subtitle:
Playing Against The Clock
website blurb:
RealTime is the only roleplaying game played in real time -- that is, every minute of play corresponds to one minute of game time. It's inspired by the hit show 24 and the movie Nick Of Time, and if it's done right, players will feel all the same pulse-pounding tension and excitement. You can use it for modern action/adventure (and that's probably where you'll want to start, due to its familiarity), but you can use it for any genre and style, from science fiction to two-fisted pulp to Western to mythic high fantasy -- as long as you have a story that hinges on every tick of the clock.
RealTime is a simple, rules-light game. That's because, when you're playing RealTime, you won't have time to think much about rules. In fact, the rules aren't the most important part of RealTime. Far more important are the tips, tricks, and techniques for making the real time element work -- ways to make your character's down-time (e.g., driving across town) fit in with other characters' up-time, to keep track of time spend doing different things, etc. If you want to play it, it's imperative that all the players be familiar with these techniques before the game, because there won't be time to think much about them during the game.
from Dice, or Not:
RealTime can be played either with dice or diceless. All mechanical game elements will be done by comparing a character's skill against a target value; without dice, it's a simple comparison, so you either can or can't do what you're attempting. If you prefer an element of randomness (I do), you'll add in the roll of one or two FUDGE dice (depending on the kind of action).
user comment:
A stopwatch for the GM, and preferably one for each player as well, is part of the game equipment list.
The mechanics include a method for players to buy control of the narrative using points.
This game's mechanics are similar to Sapphire,a more recent game by Frank J. Perricone. Sapphire eliminates the use of the stopwatch and the realtime mandate.