Review: ¡Uncle Cucuy's Lucha Libre!

Uncle Cucuy's Luche Libre is an 8-page PDF billed as "The dice game of Mexican Wrestling". There's a half-page explaining the way of the luchadore, which you probably don't need if you've picked this product up. In short, you place a masked Mexican wrestler like Rey Mysterio or El Santo. It's not really a dice game, any more than other roleplaying games that use die pool mechanics can be considered "dice games", but it is a very rules-lite system.

There are three stats: Strength, Agility, and Stamina. You get a number of dice to assign to pools. When you attempt a wrestling move, you declare if using Strength or Agility for your move. Both wrestlers roll, the high roll wins, and the difference is deducted from loser's stamina. At this point I'm thinking that this sounds an awful lot like the combat mechanic in Tunnels & Trolls. Then I kept reading. The next paragraph talked about DARO - doubles add and roll over. The only place I've ever seen that term used in Tunnels & Trolls. Then automatic damage is explained, which is nearly word-for-word how Spite damage works in T&T (all 6's do damage, even if you lose the combat). Glory points work exactly the way Adventure Points work in T&T, in terms of both how they're earned and spent.

Now, I understand that you can't copyright a game system. You can only copyright the expression of the idea. But at least tip your hat in the direction of the game you're "borrowing" from and give credit for the inspiration. There's no mention of T&T or Ken St. Andre in the credits, and the author presents this as if it's all his original idea. That ticks me off, and shows no class.  The game works, but I have to give it a Bad Touch for the author being an out-and-out heel.

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