TEXT: THE ANALOG
  PLAYING
  Play the Analog if you want to animate 
  electrical or mechanical devices and 
  experiment with different identities and 
  Labels. The Analog is aware of the various 
  expectations and Labels placed on them; they 
  use Labels to define themselves.
  The Analog’s starting Traits are Curious and 
  Eccentric. You may replace either of these 
  Traits, if you wish. 
  Starting QuEstions:
  •  Where does the drive and willingness to try on the 
       Labels and expectations others put upon you 
       come from? 
  •  Why did you choose the fear that you did?
  •  Which player character do you identify with the 
       most? Why do you seek to emulate or interact 
       with them?
  •  After you receive Labels from all the other player 
       characters, write down a Repressed Undesirable 
       Trait based on a Label of your choice.
  
  TRAITS +
  • Eccentric
  • Curious
  LABELS +
  IDENTITY
  AGE (12-16):
  EYES: gunmetal eyes, assessing eyes, wandering eyes, astute eyes, _____ 
  LOOK:  awkward, dismissive, expressive, ______________________________ 
  FEAR:  Identity, alienation, ___________________________________________
  NAME:   Ayden, Jules, Li, 
  Jackson, Heitor, Evie, Malak, 
  Eissa, Aiko, ________________________
  DISTRESS
  OVERFLOW
  DESIRABLE
  UNDESIRABLE
  REPRESSED TRAITS
  Choose any two moves:
  BLANK SLATE
  Once per session, when you 
  interact 
  another 
  player 
  character via a move, you may 
  choose one move from their 
  playbook and add it to your own, 
  temporarily. When you trigger 
  the move, either erase it or 
  replace this move with it, forever. 
  CONDUIT
  When 
  you 
  interact 
  with 
  something 
  electronic 
  or 
  mechanical, roll. On a 6, choose 3. 
  On a 4/5, choose 2: 
  • It is autonomous and
  self-powered until the end
  of a session (instead of just
  the initial interaction).
  • It would fight to protect
  you, if necessary.
  • You transfer a Label to it for
            as long as it is autonomous, 
            which gives it 1 armor 
    (max 2). 
  REFELCTED IN mIRRORS
  When you use a Label acquired in 
  the current session to inform how 
  you appear when Overflowing, 
  take +1 forward.
  BUILT FOR THIS
  When you Overflow, you add your 
  N.O level to your harm track.
  Punk
  When you shape the world, you 
  have the option of asking the MC 
  what the adult world expects of 
  you. Add a temporary Label to 
  represent it. When you subvert 
  that expectation, mark XP and 
  erase the Label. If you embrace it, 
  mark the Label as permanent.
  TELL mE
  When you get a Label, clear 
  1 Distress or take +1 Forward.
  When you fail, or when you internalize 
  how you choose to grow up, mark XP
  (Cross out/mark Advancements as you take them)
  • Change or add a Trait [max 3] [] [] []
  • Change or Add a Desirable Repressed Trait [max 3] [] [] []
  • Take another Analog move [] []
  • Take a move from another playbook
  • Make a new move for your playbook with the MC [] []
  ROom
  Your Room is an expression of 
  yourself. As you grow and change 
  in the fiction, write down some 
  things 
  in 
  your 
  Room 
  which 
  express what you’re like and who 
  you are.
  
  THE ANCHOR
  PLAYING
  The Anchor is coping with the absence of 
  someone who was meaningful to them by 
  attempting to fill their shoes. They 
  overcompensate for their loss by being 
  protective of the people they still have.
  The Anchor’s starting Traits are Cynical 
  and Unassertive. You may replace either of 
  these Traits, if you wish. 
  Starting QuEstions:
  •  What physical object do you keep as a 
       reminder of the person no longer in your life? 
  •  Why did you choose the fear that you did?
  •  Which player character do you feel the most 
       protective of and why? How do they feel about 
       that?
  •  Which of your Undesirable Repressed Traits was 
       the same or similar to a trait of the person no 
       longer in your life?
  
