A word from the author
The Name of God was born in 2013 as an entry to that year’s 200 Words RPG Challenge. My game was inspired by that challenge’s specific restrictions, by the urban-fantasy novels of Neil Gaiman (Neverwhere, American Gods, Anansi Boys), by The Prodigy’s song Narayan (which more or less means “The Name of God”) and by my undying love for the traditional rpg Unknown Armies.
In 2016 it got Kickstarted, developing the original 1-page print-&-play micro-game into a professional deck of cards/tarots with 15 guest contributions and a ton of artwork.
In 2019 thanks to Patreon supporters the rules were further updated and expanded into a deeper version, accounting for years of feedback and actual play.
In 2026 I am releasing the game as the free SRD you are reading now, with wholly refreshed text for better English and fewer typos. I hope you’ll enjoy it. A special THANK YOU goes to all those that supported this game and my design efforts up to this day 
Why Deeper?
The original rules for The Name of God were written under very specific and stringent space limitations. Its kickstarted version added new artwork and fetishes (character archetypes) but was still constrained to the “card” format. This document is a rewriting that benefits from no space limitations (finally!) and a few years of feedback from players all around the world: it addresses questions and doubts, expands the player count, offers clarifications and examples, and more.
To play the game you need a deck of Fetish cards!
In this SRD you will find the four original ones from 2013, but there are more than 20 available in the commercial PDF version of the game, crafted by an amazing all-women team of 15 guest designers and evocatively illustrated by Julia Roth.
The Setting
Original Card Text
You are God.
Well, you are a God.
Actually, you are a small God.
You forgot your true name and are stuck among mortals, without power, wealth or even a roof over your head. You are an outcast in a big modern city. But not all is lost…
This short text is the cornerstone for the game’s setting and tone. Let’s unpack it.
- The game is set in the real world.
Magic and the supernatural don’t exist. People don’t believe in monsters and legends, and even the most spiritual and faithful individuals will recoil at the notion that anything actually mystical could happen in real life. That would be crazy, right?
- The game is set in a big metropolis.
This is important to reinforce the first point. The story will not take place in some backwater place, among superstitious people, in isolation from the trappings of modern society. Instead, there are a lot of people around you leading normal lives, with their dreams and fears, friends and families, jobs, cars, mortgages, connections. No one is truly alone, although they might feel so when life gets tough.
- You are different.
Your character, your Fetish, exists in stark contrast with the previous elements.
You know that you are a God, but you have nothing to show for it: no powers, no magic, nothing. You just know, and that’s all you’ve got. And all the things those other people have? You don’t have them: no money, no family, no fixed domicile, no meaningful job.
There is only one clear way to reverse your luck, to elevate yourself and get out of this miserable and unjust condition…
Character Creation
Original Card Text
Get 2 or 3 friends and pick one Fetish each.
Answer the questions, ask more questions, ask for explanations, be curious.
Each player will control a unique Fetish, a homeless person living at the fringes of society, a living embodiment of an idea or symbol, a weirdo enacting strange rituals in hopes of remembering fragments of their divine name.
To create their Fetish every player picks one card from the deck, no doubles allowed. Each fetish presents four elements:
- Its name/title
- Its artwork
- Instructions to be performed immediately “When you pick this fetish”, prompting the player to say three things about the character. One is standard, asking for a name. The others are meant to both evoke and provoke ideas about their identity and nature.
- Instructions to be performed during play “When you perform a ritual action”, prompts the player to somehow (re)frame whatever is going on as a meaningful and powerful incantation.
When choosing your Fetish just go for the whose name, art, questions and ritual somehow pick your curiosity, interest and imagination. Or choose one that feels like the biggest challenge: no idea how to play this Fetish? Run with it and see what happens in active play! Or let fate surprise you and pick a random card from the deck. That works surprisingly well too.
Once a Fetish has been selected their player must publicly answer its prompts: say this, say that, say this other thing. There are no right or wrong answers; the whole point of the game is to find or create meaning out of nothing. That’s what Gods do, right?
When in doubt or when feeling stuck, ask your fellow players for suggestions and inspiration! They are supposed to be interested in your Fetish and their story anyway, so they might as well lend a hand and help you out.
Don’t sweat the details! The Fetish prompts are just a starting point to spark the players’ imagination and get the ball rolling. Revisiting the same prompts in different moments of the game is part of the intended experience and can yield interesting new results.
Ask questions about each other’s Fetishes. Be curious. Start now, and continue throughout the whole game. The Fetishes and the world surrounding them are meant to be constantly discovered and fleshed out. They are a beginning, not an end.
Safer Play = Better Play
No matter the game rules, ttrpgs universally benefit from better communication and awareness amongst players. A few simple but effective techniques help immensely in elevating your baseline play quality.
Incidentally, these are the same tools used to make play safer, which is very important for a game like The Name of God that can end up going into dark places. Your stories can be cynical, grotesque and grim. But as the shadows grow deeper, so the light gets brighter, setting the stage for moments that can feel uplifting, hopeful and transformative. To experience and enjoy such emotional ride people need to feel safe. The safer the players feel, the more daring and unsafe play can be, simple as that 
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Lines & Veils
A line is a thing we do not describe at all.
A veil is a thing we do not describe in detail.
If you know that something is problematic for you, say it up front.
If you find out during play, say it there and then.
No discussion, no justifications, it is what it is because yes.
Gentle questions meant to understand each other are all good and well, but only up to a point. Don’t be pushy. -
Checking In
Throughout play remember from time to time to look at your fellow players and to listen to them. Do they seem ok? Too agitated? Too quiet?
Just ask, check in.
Some people some times might tear up, cry, but actually be A-OK to play on.
Some people some times might look fine, play on, and instead are hurting or simply having a bad time, and might need an EASY OUT.
Asking from time to time is often all it takes to know the difference and what to do.
By the way, you can and should check in on yourself too: are you having a good time? Yes? No? Need a break? It’s ok to ask!
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X-Card
Place some object on the table in easy reach of everyone. If anyone touches it, they are asking for a short break, and probably need to invoke a Line or Veil. At times “speaking up” is the hardest part of communicating, and this helps initiate it in a clear non-verbal way.
There are more tools like these, and a lot more to say about them, but these I feel represent the essential kit anyone needs to have at the ready.