What it is: The latest in the "Powered by Into the Odd Engine" games from Old skull and Gallant Knight, this one completes a trilogy of releases covering zombie survival, space horror and now cyberpunk survival. Running out of Time holds up nicely to its sister titles in terms of graphics and presentation, it is a good looking little book clocking in at 42 pages, the shortest in the series.
The System: The basics are identical to the other systems I have been reviewing, in that you have three stats, from 3-18, you roll saves against the stat or lower, and combat starts with damage so all conflict has immediate high risk. It's the same mechanical process as the rest, with a specific alteration in the form of Time as a life mechanic.
This is the first rulebook I've read in this series to have at least one noteworthy gaff....there's no stressful event table. Maybe they didn't intend to include one, but its not there and feels like it kinda should be.
The Setting: Running out of Time has its own gimmick, and surprisingly that is not being a condensed rules lite Cyberpunk experience. Instead, it is about a Cyberpunk world in which the currency that drives everything is time; the game requires PCs to roll 1D6 to start to see how many days they have left to live. You are presumably playing desperate people who have reached the end of their time bank. Run out of time....and you die. The game doesn't explain why or how this is, so I guess you as GM can decide....maybe its a nanovirus that shuts you down, or a chemical cocktail the releases in your system. Why does this happen? Also not really clear. It's a universe run by this gimmick that, to me at least, makes little sense in any justified context. Be that as it may, the game's entire economy, direction and even character advancement is driven by this concept.
This gimmick defines the setting and play focus, but not nearly enough time and effort is placed in explaining why the world is like this, which is really necessary for buy-in. As a result, it is so far among my least favorite of the "Into the Odd Engine" systems I have looked at.
Aside from that, the book includes myriad charts for rolling up people, places, factions, corporations and events in your megacity.
The Supplements: None for this one, but it could serve well as a resource to flesh out specific kinds of worlds in Screams Amongst the Stars.
Who is this for? Well, it could make for an interesting session or three at minimum, if you have a group willing to run whole-heartedly with the time as a vital resource concept, or flesh it out. I personally feel it is too gimmicky, and think the game needed to include enough useful data to make the time-as-resource/currency concept make more sense. Even a chart you could roll on for different explanations...anything. It's a stretch otherwise, and a gimmick I think that will run out its welcome quickly as it requires players to constantly seek more time in largely randomized job events....the intent might be to force forward motion on the group, but the reality (I suspect) might just be frustration and annoyance.
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