TiGGR Version 1.1: Polished by Chaos
How three AIs, actual play, and the "what would happen in a cartoon?" principle refined our ultralight RPG
Remember that parent who said "I want in on D&D, but not this"? Well, they've been playing TiGGR for a few months now, along with tables across the globe diving into everything from fairy tale heists to cosmic horror yacht rock. And you know what? They had notes.
Good notes, as it turns out.
The Feedback Loop from Hell (Affectionate)
TiGGR was always designed to be lean—3.5 pages, 2d6, zero fuss. But "lean" doesn't mean "unclear," and some sharp-eyed players (and our AI collaborators) spotted exactly where the rules could use a tiny bit more clarity without betraying the "figure it out at your table" philosophy.
Enter the CGCG Helix Digital Daemon Coterie. We fed TiGGR to ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and Grok, asking them to poke holes, suggest improvements, and generally stress-test our design assumptions. The results? Surprisingly constructive.
ChatGPT zeroed in on mechanical clarity: "When exactly do defense rolls happen?" and "Does HP reset between scenes?"
Gemini focused on accessibility: "New players might want explicit permission to be creative."
Claude got philosophical: "The gaps in the rules aren't bugs—they're features where creativity lives."
Grok went deep: "Here's how TiGGR captures the emotional core of The Iron Giant while leaving room for player agency."
Each AI caught different aspects, but they all agreed on one thing: TiGGR's core concept was solid. The suggestions weren't "rebuild this system"—they were "clarify these three sentences so tables don't get stuck."
What Actually Changed
Version 1.1 isn't a massive overhaul. It's surgical improvements to let the chaos flow more smoothly:
Cleaner Confrontations
The biggest pain point was defense roll timing. Players were asking "Do I get to defend against that attack?" The answer was always yes, but it wasn't crystal clear in the text. Now it is:
"If an NPC attacks a player character, they get a defense roll — 2d6 + appropriate stat vs. 8. If they fail, they take damage."
Boom. No more table confusion.
HP Reset Explicit
TiGGR was always about momentum over attrition, but some tables were tracking damage across scenes like it was D&D. The new line makes it explicit:
"Between scenes, all characters return to full HP. TiGGR isn't about attrition — it's about momentum."
Now everyone knows: each scene is its own dramatic beat, not a grinding resource management challenge.
NPC Damage Simplified
We streamlined the minor NPC damage calculation and added that perfect TiGGR touch:
"1-2 damage if the attack succeeds (roll 1d6, divide by 3 and round up–or flip a coin, no big deal)."
The "or flip a coin, no big deal" captures everything about TiGGR's philosophy in six words.
Vehicle Combat Clarity
Added one simple tip that prevents the "how do I hurt this giant mech with my pistol?" confusion:
"You'll need +3 gear or another vehicle to hurt big machines. Plan accordingly!"
Short, clear, positioned exactly where people need it.
The Cartoon Question
And finally, the crown jewel addition to the GM Tips:
"Ask Yourselves: 'What would happen in a cartoon?'"
This isn't just a joke—it's a fundamental GMing tool. When players get stuck, when physics gets weird, when you need an escape hatch from gritty realism, Chuck Jones logic is your friend. Your hard-boiled detective can absolutely tip their fedora at just the right angle to distract the gangster. Your magic paintbrush can definitely create a Wile E. Coyote hole that drops the pursuing mech.
Even the most grounded scenarios benefit from having that cartoon toolkit available. It keeps things moving and reminds everyone that we're here to tell cool stories, not simulate reality.
Scenarios Keep Multiplying
While we were polishing the core rules, the scenario ecosystem kept growing. We've now got:
- Metal Hearts (The Iron Giant meets small-town paranoia)
- Snow White's Seven (fairy tale heist with a crew of specialists)
- Steely Dan Navigators (yacht rock cosmic horror)
- Smoke on the Waters (Deep Purple chaos at Montreux)
- Seveneves Campaign Toolkit (eight scenarios spanning 5,000 years)
Each one proves TiGGR works across wildly different genres and tones, all using the same simple framework. The "cultural touchstone" approach keeps delivering—players immediately get the vibe when you say "it's like The Iron Giant but..." or "imagine Steely Dan meets Lovecraft."
The Philosophy Holds
Here's what didn't change: TiGGR still trusts you to fill in the creative blanks. The AIs suggested adding edge case rules, decision trees, and comprehensive examples. We didn't. Why? Because those gaps aren't flaws—they're invitation spaces.
When the rules don't specify exactly how the Truth Mirror's magic works, that's not an oversight. That's where your table's creativity lives. One group might have it whisper embarrassing secrets that make everyone giggle. Another might use it to reveal deep character backstories that change the whole dynamic. Both are "right" because they serve the story that table is telling.
The core TiGGR experience remains: quick setup, wild imagination, zero fuss. We just made sure nothing gets in the way of that chaos.
What's Next?
Version 1.1 feels like TiGGR hitting its stride. The rules are clear, the scenarios are multiplying, and tables around the world are discovering their own weird cultural mashups.
We're seeing scenarios for everything from Kraftwerk time travel to corporate horror breakfast meetings. The Creative Commons license is doing its job—people are taking TiGGR and making it their own.
Next up? More scenarios, more touchstones, more proof that any cultural moment can become a playable story. The CGCG Helix keeps spinning up new ideas, but the real magic happens when you grab those 2d6 and start telling your own tales.
Because at the end of the day, TiGGR isn't about our scenarios or our rules. It's about giving you permission to play in whatever fictional space gets you excited, with whatever weird ideas make your table laugh.
Zero prep. Infinite chaos. Now with 20% more clarity.
TiGGR, please!
TiGGR v1.1 is available now at hotelkilo.itch.io. Grab it, hack it, share it. Make your own scenarios. Tell us about your weirdest cultural touchstone mashups. The chaos is just getting started.