A simple game that does what it sets out to do; create a framework for a school based adventure. very easy to pick up and run.

School Daze is quickly becoming my favorite system for one-shots and con games, bar none. It's simple enough for players to ramp up with quickly and feel comfortable, basic enough to introduce new gamers with and complete enough to keep us number-crunchers satisfied.

The game is a natural draw for imaginative roleplay and humor, and it's flexible enough that it can be applied to all manner of settings with a common core players can easily relate to. I definitely prefer it for more light-hearted games, but there's certainly potential for more somber roleplay and richer campaigns.

It is far and away the fastest system I've ever used. Games that would take twice as long in any other system (even simple ones) just fly by, which I chalk up to there being just enough structure that players know where to begin, but not so much that they get paralyzed considering all their options.

All in all, a spectacular system, with a wide range of potential. Highly recommended for those looking for light-hearted humor and a break from the ordinary.

WHAT WORKS: Pretty book, simple system that’s not trying to do too much, or overcomplicate a simple process. And I absolutely love random charts, so that helps.

WHAT DOESN’T WORK: The list of Ranks seems too small, especially if you have a group of five or six players, all taking three Ranks. I’m not sure I’d wanna run a Buffy or Space School setting with this completely unmodified. The last gripe is technical, as the download is nearly 80mb for a 66 page book and my computer actually struggles a bit with it compared to other PDFs, especially of the same size.

CONCLUSION: Very professional presentation for a game that could easily make for a fun diversion, either short campaigns or one-offs. I’d be more inclined to go “Saved By The Bell” with it over “Buffy” or “Brick”, albeit I’d be tempted to venture more into Saturday Morning Cartoon territory than Saved By The Bell did. In essence, I’m not completely sold on it being quite as versatile as the author says (though there are a lot of folks credited as playtesters, so I may be dead wrong), but I do also think that it’s a lot more versatile than I initially thought. Pick it up if you want something simple and Completely Different from what you’ve probably been running.

For my full review, please visit http://mostunreadblogever.blogspot.com/2012/09/tommys-take-on-school-daze.html