Article:
Have You Played ... Paranoia?

The computer is your friend. The computer is always right. Not believing in the computer is a capital offence. Not obeying the computer is a capital offence. Smile, the computer demands that you have a nice day.

Not having a nice day is a capital offence.

Paranoia is a roleplaying game set in a dystopian future world where everybody lives in a massive city known only as Alpha Complex. This city has been variously rumoured to be underground, under the sea, or on board a massive supership in outer space, though it’s unlikely you’ll get to know precisely because the computer isn’t keen on people going outside and not many people are even able to grasp the concept of outside.

Knowing about the concept of outside is a capital offence.

The computer controls everything, including who you are, what you do, what clearance you are given and what rights you have. (In case you are wondering, the answers to the above questions are – a clone – all the horrible jobs – the lowest possible – none.)

Questioning the computer is a capital offence.

Everyone is in the system and everyone has a clearance level, that being colour coded through the spectrum with ultra-violet being the top level clearance and infra-red being the lowest possible form of scum. Guess which end of the scale you reside at? Yup, you’re infrared clearance which means you and the rest of your team will be assigned the worst possible jobs (including undermining the subversive activity known as Christmas) and given almost no assistance and a completely incomprehensible set of often contradictory rules.

Knowledge of the rules is a capital offence.

Though you are given some breaks in the secret society that you are a member of will help you while you are working towards the aim of the secret society.

Being a member of a secret society is a capital offence.

Other than that you can always fall back on your mutant ability to get you out of trouble and to give you an added bonus in times of need.

Possessing mutant abilities is a capital offence.

Pretty much any decision you make, and action you take, anything you say and anything you do will probably put you in violation of some rule (that you are not allowed to see) and probably be summarily executed at the computer's first opportunity. The computer has a very efficient schedule. Great news is that huge bonuses (and clearance rank advancement) are available to anyone able to provide proof of fellow trouble-shooters acts of sedition and treason.