some cut-rate poseur comes after you to take your lunch. If that happens, you’ll really have problems.

In Blues From a Gun, two players will be playing characters who had a relationship in their past and have a shot to repair it or bury it at their ten-year school reunion back in their hometown. The fact that one or both of the characters is an assassin means that reconciliation is that much harder. At its heart, this game should be played as a black romantic comedy with dramatic and adventure elements, but the table can decide the exact formula for their game’s tone.

The characters should:

• Navigate complicated feelings of nostalgia while reconciling who they are now with what they want;
• Have trouble keeping their distinct worlds separate, even though their collision would damage both;
• Have to deal with reminders (sometimes violent reminders) that the professional assassination business is literally cutthroat
• Wryly appreciate the absurdity of their situation

You don’t need to be familiar with the game’s touchstones, but you’ll get a lot out of it you are (especially Grosse Pointe Blank and Barry).

Blues From a Gun is designed to extend Good Society by Storybrewers; the base game Good Society is required to play. It’s also recommended that you also read the Duet Society guide by Storybrewers, which provides guidance on how to play Good Society with two players.

Included in Blues From a Gun:

• New role and background: the Professional
• New complication mechanic for duet games
• 8 new complication cards for Good Society
• Illustrations by ennie-nominated artist Rob Hebert
• 12-page PDF