GM moves

Your agendas are your goals, and your principles are the paths you take to achieve your goals. Your moves, then, are the things you actually say during the game to fill in what happens next. They’re individual steps you take towards your goal.

Often, it’s enough to let the players tell you what they do and focus on any moves they trigger along the way. If they roll a hit, the moves usually tell you what happens next. But sometimes that’s not enough: when they roll a miss, and you have to make a hard move; when no one’s triggering any moves, and they’re all looking at you expectantly; or when you just think that you should make a move as a follow-up to something that happens.

Soft vs Hard Moves
Whether a move is harder or softer is about how much, and how directly, it changes the fiction.

Softer moves set the stage for harder moves in the future, and can be dealt with, stopped, and undermined before they lead to a harder move. Harder moves change the fiction immediately and importantly, and can’t be stopped.

As GM, you decide how hard or soft to make any given move. Keep in mind your agendas and principles, though. If you’re hitting with hard moves all the time, chances are you’re not being a fan of the PCs. If you’re using soft moves all the time, then you’re not making your threats real.

Soft Move Examples "You show up back at your base, but something’s oﬀ. The door isn’t locked, and the lights inside are ﬂickering. You look around, but you don’t see anyone. What do you do?""When you arrive at home, your mom is sitting in her armchair, waiting for you. The TV’s on, showing your recent exploits. She’s not watching though—her eyes are locked on you. She says, “Well? Any words to explain your behavior?'" Hard Move Examples "You show up back at your base, but something’s oﬀ. The door isn’t locked, and the lights inside are ﬂickering. Suddenly, in a blur of motion, Shell comes hurtling out of the base and punches you in the chest. Take a powerful blow, and then…what do you do?""When you arrive at home, your mom is sitting in her armchair, waiting for you. The TV’s on, showing your recent exploits. She’s not watching though—her eyes are locked on you. She says, “I’m ashamed of your behavior tonight. You didn’t act like a hero— you acted like a thug.” She’s shifting your Savior down and your Danger up. What do you do?"

Moves

 * Inflict a Condition
 * Take Influence Over Someone
 * Bring Them Together
 * Capture Someone
 * Endanger Innocents
 * Show Collateral Damage
 * Reveal the Future
 * Announce Between-Panel Threats
 * Make Them Pay For Victory
 * Turn Their Move Back On Them
 * Show Consequences and Ask
 * Tell Them Who They Are or Should Be
 * Bring NPCs to Rash Decisions
 * Activate Downsides of Heroing
 * Make a Playbook Move
 * Make a Villain Move