  TRAITS +
  • Unassertive
  • Cynical
  LABELS +
  IDENTITY
  EYES: sad eyes, distant eyes, complacent eyes, fearful eyes, ____________
  AGE (12-16):
  LOOK:  indignant, delicate, responsible, _______________________________
  FEAR:   inadequacy, immaturity, ______________________________________
  NAME:   Naota, Ava, Luiz, 
  Kaviera, Lotte, Fleur, Ines, Veeti, 
  Mohamed, _________________________
  DISTRESS
  OVERFLOW
  DESIRABLE
  UNDESIRABLE
  REPRESSED TRAITS
  You begin with Surrogate and choose one more:
  surrogatE
  Create a temporary Trait that 
  personifies what you admire 
  about the person no longer in 
  your life (you detail why). When 
  you Overflow, you gain access to 
  this Trait. When you look up to 
  someone else, change the Trait.
  try harD
  You may appear in a scene where 
  another character is in danger by 
  creating 
  a 
  new 
  Undesirable 
  Repressed 
  Trait 
  and 
  either 
  erasing 2 unspent XP or erasing 
  a Trait.
  maD hEart
  When you would take distress or 
  harm, you may convert all of it 
  into 
  a 
  single 
  Undesirable 
  Repressed 
  Trait. 
  When 
  you 
  accrue 3 Undesirable Repressed 
  Traits, you must Overflow. 
  sOur onEs
  When you get into a conflict with 
  another character, you may assign 
  them your fear as a Label. 
  Describe how they embody your 
  fear. If you conquer your fear 
  during the conflict, mark XP. 
  Otherwise, Erase 1 XP. Write a 
  new fear when the current one is 
  resolved.
  guarDian
  When you take Distress or Harm 
  meant for someone else, mark XP.
  whErE is my minD—
  Once per game, when you give a 
  character a Label, you may also 
  transfer 
  an 
  Undesirable 
  Repressed Trait to them. The Trait 
  returns to you if it is not released 
  by the end of the session. 
  When you fail, or when you internalize 
  how you choose to grow up, mark XP
  (Cross out/mark Advancements as you take them)
  • Change or add a Trait [max 3] [] [] []
  • Change or Add a Desirable Repressed Trait [max 3] [] [] [] 
  • Take another Anchor move [] []
  • Take a move from another playbook
  • Make a new move for your playbook with the MC [] []
  ROom
  Your Room is an expression of 
  yourself. As you grow and change 
  in the fiction, write down some 
  things 
  in 
  your 
  Room 
  which 
  express what you’re like and who 
  you are.
  
  THE BoUND
  PLAYING
  The Bound puts their mission first above all else.
  Their mission is represented by something subjective: a 
  label—something they’ve given themselves. The mission 
  malleable, but fundamental, to their identity. 
  There is an implied othering of the Bound (depending on 
  the moves they choose), suggesting the mission might 
  alienate them from others. However, the Bound gets to 
  decide if they’re a literal alien or simply feel alienated. 
  Their mission also begs the question: what could be that 
  important?
  The Bound’s starting Traits are Selfish and
  Obsessed. You may replace either of these Traits, 
  if you wish. 
  Starting QuEstions:
  • What are you avoiding in your life while you
  prioritize your mission?
  • Why did you choose the fear that you did?
  • How can someone looking at you tell that your
  mission is important to you? And/Or: Do you wear
  anything that embodies your mission?
  • In the past, you overcame something that got
  between you and your mission: What happened?
  Create an Undesirable Repressed Trait based on
  those events.
  
