Play fast, flexible fantasy adventures with simple rules, a difficulty-by-level approach, and a focus on action and improvisation.
From 36 firsthand play reports in 6 r/rpg threads. The threads alone average 7.3.
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131 r/rpg posts named it, October 2023 to October 2026.
Light. Hype 4.5 for its age.
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Most reports come from GMs who ran ICRPG as a fast, light d20 game built on loot, hearts and clocks, with little prep. Many commenters only borrow its parts, so firsthand play is thinner than the thread counts suggest. Tables disagree on whether it holds up over a long campaign.
Each thread is rated for the play it describes, from the firsthand reports in it. Load one here or read it on Reddit.
Most GMs who ran ICRPG report a fast, flexible game that supports long campaigns and keeps tension high. They also say it needs DIY filling-in, can have balance problems, and may feel too light for some groups. One player had a miserable Master Edition run that they blamed on a harsh GM and the loot rules. 9 firsthand · 37 comments
The few people who have run or played Index Card RPG describe it as easy to hack, fast to improvise with, and a good fit for a video-game feel built on loot, hearts and clocks. The thread is mostly design advice for a Zelda hack rather than detailed play reports, so the experience data is thin and consistently positive but shallow. 7 firsthand · 36 comments
People who actually run ICRPG describe a fast, low-prep action game that is easy to teach, works for long campaigns and one-shots, and stretches across many genres. The main caveats are an arcade-like feel without modification, and many commenters only borrow its parts or haven't played it. 7 firsthand · 23 comments
The few people who say they played ICRPG describe a fast, simple, combat-focused d20-lite game that works well for one-shots and short arcs. Others found it shallow, unbalanced and unfinished, and many of the thread's comments are about how to read the book rather than about play. 6 firsthand · 29 comments
The thread is mostly about why Shadowdark is more popular than ICRPG, and about ICRPG's name and marketing. The few people who actually ran ICRPG describe a fast, light, workable game that expects the GM to fill in gaps. 4 firsthand · 116 comments
The thread is mostly about Dragonbane and Shadowdark, and only three commenters describe playing ICRPG. They found it simple to teach and run, with good VTT support, easy D&D conversion and strong one-shots, but not suited to level-based progression like BG3. 3 firsthand · 76 comments