Violence role-playing game

Violence: The Role-Playing Game of Egregious and Repulsive Bloodshed is a 32-page role-playing game written by Greg Costikyan under the pseudonym "Designer X" and published in 1999 by Hogshead Publishing as part of its New Style line. The game satirizes conventional dungeon-bashing RPGs, set in a modern metropolis where players kill occupants of buildings and steal their belongings. Its tone is user-hostile, insulting readers throughout, including the opening line, "Welcome to Violence, you degraded turd." The system allows players to buy experience points for cash from the designer or publisher. The rulebook details aspects of killing, including weapons and combat styles.

Violence was part of Hogshead Publishing's series of experimental games alongside titles like The Extraordinary Adventures of Baron Munchausen and Pantheon. In 2005, Costikyan released it under a Creative Commons license for free download. A Spanish edition also exists. Reception to the game was mixed; while it was noted for its biting satire on violence in RPGs, it was often criticized for being socially challenging. Game historian Shannon Appelcline called it "probably the least loved of the New Style games," highlighting its humor and critique of violence but questioning its playability as a standalone RPG. Another historian, Stu Horvath, described the game as grotesque and snide, though often funny, with a focus on criticizing violence in various forms of play.