TIPS on playing RPGs with KIdS

After years of development and research, here is Ampersand’s approach in making RPGs more engaging for kids

Tokenize the Loot

In our experience, younger kids often have a difficult time understanding certain abstract game elements, but they immediately understand physical game pieces representing things like weapons, armor, magic potions, and equipment.

In Ampersand, every item a player discovers during an Adventure has its own 1.5” Loot Token that slides neatly into the player’s Character Folio. An attractive concept for even the youngest of players, the tokens give the party a chance to collect, swap, and equip items together — a wonderful way to pique interest in Roleplaying Games.

utilize Monster cards

Ampersand’s oversized Monster Cards provide players with a clear image of the many Monsters and Allies they encounter during an Adventure. With bold illustrations, important monster attributes, special ability descriptions, and Health Bubbles that players fill in with a dry-erase marker as they conquer them, the cards provide a physical anchor for non-player characters in the story. Instead of just being an entry in an unwieldy manual, the cards are dramatically unveiled during game play, and the back side includes monster lore and adventuring tips to advance the story.

Simplify the rules

While there are great options for tabletop roleplaying games, many of them have hefty rule books and complex gameplay mechanics. It’s just too much work for younger kids — and their parents — to process during a casual game night. Arcane combat rules and tables of statistics often get in the way of the fun.

Our goal was to make the most rules-light RPG gaming system possible. We feel parental instinct and judgement should determine gameflow instead of volumes of rulebooks. Our six-page rule sheet covers simple and complex actions, resolving combat and spellcasting — almost everything a character would do in an RPG. Learn the basics, create characters, and jump into the story within minutes of opening the box..

Give it a try!

We invite you to play Ampersand RPG Adventures with your family. Your kids will love it. Currently we have a great opportunity for you to back our cause with a limited-time Kickstarter Campaign. Scroll down for details…

We are proud to announce that we have launched a Kickstarter campaign to fund three new Ampersand products!

Snakes & Sarcophagi — Our second ScreenBox Adventure

Quarrys — The first issue of our Mini-Adventure series

Loadout — Our monthly ‘zine for fans of all ages

We need your help to crowdfund this project!

Please visit the Kickstarter page to pledge and reserve your copies of these exciting new products. The campaign will run until April 2nd, 2023. So don’t hesitate — click the button below to view a complete description of this great new content!

View the Kickstarter

For many parents, Role-playing Games can be complicated and intimidating, requiring too much time to learn and manage. It’s hard to know where to begin. We’ve reconsidered how an RPG can be played with kids and our simplified rules promote storytelling and imagination over stats and charts.

We’ve included dice, maps, figurines, and everything else you need. Each self-contained story is revealed as you play. There is no need for any preparation or RPG experience. Get ready for unique and unpredictable adventures through creepy dungeons, murky oceans, and unexplored outer space.

Take a break from screens and turn off your devices. Ampersand is entirely analog — just dice, pencils, and a bunch of humans. It’s face-to-face, engaging story telling with cooperative, creative problem solving. Kids will twist their brains, chuckle at mishaps, and triumphantly cheer with every victory.