Oct 18

We Interviewed The Creators of Trust x Tension!

We had the pleasure of chatting with the creators behind the game Trust x Tension. Be sure to check it out to learn more!

1. Tell us about Trust x Tension?

Trust x Tension is a fast-paced, humorous, romantic tabletop role-playing game inspired by James Bond-style spy missions. Two players take on the roles of a spy duo—a cool Agent and a clever Operator—working together to thwart a villainous plan. However, a key twist is that the Agent and the Operator have secretly been in love with each other for a long time.

The game uses all the classic spy movie tropes but also introduces awkward, comical situations, prompting players to confess their feelings, act out jealousy scenes, or rush to save their partner at the risk of failing the mission.

Currently, this is a full-function demo project created specifically for Yaoi Jam 24. However, if the game receives enough positive feedback, we plan to expand it into a full-fledged standalone romance game.

2. How is it not a traditional TTRPG? What can fans expect?

The game's mechanics are centered around role-playing, but since there is no game master to provide context, it requires players to take a more directorial approach. Instead of deeply immersing themselves in their characters' roles, players collaboratively build and tell the tale together. Additional tension is created through Jenga-like mechanics: you make two towers of dice, and each move and turn affects their stability. If a tower falls, the mission fails, and your character will likely spend the next few years in a secret prison. But don't worry—your partner will find a way to get you out, and the adventure can continue.

3. What can boys love fans expect to see in your game?

The game is designed for people who understand and appreciate the tropes of the Yaoi genre, as well as the traditional gay social struggle. You can play along with them and are willing to step past their embarrassment to enjoy a good slow-burn boys' love story. Our playtesters initially struggled with the romantic aspect, but after about five minutes, they got into it and began flirting with each other on behalf of their characters—right in the middle of stealing secret documents from the villain's lair—blushing and giggling all the while. If you're looking for a game that can help create a romantic atmosphere with your current or potential partner (yes, you definitely can use the game as a date amusement), this could be a great choice. Just make sure they understand the charm of the Yaoi genre and have seen at least one "Mission Impossible" or Agt. 007 movie.You can also control the level of tension in the relationship between the Agent and the Operator. It could be a budding feeling they don’t fully understand yet, which pushes them to unexpected words and actions, or a long-standing love, the mutuality of which they might suspect but are too hesitant to act on—though they allow themselves to flirt and drop hints. If you want to add more drama, perhaps the Agent was married, and his wife died at the hands of villains, and now he’s afraid to start a new relationship, fearing he might endanger those he cares about. Or maybe the Operator grew up in a homophobic family and denies his feelings for another man.You know, role-playing games always have some degree of narrative freedom, and that's why we love it.

4. What inspired the art style?

Oh, thanks for noticing! Spy x Family was the main source of inspiration here, but also a few classical Yaoi mangas. In this case, we only added one illustration because our time was limited, but we tried to make it as close to the anime style as possible and chose an artist who knows how to work with anime characters. In her work, she focused on spy action films and Yaoi manga, trying to express the two main themes of the game: Yaoi and spies. And although it can’t be called a 100% hit in the manga style, we think that Lady Mitsumune did a great job.

5. Goals for your game?

The main goal is to have fun. However, the in-game goal is to complete the mission. But in reality, if you failed the mission, but laughed, were embarrassed, flirted, and had fun – then the real goal is achieved. After all, this is a game about relationships and emotions, and spies are just a theme that our game designer is into.

6. Where can folks support your game and your work?

You can support the game by purchasing it on Itch.io and leaving us a review. We need to receive feedback on our demo games because it gives us an understanding of which of them are worth developing further and which are less interesting to players. Support here!

And of course, you can subscribe to our Twitter, where we post news about all our games, including those dedicated to the boy love theme.

Just to note, in addition to Trust x Tension, on our Itch page, you can get our game about space gay zombies trying to get a lad at a Halloween party. Or a slightly more serious game about spiritual daemons trying to improve the sex life of mortal wards. We love to make games about relationships and sex in a friendly, albeit slightly humorous tone, so if you like reading about it or playing it – join us!

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