Everyone is John

Everyone is John is a competitive, lightweight and hilarious tabletop RPG created by Michael B. Sullivan in 2002. It plays with three or more players, in a single session, with zero preparation. Perfect for discovering RPGs or for an impromptu game night.

The concept

Players embody Voices inside the head of John, a mentally unstable man from Minneapolis. A game master (called "Everyone Else") runs the world around John, while the Voices compete for control of his actions.

Each Voice has a secret Obsession they try to fulfil through John. The goal: score the most points by completing your obsession as often as possible before the game ends.

Rules in a nutshell

Creating your Voice takes two minutes:

• Willpower: 10 points (or 7 if you pick three skills). Spent to seize control of John or to boost die rolls.
• Skills: 2 or 3 freeform abilities (e.g. "drives really well" or "good at persuading people").
• Obsession: a secret win condition, in three difficulty tiers. Level 1 (easy, e.g. "pigging out on candy"), level 2 (risky, e.g. "hitting on strangers while dressed in drag") or level 3 (nearly impossible, e.g. "blowing up a building").

During play, the active Voice rolls 1d6 when John attempts anything tricky: you need a 6 to succeed, or 3+ if a relevant skill applies. You can spend Willpower for +1 per point to the result.

Control of John shifts when he wakes up, gets hurt, fails a roll, or completes an obsession. The Voices then bid Willpower: the highest bid wins. When all Voices run out of Willpower (or John dies), the game ends.

Scenarios tested at conventions

I ran all of these as GM at gaming conventions. Guaranteed laughs, especially if you're sleep-deprived.

John at the supermarket -- John wakes up inside a shopping trolley in the middle of a hypermarket on a Saturday afternoon. He has a ten-euro note in his pocket and no memory of how he got there. Possible Voices: steal a rotisserie chicken (lvl 2) -- seduce the cashier (lvl 2) -- build a cardboard fort in the appliances aisle (lvl 3) -- find his shopping list and complete it (lvl 2) -- return the trolley to its bay every chance he gets (lvl 1).

John at the town hall -- John wakes up in a suit and tie, standing in line at the town hall. He's holding a folder whose contents are a mystery to him. Possible Voices: marry someone, anyone (lvl 2) -- get elected mayor before closing time (lvl 3) -- eat every form he can find (lvl 1) -- submit the folder at the correct desk (lvl 2) -- wait politely in line without making a scene (lvl 1).

John at the campsite -- John wakes up in a tent that isn't his, in the dead of night, during a music festival. He's wearing a cowboy hat and a flower garland. Possible Voices: get on stage during the concert (lvl 3) -- find "his" inflatable flamingo (lvl 2) -- start a barbecue at 3 a.m. (lvl 2) -- find his own tent and go back to sleep (lvl 2) -- return the hat and garland to their rightful owners (lvl 1).

John at the museum -- John wakes up on a bench at the Louvre, facing the Mona Lisa, an audio guide in his ear. He's carrying a backpack full of painting supplies. Possible Voices: touch up a painting (lvl 3) -- pose as a guide and lead tourists into the basement (lvl 2) -- shoplift from the gift shop (lvl 2) -- finish the tour by listening to every audio guide commentary (lvl 2) -- find the exit and leave the museum quietly (lvl 1).

John at the airport -- John wakes up on a seat in the departure lounge. His flight leaves in 20 minutes, but he has no ticket, no passport -- just a cold coffee and an empty luggage trolley. Possible Voices: board at all costs (lvl 3) -- open every suitcase on the baggage carousel to find "his" (lvl 2) -- get hired at the duty-free shop (lvl 2) -- go to the information desk to report his lost documents (lvl 2) -- finish his coffee and buy himself a croissant (lvl 1).

John at an RPG convention -- John wakes up sitting at a tabletop RPG table, dice in front of him and a character sheet named "Gandalf 2". The GM is staring at him expectantly: it's his turn. Possible Voices: play the game all-in and become the best roleplayer at the table (lvl 2) -- buy every set of dice from the stall next door (lvl 1) -- convince the whole table to switch games to Everyone is John (lvl 3) -- find the snack bar and bring back crepes for everyone (lvl 2) -- steal a cosplayer's costume (lvl 2).

GM tips

• Give back Willpower: when a Voice completes their obsession, giving them one or two Willpower points back extends the game and encourages players to go for it. It's more generous than the base rules, but sessions are all the better for it.
• Conflicting obsessions: when approving Voices, favour obsessions that will get in each other's way without being completely incompatible. "Steal a rotisserie chicken" and "return the trolley to its bay" don't mix well, and that's exactly what you want. On the other hand, two obsessions that never interact make the game fall flat.

Why you should play it

• Zero prep: the rules fit on a single page, character creation takes two minutes
• 3+ players: one GM and at least two Voices
• Short sessions: between 30 minutes and one hour
• Great for beginners: no RPG experience required
• Guaranteed laughs: the players' conflicting obsessions create absurd situations

The original game is released under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence, which allows free sharing and adaptation.