Alessandro Rocchi
In this review we talk about The Very Good Dogs of Chernobyl, an exciting RPG in which we will play good dogs who will face the cosmic horrors in the Chernobyl Zone.
The game is created and published in English by 9th Level Games, while in Italy it was localized and distributed by Mana Project Studio. We thank the Italian publisher for sending us a review copy; we invite you to follow them on the Facebook page, on the Instagram page and on their official website to discover many other projects.
If you are interested in buying, you can find the product, in physical version, for 29.90 euros on the official store. Otherwise you can opt for the digital version for 12.90 euros.
Structure and Art Review of The Very Good Dogs of Chernobyl
The Very Good Dogs of Chernobyl is an 86-page A5 cardboard manual, very light and comfortable to carry but at the same time resistant.
Writing is simple and impactful, making it easier to read. In addition, the perfect use of bold and colors makes the navigation of the text even more fluid, allowing you to find the most important elements on the fly.
From an artistic and graphic design point of view, we are faced with impeccable work. In fact, from the character used to the chromatic choice, including also the illustrations, everything recalls the tones of a poster from the Soviet Union. This perfectly returns the impact of the setting and pleasantly embellishes the game.
The Very Good Dogs of Chernobyl: the Setting
The game is set in a world similar to ours, but in which the areas surrounding Chernobyl have manifested anomalies and extra-dimensional beings after the famous nuclear disaster. And the Veil that separates “the other world” has begun to thin.
In all this, the dogs that had escaped into the forests survived and, through radiation, evolved and created herds to defend the area awaiting the return of humans. Like good dogs would do.
In the manual the Zone (as the surroundings of Chernobyl are called) is described in detail, presenting various places and various challenges for players. In addition to this, we find many narrative ideas that allow you to set up a game session in a very short time.
I admit I would have preferred to find a bestiary as well. A list of encounterable creatures would make the narrator’s job (called “MC”) even smoother and make the setting even more immersive.
The Darkness
A very interesting mechanic related to the setting of The Very Good Dogs of Chernobyl is that of Darkness.
During the sessions the Good Dogs will be able to accumulate Darkness by performing wrong actions such as: leaving another dog behind, doing something morally wrong or a good dog ends up “out of the picture”.
During the game, the value of the Darkness can vary from 0 to 9, giving rise to three phases: Light, Twilight, Dark. The more the Darkness rises, the more complex things get for the Good Dogs, as the creatures become stronger and more lethal. In fact, only at the Dark level can the protagonists actually die and the climax of the narrative will be reached.
This mechanic is really useful to manage and develop the pace of the session, so that players are always on the lookout. The narrator varies this value based on the behavior of the Good Dogs, but also based on external events. Playing on these factors, when he announces that the Darkness reaches the score of 9, the moment of greatest pathos will come and, probably, the end of the adventure.
Dossier of a Good Dog
The procedure to create a Good Dog is very fast and narrative. An important thing is that each choice will get us a Trait, a keyword that indicates what the character can do. Some examples can be Rapid, Memory, and Loyal.
First you have to choose a Pack by mutual agreement with the group. This will also be important because it grants a die to be used in group actions ranging from d4 to d10. In addition to this, each Good Dog will have to choose a Role from the 4 proposed: Courser, Hunter, Elder and Guard.
Other important elements are Breed, Call, Name, and Pronouns. For each of them, in the manual we find very exhaustive tables that allow us to choose options that are always themed with the setting. For example, among the breeds we find the most fashionable of that period, such as laika, bolonka, samoedo and sulimov.
The Moves are also of great importance, which are: Senses, Running, Tooth and Claws, Heart. These are useful in tests and each has a series of related values.
The Generation of a Good Dog
A peculiar and very interesting aspect is the Generation. This in fact indicates when a dog was born, that is, before, during or after the Chernobyl disaster.
Depending on the Generation, you will have access to an exclusive Trait and in some situations the Bravo Dog will have automatic advantages or successes.
The Generation born before the disaster is called the Wyse and knows the world of humans. The one born during is the Wyrd Generation, skilled in everything related to Anomalies. While the last, born when Chernobyl had already changed its face, is the Wyld, accustomed to living in nature.
Thanks to the Generation we can differentiate (or approach) our character from that of other players, as well as connect it even more to the setting and the game world.
The Very Good Dogs of Chernobyl: System Review
In The Very Good Dogs of Chernobyl we find a fast, intuitive and simple to implement game system: the Polymorph System.
Each of the four Roles is associated with a die ranging from d4 to d10. When the Good Dog performs an action that could be risky or of uncertain outcome, a test must be carried out. Simply roll the die associated with the Role and compare the result with the numbers in the Move chosen for the action. If the result of the die is among the numbers shown next to the Move, a Success will be obtained.
Advantage and Disadvantage also exist in the game. In the first case, you will have to roll two dice and get a Success; in case of Disadvantage, you will have to roll 2 dice and get two Successes.
A peculiarity is that in case of failure you will get a Danger marker and you will have to make a Danger roll. This means rolling the Role nut and comparing the result with the number of Danger counters accumulated. If the value of the nut is higher, nothing will happen; if lower, you will suffer a Consequence, risking injury or worse. In the event that the two values combine, we will have the most interesting cases because the Veil will have to be torn. In this way, the Good Dog will perform the action for the broken headset and observe the Other World, but also the one on that side will see it.
Instinct and the Call
When with the die we roll the highest value (a 4 in the case of a d4, a 6 with a d6 and so on) the Instinct will be activated. In practice, depending on the Generation to which you belong, the result of the Action will be different. The Wild Generation will succeed in everything a dog could normally do. The Wise Generation, on the other hand, will be able to do everything a human would do. Bizarre ones, on the other hand, will automatically succeed if an Anomaly is involved. If you do not fall into these cases, you could fail or negotiate success for Darkness or Danger points.
The Calling, on the other hand, occurs when we roll a 1 with the die. In this case we will be automatically successful if the action concerns the Call of our Good Dog, that is, the area in which it is most carried out. In the manual we find several, ranging from Alpha to Meeting Dog.
Queste due dinamiche permettono di rendere il gioco più intrigante e avvincente, dando una maggiore profondità meccanica.
Conclusion of The Very Good Dogs of Chernobyl Review
To conclude this review, I can safely say that The Very Good Dogs of Chernobyl is an excellent role-playing game that allows you to live exciting adventures as a Pack of Good Dogs.
In fact, we find a simple but well-kept setting, with an intuitive system that is quick to implement. As a corollary to all this we also have excellent writing and a breathtaking artistic side, which alone makes the manual an object to have in your library.
I recommend The Very Good Dogs of Chernobyl to all players interested in trying something different and alternative. This RPG can also give life to more articulated adventures, but it makes the most of one-shot shows full of emotions and adrenaline.
Therefore, be ready, Brave Dogs, that the dangers of the Zone await you!
