Paris Gondo: The Life Saving Magic of Inventorying Review

I’ll be the first to admit that when I originally saw this game, it did not spark joy. I thought it was going to be something completely different to what it is and I am so glad I got to be proven wrong.

Paris Gondo: The Life-Saving Magic of Inventorying is a love-letter to and parody of encumbrance in RPGs as well as Marie Kondo and her decluttering life advice. As such, this game is all about the characters you and your friends create and more importantly, the items they find at the end of the dungeon they have just completed. The whole game is very much a conversation rather than what you might expect from a game centred around inventorying. Each step involves the players coming up with the dungeon their group has fought their way through and the boss they have defeated, the characters they are playing as, and the items they’ve looted along the way. What makes this so enjoyable is that there is so much freedom and the game knows to step back and let the players have fun creating their own weird and wonderful things while still providing enough guidance and framework that it never feels overwhelming. Each step has well thought out prompts that act like a professional improv coach and really grease the mental wheels.

The few times the game introduces what could be considered game mechanics, they are simply ways to guide the fiction in interesting and unexpected ways. Determining if you are above or below the Average Party Usefulness and what item led to your success or failure. To see if you escape the dungeon and if you live a happy life in the end. And in the end, Paris Gondo sparks so much joy that it definitely deserves a space in your home.

Anna Blackwell

PLAY IT? YES

Buy a copy here

Designer: Kalum

Publisher: The Rolistes

Pages: 132

Ages: 14+

Price: £12

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