What is a Freeform?

A freeform is an interactive roleplaying game in which all the players are characters with their own goals, abilities and even secrets. It is similar to murder-mystery events except there are no actors and spectators - everyone is a participant interacting with everyone else in creating the unfolding stories. It's like becoming a character in a book or film, but without any script to follow; you have a certain background and motivations in playing your character, but you also have free will as to how to act.

If you have ever played one of the "How to Host a Murder Mystery Party" boxed games, you will have some idea. A true freeform is an extension of this idea, but there are many kinds of plots possible, not just murder mysteries. People scheme, search for treasure, look for romance, quest for justice, seek power. Generally, there are minimal rules, and most if not all interactions are between the characters, rather than between character and GM.

Our aim in writing Once Upon a Time in Tombstone has been to create an intricately-plotted, multi-player game emphasizing the atmosphere of the genre. We have enjoyed and hoped to emulate the spirit of games such as Cafe Casablanca, The King's Musketeers, 1897 - Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee, Torch of Freedom, and Siege of Troy.

But the definition of what a freeform has been hotly debated for as long as they've existed. Some other useful definitions have been written, so you might want to have a look at: