Anime Free and cult classic film Bring it On inspired this sports drama RPG
It’s time to Fight with Spirit.
An upcoming roleplaying game inspired by the likes of the anime Free and cult classic film Bring it On is currently on Kickstarter.
Called Fight with Spirit, the RPG is described as being a “sports drama” that seeks to tell stories similar to those seen in anime such as Run with the Wind and high school movies like Remember the Titans. The players form a sports team who want to be the best they possibly can be, whilst confronting the hardships of growing up and figuring out who they are. In playing the game, the players will explore themes such as “friendships, feelings and the fleeting nature of your time together”.
At the beginning of the RPG, players will create characters who come together as a team to battle their way through some kind of sports tournament, learning how to form connections both on and off the court - with the potential for friendship and romance. When forming their characters, players can choose from a selection of different traits that will decide their dreams, ambitions and the relationships they already have with the other player characters. These traits can also help determine their role in the team, with players able to pick from four different teams - the Dockside Demons, Ashpoint Arrows, South Beach Sharks and Newcrest Neons - each with their own unique histories, abilities and potential matches.
As players progress through the game, they’ll be able to choose their next match from a series of possible options, with maximum drama resulting from match-ups with rival teams, deadlock games and even matches between a player character and their crush. During a match, players will draw cards from a match deck to decide what happens next - with the players able to use their characters’ spirit and fight stats in order to manipulate the cards. Various sports will be supported by Fight with Spirit including basketball, roller derby, ice hockey, water polo, cricket, football and “many, many more”.
Fight with Spirit was co-created by Vee Hendro - a graphic designer who has previously worked on RPGs such as Visigoths vs Mall Goths and Good Society: A Jane Austin RPG - and Hayley Gordon, who co-designed Good Society alongside Hendro.
Storybrewers Roleplaying, a company which was co-founded by Hendro and Gordon, is the studio behind Fight with Spirit, with its previous releases including the aforementioned Good Society RPG and a game called Alas for the Awful Sea, which takes place in a poverty-stricken coastal town that the player characters find themselves washed up on.
The Kickstarter campaign for Fight with Spirit is live until October 26th, with a pledge of Au$ 89 (£48/$64) getting a copy of the physical game in December 2022. Alternatively, a digital PDF version of the game is available for a pledge of Au$ 29 (£16/$21), with a tier for people suffering from financial hardship available as well.