Earlier this year, I started reading the Orbital Blues RPG core book, a retro-future space western game modeled on media like Cowboy Bebop and Firefly, and this Swansong mechanic caught my interest. It. Is. Amazing.
I don’t recall seeing something like this before. As a player, there have been times I chose for a character to die for the good of the narrative, and it was a moment. Most of the time the table got quiet, the GM asked if I was sure, and all that, but this, this mechanic elevates that decision. There’s no “are you sure.” It’s baked right into the game, and the mechanic ensures that moment will be epic and properly earns the spotlight it deserves.