  TRAITS +
  • Selfish
  • Obsessed
  LABELS +
  IDENTITY
  EYES: unnatural eyes, vicious eyes, impossible eyes, knowing eyes, _____
  AGE (12-16):
  LOOK:  capricious, alien, tireless, _____________________________________
  FEAR:  abandonment, failure, ________________________________________
  NAME:  Felix, Myra, Lily, Emir, 
  Alvaro, Malia, Enzo, Finn, 
  Haruhara, _________________________
  DISTRESS
  OVERFLOW
  DESIRABLE
  UNDESIRABLE
  REPRESSED TRAITS
  You begin with Mission and choose one more:
  mISSIoN
  You have a secret agenda (Circle 
  1 or make your own): searching 
  for a past love, power, family, the 
  destruction of something in town, 
  the rescue of someone important 
  to you,
  _______________________________
  _______________________________
  Create a Label that symbolizes 
  this pursuit. 
  Other than the completion of 
  your mission, the Label is all but 
  impossible to change (otherwise 
  it functions as a normal Label). 
  ROUnD 1
  When you're Overflowing and 
  confront someone standing in the 
  way of you and your mission, 
  your N.O level increases by 1 for 
  the duration of the conflict.
  ON TARGET
  When you prioritize your mission 
  over the needs of someone you 
  care about, mark XP.
  EARtH ADJACENT
  When you Reject Conformity while 
  embracing 
  your 
  otherness 
  or 
  peculiarity, you take +1 Forward. 
  FREEDOM
  You have a voguish ride that is 
  alien in some way upon a deeper 
  inspection (you detail). When you 
  drive it, you choose which Labels 
  apply to you (passengers are 
  unaffected).
  COUNTERFORCE
  When you abandon your current 
  mission in pursuit of a new one, 
  turn your mission Label into a 
  Repressed 
  Trait 
  (you 
  choose 
  which category) and create a new 
  Label. 
  When you fail, or when you internalize 
  how you choose to grow up, mark XP
  (Cross out/mark Advancements as you take them)
  • Change or add a Trait [max 3] [] [] []
  • Change or Add a Desirable Repressed Trait [max 3] [] [] [] 
  • Take another Bound move [] []
  • Take a move from another playbook
  • Make a new move for your playbook with the MC [] []
  ROom
  Your Room is an expression of 
  yourself. As you grow and change 
  in the fiction, write down some 
  things 
  in 
  your 
  Room 
  which 
  express what you’re like and who 
  you are.
  
  THE CONTAINED
  PLAYING
  The Contained explores the repression of emotions
  both a source of empowerment and harm for themselves 
  and others. The player decides the reason for repressing 
  emotion.
  Most of the Contained’s moves focus on exploring this idea. 
  However, the player can always take moves from other 
  playbooks to further define the character beyond this 
  initial exploration. 
  Note: The Contained can contain heavy subject 
  matter. When choosing playbooks, players should 
  discuss whether emotional repression is something 
  they want to explore in the game. 
  The Contained’s starting Traits are Stubborn and
  Sensitive. You may replace either of these Traits, if 
  you wish.
  Starting QuEstions:
  • Did you learn to repress emotions from someone in
  your life? If so, do you look up to them?
  • Who in your life does not emulate this behavior, and
  how do you feel about them?
  • Why did you choose the fear that you did?
  
  TRAITS +
  • Sensitive
  • Stubborn
  LABELS +
  IDENTITY
  EYES: expressive eyes, rigid eyes, bizarre eyes, quiet eyes, angry eyes
  AGE (12-16):
  LOOK:  vivid, explicit, gauche, _______________________________________
  FEAR:  betrayal, vulnerability, _______________________________________
  NAME:  Cormac, Fia, Helio, Pilar, 
  Toril, Kaoru, Ritsuko, Sentaro, 
  ______________________________________
  DISTRESS
  OVERFLOW
  DESIRABLE
  UNDESIRABLE
  REPRESSED TRAITS
  You begin with Shut Down and choose one more:
  Shut DoWN
  Decide which emotion you have 
  repressed and why. Write it as a 
  Repressed Trait (you decide if it 
  is Desirable or Undesirable). If 
  Desirable: You don’t mark XP 
  when you internalize how to 
  grow up. If Undesirable: inflicted 
  Distress or Harm always does 
  1 less. 
  You may add another repressed 
  emotion at the start of the next 
  session if you so choose.
  REACH OUT
  When you try to express a 
  repressed emotion, roll. On a 6, 
  you can either shift it from 
  Undesirable to Desirable, vice 
  versa, or cross it off entirely. On a 
  4/5, the same, but you come 
  across poorly, embarrassingly, or 
  awkwardly. On a miss, the MC 
  chooses 
  options 
  from 
  Struck 
  Down as though you rolled a 6.
  PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS
  When you try to express a 
  repressed emotion, no matter the 
  outcome, mark XP at the end of 
  the session.
  SELF-EXPRESSION
  When you Overflow, you may also 
  trigger Reach Out (if you have 
  it) and take +1 Forward if you do.
  WOUND TIGHT
  When you repress an emotion, you 
  cause 1 additional Distress or 
  harm 
  (as 
  applicable) 
  per 
  emotion— whether you intend to 
  or not.
  BREAK THE DAM
  When someone else expresses an 
  emotion that you have repressed 
  and you try to reciprocate with 
  any 
  move, 
  add an additional 
  die to your pool.
  When you fail, or when you internalize 
  how you choose to grow up, mark XP
  (Cross out/mark Advancements as you take them)
  • Change or add a Trait [max 3] [] [] []
  • Change or Add a Desirable Repressed Trait [max 3] [] [] []
  • Take another Contained move [] []
  • Take a move from another playbook
  • Make a new move for your playbook with the MC [] []
  ROom
  Your Room is an expression of 
  yourself. As you grow and change 
  in the fiction, write down some 
  things 
  in 
  your 
  Room 
  which 
  express what you’re like and who 
  you are.
  
