The Golden Maze

1–5 players
Difficulty 2 of 3
Not recommended under 18
Available in: Français, English, Español, Deutsch, Italiano

On a cult TV show, twelve contestants enter a labyrinth riddled with trials, under the eyes of millions of viewers who vote for their favorites. The corridors seem to react to applause: the more the audience cheers, the crueler the walls become.

The rulebook at a glance

d6 dice pool
5 attributes
The Applause Meter

Read the rules

Choose an adventure

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One-shot
The Golden Labyrinth: Silence Is Golden
1 session · Survival, attention and fame, manipulation, the courage to stay unnoticed, choosing between glory and freedom · most played
Cost: 1 Die for the whole table
One-shot
The Golden Labyrinth: Casting in Gold
1 session · Ambition and fake smiles, loyalty or profit, the gaze of the audience, the truth versus a beautiful lie
Cost: 1 Die for the whole table

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By @Ttez

The world

PlaceThe Spotlight HallThe golden entrance to the labyrinth, where each contestant poses for the camera. The spotlights burn too hot and stay a little lit, even when the power is cut.
PlaceThe Vote GalleryA long corridor covered in screens showing each contestant's rating. When a score drops to zero, the floor shakes and the tiles open.
PlaceThe Corridor of Canned LaughterA narrow passage where loudspeakers blast laughter and "oohs" that guide the traps. The more contestants stumble, the louder the echo grows, and the lower the ceiling sinks.
PlaceThe Eliminated' Green RoomA dark makeup room where the "eliminated" seem to be waiting for the closing credits. In the mirrors, one can sometimes see a corridor the group has not yet walked through.
FactionThe Control RoomInvisible producers, locked in sealed booths. They swear everything is under control, but they no longer hold the reins: they obey the whims of the Maze.
FactionThe Fan Club of the ForgottenFans of former contestants who have vanished. They slip hints to the players, because they want to get their idols back, now turned into walls.
FactionThe ApplaudersStudio audience in golden costumes, frozen in the bleachers. They smile, they cheer, and they change seats when no one is looking.
CharacterMaxime Valcourt, the HostA presenter with a big smile, whose voice comes out of every loudspeaker. He plays the cheerful one, but his jokes fall flat when the audience falls silent.
CharacterLola BrisardThe star contestant, adored by voters, who plays the sweet girl to perfection. Behind the scenes, she manipulates her rivals to remain the favorite.
CharacterMrs. Pélagie RouxA mature contestant, grumpy and clear-sighted, who refuses to play the game. She has understood that when the audience gets bored, the labyrinth weakens.

The rulebook

Resolving actions

Roll as many d6 as the tested attribute.
Each 5 or 6 is a success: one is needed for a routine action, 2 against a real danger, 3 for a feat.
No success and at least one 1: a fumble, and the Maze takes advantage.

Initiative : 1d6 + Agility

Attributes

Vigor VIG: Strength, endurance, resistance to shocks and brutal traps.
Agility AGI: Reflexes, running, acrobatics to dodge tiles, blades and ceilings.
Wits WIT: Observation, logic, deciphering riddles and spotting traps.
Charisme CHA: Presence, charm, and the art of pleasing the camera and handling the audience.
Composure SAN: Calm under pressure, willpower, and the ability to ignore the crowd and fear.

Special rules

The Applause Meter: When a player gets 3 or more successes with Charisma or Agility, the crowd goes wild: they gain +1 die on their next roll. In return, the next trap in the scene gets +1 to its difficulty.
Crowd Favor: Once per scene, a player can spend 1 HP to reroll all their failed dice on a roll. The audience loves a risk, but the result of the reroll is final.
The Weapon of Silence: A player who acts discreetly, without any flashy display, makes a Composure check at difficulty 2. On a success, the difficulty of the next trap is lowered by 1.
The Echo of Laughter: In the Corridor of Recorded Laughter, each mistake adds 1 to the Echo counter. At 3, the ceiling lowers: each player loses 1 HP and the counter resets to 0.
The Mirrors of the Dressing Room: In the Dressing Room of the Eliminated, a player can search a mirror with a Cunning check at difficulty 2. On a success, the Storyteller describes a danger in the next corridor, and the group gains +1 die to face it.

Character creation

Each attribute starts at 1: spread 9 extra points, up to 5 per attribute · no reroll

Origins

Casting Candidate: Selected from thousands of files. You smile at the camera by reflex and know exactly what the audience expects from you.
Former Extra: Ten years of supporting roles in the shadows of the sets. You know the tricks of productions and you spot the backstage areas.
Retrained Athlete: A broken career, a score to settle. Your body is trained, your pride less so.
Randomly Picked Spectator: You used to watch the show from your couch. Now you're on set, with every rule of the game and every cliché in mind.
Fading Influencer: Your followers are dwindling and you need a stunt to turn things around. You know how to frame a shot, charm, and work a crowd.

Vocations

Stuntman: You turn traps into acrobatic routines. Every fall is a move, every slab a springboard.
Charmer: Your smile opens doors and silences doubts. You lead both the audience and your companions by the hand.
Decoder: You read puzzles and mechanisms like a script written in advance. You see the twist coming.
Stoic: You ignore the laughter, the screams, and the spotlights. Your calm is your best weapon in the racket.
Brawny: You carry, push, and absorb hits so the others can move forward. When a wall gives way, it's you who breaks it down.

Derived values

Hit points: 6 + Vigor
Defense: 2 + Agility
Initiative: 1d6 + Agility

Starting equipment

Numbered contestant suit, more decorative than protective
Crackling earpiece that sometimes picks up applause
Flashlight with batteries provided by the production
Makeup kit with pocket mirror
Sponsored energy bar
Golden chalk for marking walls
Flashing voting bracelet displaying your popularity

Veils

Topics kept off screen: the Narrator never shows or describes them.

torture
violence against children