Tabletop RPG · since 2011 · #97 most discussed

Microscope

Players jointly build and explore a long history of an invented world, jumping between eras and zooming into key moments.

GM-lessWorldbuildingGM-lessdicelesssafety tools built inShort arcsNo GM

7.2

Geek rating

From 28 firsthand play reports in 5 r/rpg threads. The threads alone average 7.9.

Player rating— / 10

No visitor ratings yet.

Discussion5.4 / 10

91 r/rpg posts named it, October 2023 to October 2026.

Rules weight

Light. Hype 3.0 for its age.

Have you played it?

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What players say

At the table

Most firsthand reports here come from groups using Microscope to build a shared setting before running a campaign in it. Players mostly call it fun and memorable. The most common complaint is the Scene mechanic.

What works

Building the world together means every player knows and cares about the lore. One group generated a solar system for a LANCER campaign, and players arrived already invested. (thread)
Player-invented ideas became pivotal in later play. One group has used the same timeline for about two dozen rulesets. (thread)
Small time scales work. A year-long epilogue with one period per month went well, according to a friend's account. (thread)
It worked for self-described uncreative players, and groups still talk about their worlds years later. (thread)
The earlier periods give rich context for the era a campaign is set in. (thread)

What tables struggle with

Scenes feel jarring. Players jump from planning into improv with no warmup, and scenes end abruptly once the question is answered. (thread)
Some groups found scenes to be no-stakes roleplay when they wanted big-picture worldbuilding, and one dropped them. (thread)
A very long era can connect to the campaign only through its final period. The game is also a poor fit for intimate, character-level stories and party building. (thread)
The GM gives up control of the world, and anything they introduce can be changed or killed off by other players. (thread)
Characters and lore are hard to track as the history grows, and some groups found Legacies confusing. (thread)

Who it suits

Groups that want a shared setting and history before starting a campaign.
GMs who are happy to treat it as a game to play and not as a way to steer the world.
It suits groups looking for personal character stories or party building less well.

In players' words

"We had more fun playing Microscope to build the setting than we did playing Fate to run the game." (thread)
"The worldbuilding went great, but it made such a long era that it couldn't have much relation with the actual campaign except the final period." (thread)

The threads behind it

Each thread is rated for the play it describes, from the firsthand reports in it. Load one here or read it on Reddit.

8.3

Tell me about your campaigns in Microscope-generated worlds

People who played Microscope to build a campaign world mostly loved it. Several said it was among their best campaigns, and one group said it was more fun than the Fate game it fed. The recurring weak spot is the scene mechanic, which some groups found awkward or dropped. 10 firsthand · 18 comments

Open on Reddit

7.5

The seminal history-making game Microscope by Ben Robbins is now Kickstarting a more-accessible 2nd Edition

Players of the original Microscope mostly describe a fun, memorable collaborative world-building game, with groups still talking about their worlds years later. The recurring complaint is the Scene mechanic, which feels jarring, abrupt and high-effort. The thread is mainly about the 2nd edition Kickstarter, but the reports used here come from play of the original game. 8 firsthand · 48 comments

Open on Reddit

7.5

Using Microscope to build a campaign setting - questions

Players who have used Microscope report that it works well for building a setting's history and flavor, and the original poster said the worldbuilding for their Root RPG campaign 'went great'. The recurring problem is scope: the eras are so grand that they barely connect to the actual campaign or to individual characters, so people suggest other games for party building. Much of the thread is about other games (Decuma, Fate, Kingdom, Microscope: Chronicle), and those were ignored. 4 firsthand · 11 comments

Open on Reddit

7.5

Microscope for shorter time periods

The thread is a planning question about using Microscope to build a Masks campaign setting. The few firsthand reports are positive: the OP enjoyed a prior game, one commenter used it at small scale to build a setting, and a second-hand account says a year-long epilogue with monthly periods worked well. Most comments are untested design advice, such as putting years on the start and end periods. 3 firsthand · 12 comments

Open on Reddit

8.0

Using systems like Microscope or Kingdom to collaboratively flesh out existing worldbuilding?

The thread is mostly advice about using Microscope (and Kingdom) to build setting material, and only a few commenters describe actually playing Microscope. Those who did report it was fun and left players invested in the setting, with the warning that you have to give up control of the world. 3 firsthand · 16 comments

Open on Reddit