The Office is a Fiasco

Ok, seriously, I'm not procrastinating from NaNoWriMo, why would you even ask that?

Anyway, Andrea and I are re-watching all of the Office on Netflix Instant Watch, and like with everything I watch, read, and think about, I've been sitting here asking myself this question - how would I play The Office?

I turned to an old standby, Fiasco, to give me my answer. Of course you could pretty much Fiasco-isize any good story, but I'm thinking for a lighter game of Fiasco and to really emphasize the GM-less nature of The Office, it's a really great combination.

Sometimes I don't want to see all of our characters face truly horrific ends in my game of Fiasco (not that I know what that would be like - this is how all our games of Fiasco end), but it's tough when you're trying to emulate movies like Blood Simple or Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels. I know there are some lighter playsets put out by Bully Pulpit as their monthly playsets, but honestly, even in the traveling rockband playset would likely end in bloody smears for each of our characters.

So now I turn to The Office (U.S.). We love the Office so much, and clearly the characters are what make the show. Characters just happen to be what makes Fiasco so excellent as well. Now you couldn't play the characters from the show, but why not select one of the other Dunder Mifflin Paper Company? Michael Scott doesn't have to be a phenomenon for the company. Hey, why not base it in your very own crappy little post-industrial town (we've got just the place!)?

I don't have anything written up as far as a playset goes, but I can definitely imagine some key things I would put on there. First off, office supplies would be tons of the objects. Relationships would be really fun to write out and see the results of. Needs would be quite excellent as well as you just need to look to the show for all the character's motivations. Like I said, the characters make the show, and it'd be an easy transfer to the game to make it a success. The more I think about it, the more I want to write up a playset (maybe with the help of Andrea and Chuck!). If we do, we'll make sure to post it.