Classic Brimagine
V.01/10/26
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Brimagine is a two-player storytelling game. Each player has a main character and a goal.
To begin, both players each choose one of these and character sheets:
Jamie Flintlock
A pirate with no sense of direction, three lives, and a thirst for adventure.
Guiding Principle:
Pretend you know what you are doing.
Goal:
Find some treasure and make it out with at least one of your lives.
Setting:
Ring of Keys (islands)
Alex Geode
A scrappy engineer who holds the record for being closest to a planet’s core.
Guiding Principle:
If something breaks, screw some metal plates and cogs onto it.
Goal:
Break your old record.
Setting:
The Deepwell Trench
Robin Ivy
An animal whisperer who lives in the ancient part of a forest.
Guiding Principle:
Protect nature.
Goal:
A disturbance is killing the ancient forest, so you must heal it.
Setting:
Continent Forest
Ginger Crimson
The lead commander of a secret organisation.
Guiding Principle:
Monologue about how your organisation has been doing something crazy for the last century.
Goal:
Finish the job.
Setting:
Mega Headquarters.
Before a match begins you need somewhere to play together; the Story Setting. Players each have a setting on their character sheet. You can either use a single setting or you can combine both settings.
Players have three turns each, going back and forth telling a story. On these story turns you can do anything you want to. You can also create background characters and add to the setting how you like.
The only thing you are not allowed to do is make decisions for opponent’s main character. However, you can do things to your opponent’s main character using your own and you can have things happen to them using background characters and setting.
The only thing you must do is follow your main character’s Guiding Principle, which is a rule that makes your main character who they are. So if your Guiding Principle is, “Wants icecream and hates swimming,” then your character would rush towards an icecream stand but not if it was in the middle of a lake. You are allowed to read your opponent’s Guiding Principle.
A match concludes in a final fourth round of turns, called the Climax. To win a match of Brimagine you must have your main character complete their goal on the climax (without your opponent completing their goal on their climax).
You can work towards your goal on your story turns but you are only allowed to complete the final requirement of your goal on your climax. E.g., if your goal is winning an archery contest, you can hit targets on story turns but you can only hit the final target on your Climax.
On the climax, you are only allowed to use your main character. No background characters or manipulating the story setting. This is because on the climax your main character can only “Move Once” and make “One Action”
Move Once simply means going from point A to point B. (Driving counts as moving, not acting)
One Action means something your main character can do while remaining in place. Like pulling a lever or kneading dough. The only things that do not count as actions, unless they are being used to complete a goal, are: picking things up, putting things down, opening unlocked doors, dialogue and sign language.
On your Climax your main character can act then move, move then act, or just move, or just act. But they cannot act while moving. So you cannot throw a newspaper at someone’s house while driving by it.
Death and Taxes: if your main character dies, replace them with a character who inherits their predecessor’s guiding principle and all of the progress to their goal. And if you find yourself paying taxes in my game, something has likely gone wrong : P
And that’s all the rules! I hope you have fun playing Brimagine. Also, if you run out of characters from the starter sheet, I encouraged you to create your own! Just make sure they have a guiding principle ; )
Bellow are game-modes with more balanced rules or room for extra players
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