I think I’ve mentioned before that I was thinking about designing a game somewhat similar to Raspberry Heaven, but specifically based on maximum random zaniness. (So its main inspirations would be Pani Poni Dash and Sayonara Zetsubou-sensei instead). For whatever reason I wound up starting working on it, and it’s tentatively called “Dandelion Complex” (or “Tampopo Complex” in the imaginary Japanese version). It’s still very referential Engrish, but much more subtly so this time. So far the game is looking like a mashup of Maid RPG, Teenagers From Outer Space, and just a tiny bit of Best Friends. If I ever get both games to where I’m fully satisfied with them, I’ll probably put them in one book, though I have no idea what I’d call that book.

Anyway, in Dandelion Complex each player has up to three schoolgirl characters, and the GM is the Teacher. Players have tokens to spend on various things, including random events. The game is divided into “lessons,” in which the Topic, Setting, and Cast (which schoolgirls, if there are multiple per player) are determined by a mixture of the Teacher picking, players spending tokens, and random rolls. Both random events and the teacher deciding it should be so can require schoolgirls to do “Tests,” comparing attribute levels (1-4) to difficulty numbers, and they can spend tokens to make up the difference if need be, but doing too well on something brings out the Unintended Consequences tables.

I’ve been poking at Raspberry Heaven itself too. The main thing I’ve decided is to make it so that characters accumulate “Likes” rather than simply increasing bond levels, and (1) the total number of Likes is what determines how effective you are at helping, and (2) you can help even better if you have a Like related to the task at hand.

But mostly, I need to get through finals week before I worry too much about that kind of stuff.