The Trope Is Dead! Long Live The Trope!

A maiden trapped in a tower. The princess, bewitched by an apple. A different princess sleeping forever. All this, of course, is complete nonsense. No one was trapped in the tower, the princess hasn’t slept in weeks, and… the less said about the most beautiful in the land the better. The tropes are tired, too tired. The trope is dead. Long live the trope.

Long Description

Trope, noun: a common or overused theme or device[^1]

Once Upon A Time, in a kingdom far, far away, there lived a trope. It was one trope in a village of tropes, but this one held the most sway. It was difficult to dislodge, and stories spread far and wide. As with anything, this trope was beloved and despised by those who heard the tales of the trope. Of course, all stories change in each telling. The trope and tale are no longer what they once were. But something is afoot. The trope is tired, too tired. And now rumors have reached us: the trope is dead. Long live the trope.

In the far, far away kingdom[^2], there was a party at the palace[^3]. Everybody wanted something. Some wanted to diversify a kingdom’s bean-based economy. Others wanted shoes—or were here on behalf of the shoemaker’s union[^4]. At least one just wanted to hang out with their gym buddy and talk about getting sick gains.

The Trope Is Dead is a 3-hour, mechanics-light roleplaying game to satirically explore fairytale stories within the concept of long-standing tropes: the beautiful princess, the wicked stepmother, various people living in a cottage, plus many many more.[^5] It’s a bring-your-own-gender romp through the fairytale castle, stopping to look at why everyone is here and what inversions of fairytale tropes reveal about characters, their relationships, and the familiar stories themselves.

There are romance plots, but this is not universally a Romance Game (and there are plenty of no-romance options, plus some less-traditional romance/bromance[^6]/partner options). There are some secrets, and some powers, but this is not a Secrets and Powers game.

Come costumed in fairytale finery, or don’t.

[^1]: Starting with a dictionary definition? That’s a trope.

[^2]: The kingdom was not far away, much less far, far away to those who lived there. Of course, everywhere is far away from somewhere else.

[^3]: There’s always a party at the palace. A wedding, a birth, a coming of age. That’s where you get gifts.

[^4]: Shoemakers Amalgamated Local 30, and don’t you forget it!

[^5]: In doing so, the authors are aware of the irony that they are simply leaning into a different trope: the modernized fairy tale.

[^6]: By Royal Decree #202 of 1029, “Bro” is legally a gender-neutral term across the Kingdom.