  THE PERIPHERAL
  PLAYING
  The Peripheral can temporarily “lock out” the
  world by listening to music, removing themselves from 
  possible consequences (like taking Distress). However, 
  they still have to deal with consequences later. It’s a 
  tradeoff that can be utilized in creative ways.
  The Peripheral can also fade into the background and 
  empathize with others from afar.
  The Peripheral’s starting Trait is Insular. You may 
  replace either of these Traits, if you wish.
  Starting QuEstions:
  • What type of music do you listen to? Make a new Trait
  alongside Insular which represents that aspect of your
  personality.
  • You shut out the world because of a repressed
  memory. Create an Undesirable Repressed Trait to
  represent this memory. You may choose to keep it to
  yourself, or share it eventually with the Fast-Forward
  move.
  • Someone else also shuts out the world, although they
  use a different coping mechanism. Who are they, how
  do they shut out the world, and what is the coping
  mechanism?
  • Why did you choose the fear that you did?
  
  TRAITS +
  • Insular
  LABELS +
  IDENTITY
  EYES: compact eyes, mini eyes, vinyl eyes, cassette eyes, diamond eyes
  AGE (12-16):
  LOOK: isolated, blithe, innocuous, _____________________________________
  FEAR: intimacy, rejection, ____________________________________________
  NAME:  Ivar, Lilou, Paloma, 
  Soledad, Lars, Versha, Lei, Laszlo, 
  Hidomi, ____________________________
  DISTRESS
  OVERFLOW
  DESIRABLE
  UNDESIRABLE
  REPRESSED TRAITS
  You begin with Pause and choose one more:
  PAUSE
  You always carry an item that 
  lets you to shut out the world 
  with music. When you put it on, 
  you do not mark Distress (though 
  your ability to trigger some 
  moves 
  may 
  be 
  hampered). 
  Instead, give yourself a Label 
  that abstracts the Distress. 
  If you remove the item and you 
  have enough Distress to make 
  you Overflow, you immediately 
  do so.
  INFo
  When you study someone from a 
  distance, roll. On a 6, ask the 
  player 2 questions from the 
  list below. On a 4/5, ask 1:
  • What do you wish you could
  tell someone?
  • What song defines you, and
  why?
  • How is your overall
  wellbeing right now?
  Take +1 Forward when acting 
  on the answers.
  FAST-FORWARD
  Once per session, when you dream 
  with your item on, some of your 
  repressed memories come back in 
  fragments. You Shape the World, 
  connecting the detail to a memory 
  that surfaces (you detail).
  REWIND
  Once per session, when you roll 
  and dislike the outcome, you may 
  erase 3 XP to either re-roll the 
  same move or try a different 
  approach (which may or may not 
  trigger a different move).
  PLAY
  When you let someone else use 
  your item, they may ask you any 
  one 
  question. 
  If 
  you 
  answer 
  truthfully, both of you remove 
  1 Distress.
  SHUFFLE
  Once per session you may swap 
  places with someone who has 
  previously given you a Label.
  When you fail, or when you internalize 
  how you choose to grow up, mark XP
  (Cross out/mark Advancements as you take them)
  • Change or add a Trait [max 3] [] [] []
  • Change or Add a Desirable Repressed Trait [max 3] [] [] []
  • Take another Peripheral move [] []
  • Take a move from another playbook
  • Make a new move for your playbook with the MC [] []
  ROom
  Your Room is an expression of 
  yourself. As you grow and change 
  in the fiction, write down some 
  things 
  in 
  your 
  Room 
  which 
  express what you’re like and who 
  you are.
  
