I’ve tried out a variation or two on the Badger + Coyote system (like Ghost + Human), so I have been excited to check out the base game and see where it all stemmed from! Check out my review of this flowing duet TTRPG and its plethora of amazing plot hooks!

Jump to: 

• Audience for Badger + Coyote
• Setting for Badger + Coyote
• Your characters in Badger + Coyote
• Mechanics for Badger + Coyote
• Overall thoughts on Badger + Coyote
• Find a copy of Badger + Coyote

Audience for Badger + Coyote

Badger + Coyote is made for two players and uses a rules lite, d6 only, system.  Each play uses a different mechanics set, but both are easy to learn and rely on comparing your d6 result to a target number (so no modifiers, particular moves, etc to track).  

The rules section is only 12 pages long, and all the character mechanics are clearly explained, broken down into perfectly sized steps and short paragraphs, and can be remembered or easily referenced.  

The game’s focus is on collaboration, so it naturally lends towards both players helping each other out.  For two adult players with XP in TTRPGs, they can jump right in, but for teams that maybe have a player totally new to TTRPGs or have a young kid playing one of the roles, I see this as being an ideal opportunity for one player to introduce someone to TTRPGs or help with learning the system. 

Content is also designed to be adjustable with plot hooks ranging from sticky situations, to more intense encounters, to magical shenanigans.  You can easily tailor this to your pair’s goals.

For all of these reasons, I would say Badger + Coyote is all-ages friendly with it being playable with a little help by most players (even young ones) and being playable without assistance so long as the individual can read for information (usually a 3rd – 4th grade reading goal in the US).

Setting for Badger + Coyote

Badger + Coyote is set in the wilds, which could be out in the woods or straying into Miss Hollowtail’s garden, and revolves around exploration, survival, and protecting your home.  

For this section, I’m going to focus mainly on the 40 plot hooks that come with the game since those give a great idea of how far this game’s setting can shift and span while still being about a badger and a coyote. 

These sparks for stories are sometimes very dramatic or a little silly and give players opportunities to take on adventures that help other creatures in real-world type problems, tangle with more fantastical elements, or just get up to mischief.  Some of our favorites included: 

#10 – In the Heat of the Moment (stop a forest fire)

#20 – A Darkening Glade (investigating shadowy creatures)

#28 – Tricky Treats (curing cursed squirrels)

#40 – Timber Terror (figuring out what’s up with the animated trees)

These hooks leave mysteries open for you to conclude as you see fit and pose players with questions to help fill in the scene or start a conversation.  They also typically don’t have a true villain, pointing out that actions may be caused by something as simple as a creature being hungry or ill in some way.   

Every single hook was enticing in some way, and they all clearly had a way of showing how to bring excitement from the mundane or were challenging players to take on monumental tasks that still had feasible ways forward.  They’re great for problem solving… and they all require both players… 

Your characters in Badger + Coyote

Speaking of both players… Badger + Coyote is a duet game, so you’ll have two players each controlling one character, the Badger or the Coyote.  

These characters have totally different skill sets AND totally different mechanical systems, making it clear how each one will move the story forward in separate ways while also highlighting the need for collaboration. 

I’ll get into mechanics in the next section, so, for here, I’ll cover some broad strokes on the characters’ personalities. 

Badger is kind of a hard working, persistent, and consistent character who is going to usually keep their head down and stay out of trouble.  Their strengths are going to be in keeping things on track and making sure the team has what’s needed to survive, but… they aren’t great at socializing and working with others beyond the pair. 

That’s where Coyote comes in!

Coyote is adaptable, flexible, resourceful, and is a bit more fluid, shifting between survival/hunting mode and social mode.  They can communicate with NPC critters, diffusing or escalating social encounters or handle when action is needed, but… they can sometimes get a bit too social or too aggressive, depending on the situation.  

So that’s where Badger can give balance!

And the cycle goes on between them, making sure they can coexist with the environment and other creatures, stay safe, get food, and have a bit of fun at the same time. 

Mechanics for Badger + Coyote

I mentioned that Badger + Coyote has a different mechanics set for each character, and I think this was such a clever way to build the game without making it too complicated.  

Badger uses a d6 dice pool that gains dice depending on how they apply skills (like digging or sniffing), if they include one of their traits in the action (like being focused… or grumpy), and if Coyote is helping them out.   You roll all your dice, compare the highest number to a results chart, and… that tells you how the story shifts based on your actions! 

Coyote rolls 1d6 and compares it to their target number, chosen at the start of the game.  Rolling under, over, or exactly on your number tells you if you succeed/fail at hunting or socializing and if you get a bonus.  This target number can shift throughout the game as you wager failures with flexibility, but it’s still the same comparison scheme.

And that’s that!  Both systems are rules lite but unique and give a VERY representation of the skills of both characters.  Badger’s system is very consistent and relies on the same skills or seeking help each time with a high rate of success if they’re clever about building their dice pool.  Meanwhile Coyote’s chances of success are lower but can choose to shift up and down the number scale, changing as the story does while also showing why the consistent Badger can be such a help to Coyote.

It’s a fun and uncomplicated way to distinguish between the two and the different sets of mechanics are balanced enough with each other that each side feels like they have a meaningful contribution to the story.

Overall thoughts on Badger + Coyote

Badger + Coyote is a welcoming system that promotes teamwork and gives opportunities for some cozy (but still exciting) stories.  For me, it’s the right length, complication level, and vibe for where I’m at most days, and it’s something that I can play with just kiddo and me or with my partner or a friend without having to adjust things down from what is normally a 3-5 player game.  I enjoyed getting to check this out, and I hope you do too!

Find a copy of Badger + Coyote

You can find a copy of Badger + Coyote through Pandion Games here!

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