In Crossing, you have to collect gemstones, but players make their choices simultaneously and not everybody will get what they want when desires clash — and even if you are lucky during the initial confrontation, you aren't safe from the greediness of other players.
Through bluffing and cunning, you want to collect more gemstones than your opponents. To do this, you place a set of cards side by side on the table, with each card featuring a varying number of gems. When signaled, each player simultaneously places a finger on one of the cards. You collect the stones only if you are alone on the card!
The French version of Crossing includes rules for play with only three whereas the initial Japanese release of Xing included rules only for 4-6 players.
- Strong, memorable character moments and interpersonal drama.
- Inventive magical effects and illusion-based moments that spark creativity.
- Humor and warmth in the group dynamics, especially around friendship and care for each other.
- Some plot threads can become tangled due to many NPCs and side plots.
- Moments of mistrust may stall momentum or feel confrontational.
- Violence occurs frequently, which may be heavy for certain audiences.
- Friendship, trust, moral ambiguity after violence, and the negotiation of power and protection among ad hoc allies.
- A whimsical, forested world where anthropomorphic animals interact with magical beings and strange factions (carrot economy, murder Rabbits, and rival Bunny factions).
- Improv-driven, collaborative storytelling with magic and illusion as central tools; emphasis on character-driven drama, humor, and evolving alliances.
- Skyrim
- Generic fantasy role-playing improv games
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Action Points (AP) and turn-based actions — Characters spend AP to perform actions, cast spells, and move; decisions about whether to risk an action or wait for a better moment are frequent.
- Healing / Mend — A blue-healing magic that restores hit points and mitigates damage, often used to recover from injuries mid-encounter.
- Illusion visualizations — Spells create visual illusions (e.g., a pretty lady murder rabbit) to manipulate perception and influence social interactions.
- Mesmerize / mind-affecting illusion — A spell that temporarily disables a target's actions and responses within an area, until the area is left or the target is harmed.
- Resource and environment management — Assets like carrot seeds and farm space influence character goals and long-term planning (carrot rooms, burrows, seeds).
- Social negotiation and roleplay — Much of the play centers on dialogue, deception, and alliance-building rather than pure combat.
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- "to the death means to the death right"
- "I am just I am one of his Messengers"
- "the carrot God loves you"
- "we could grab your carrot seeds"
- "this is my first Crossing with a murder rabbit"
- "the circle of life this is I I am so happy that I met you"
- "I will always be with you"
- "you've got to be truthful with them and tell them what's going on"