FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Who’s this game for?
The game is designed for kids ages 6 and up and a devoted parent. You need at least two players. But we recommend 2-5 players plus the GameMaster… which is usually a grown-up, initially.
How long does it take to play?
Finishing the whole Adventure story can take two or more hours, depending on how you play. However, you can take a break at any time and resume where you left off the next time you play. At the end of the gaming session, we recommend taking a picture of the map (to help remember where characters and monsters were). The GM should mark with a pencil where they left off on the ScreenBox text. To make things a little easier, most Ampersand Adventure stories are split in Acts, like a play. These are natural breaks in the story where you can end the gaming session for the day.
Do I need anything else? How about those weird dice?
Everything you need to play is in the box including a full set of polyhedral dice. We even added an extra twenty-sided dice (d20) for the players. Get a nice clean table, a handful of sharpened pencils, some snacks, and you’re ready to roll!
What’s the difference between this and D&D?
Ampersand gameplay is a simplified version of a role-playing game like D&D, but it’s a system totally independent from anything else in the gaming world. It is specifically designed for kids, keeping traditional gameplay elements like rolling dice, figurines on a map, and numeric player attributes, but adding a few more engaging elements such as reimagined character sheets, loot tokens, brain-teasing puzzles, and wipe-erase monster cards.
I’ve never played D&D or any RPG before. Is that ok?
Totally fine! Ampersand is designed for newbies who want to play a tabletop role-playing game with their kids. If you have played D&D before, everything will be very familiar to you, and we hope you enjoy our take on traditional rules, but if you’re new to RPGs that’s fine too! We strive to make onboarding for the parent as easy as possible.
Do the kids make a new Character every time they play?
The first time you play, the kids will make their own Characters from scratch. The included instructions walk you through each step. Your child will roleplay as this avatar in the game. As they gain experience, the characters will become more powerful and attain new skills and equipment. While we encourage players to take this same character on every Ampersand Adventure, you can start over and create a new character at any time.
Will this game make me a better parent?
Yes. It will.
We love playing this game! When will the next Adventure be released?
The development of this gaming system has been a labor of love by three dads over three years. With the pandemic, it has been a slog to get it made with countless production hurdles. That said, we have the next two stories already written, and your enthusiasm is our motivation! Expect it before too long — we’ll make an announcement as soon as it’s in production.
Previews to Snakes & Sarcophagi as well as Oobleck & Octopodes are coming in the very near future! Don’t miss any updates. Sign up for our mailing list now.
Any Further questions?
Please drop us a note if you have a specific question we did not address. We’ll try to answer as soon as we can!