  THE PROXY
  PLAYING
  The Proxy had a relationship with someone who is
  now gone. They project their lingering feelings onto 
  somebody else. The Proxy explores how they may get past 
  that loss and achieve some form of catharsis. 
  The Proxy is a more transgressive playbook, as they 
  interact with aspects of the adult world, embrace and 
  indulge in hidden pleasures, and grow from intimacy. 
  The Proxy’s starting Traits are Tolerant and
  Audacious. You may replace either of these Traits, 
  if you wish. 
  Starting QuEstions:
  • Which other player character(s) know the particulars
  of this previous relationship? Are you keeping
  anything from them?
  • Create an Undesirable Repressed Trait related to
  projecting your previous relationship onto someone
  else. Are you aware of your behavior?
  • Only the person who left knows about the source of
  your inner turmoil—what is that turmoil? Create a
  Repressed Trait symbolizing your inner most feelings
  about it. You decide if it’s Desirable or Undesirable.
  • Why did you choose the fear that you did?
  
  TRAITS +
  • Audacious
  • Tolerant
  LABELS +
  IDENTITY
  EYES: despondent eyes, wise eyes, big eyes, intense eyes, prying eyes
  AGE (12-16):
  LOOK:  immature, clumsy, impulsive, dejected, ________________________
  FEAR:  emotional connections, relationships, __________________________
  NAME:  Leon, Ahmet, Kit, Moss, 
  North, Bee, Caia, lake, Mamimi, 
  ___________________________________
  DISTRESS
  OVERFLOW
  DESIRABLE
  UNDESIRABLE
  REPRESSED TRAITS
  You begin with Substitute and choose one more:
  SUBSTITUTE
  You were in a relationship with 
  someone who recently left. When 
  you project this relationship onto 
  someone else, give them a Label 
  to represent it. They can have 
  you appear where they are at any 
  time. You may move the Label to 
  anyone else at the start of a 
  session.
  SECRET HEART
  You have a hidden source of 
  comfort in your substitute. When 
  you would Overflow and you’re 
  near them, choose one: delay 
  your Overflow or clear 1 Distress.
  BITTER oNES
  Once per session, when you share 
  an 
  intimate 
  physical 
  or 
  emotional moment with your 
  substitute, mark XP. 
  REMEmBER
  Create two Labels that may not be 
  altered by anybody but you. These 
  Labels are tied to your perception 
  of how the person who left saw 
  you. When either label is tagged, 
  you Overflow and mark XP.
  SMOKE THAT SPREADS
  When you embrace or indulge in a 
  symbol of the adult world, erase 1 
  XP and Hold 1. Spend the Hold 1 
  for 1 to bump up a move result to a 
  10+.  HOLD: 
  CATHARSIS
  When you Overflow, you may 
  choose 
  to 
  release 
  a 
  hidden 
  Repressed Trait symbolizing your 
  unresolved feelings for the person 
  who left. If you defeat a Threat 
  embodying this Trait, change to a 
  different playbook.
  When you fail, or when you internalize 
  how you choose to grow up, mark XP
  (Cross out/mark Advancements as you take them)
  • Change or add a Trait [max 3] [] [] []
  • Change or Add a Desirable Repressed Trait [max 3] [] [] []
  • Take another Proxy move [] []
  • Take a move from another playbook
  • Make a new move for your playbook with the MC [] []
  ROom
  Your Room is an expression of 
  yourself. As you grow and change 
  in the fiction, write down some 
  things 
  in 
  your 
  Room 
  which 
  express what you’re like and who 
  you are.
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Never Knows Best/Never Knows Best Playbooks.pdf