The Yellow Clearance Black Box Blues was one of the first true missions for the Paranoia role-playing game. It was written by John M. Ford and won the H. G. Wells Award for Best Role-Playing Adventure of 1985.
Plot summary
The Yellow Clearance Black Box Blues is a four-part scenario in which the troubleshooters repeatedly try to get hold of a mysterious black box. Their quest pits them against the various secret societies of Alpha Complex (including the Death Leopards and the Sierra Club) and eventually leads them to the Outside and an ancient rock 'n' roll cult.
The Yellow Clearance Black Box Blues was one of the early supplements for Paranoia, along with Warren Spector and Allen Varney's Send in the Clones (1985).
Reception
Marcus L. Rowland reviewed The Yellow Clearance Black Box Blues for White Dwarf #77, giving it an overall rating of 7 out of 10, and stated that "John M Ford, the author of this adventure, should be justifiably proud. It's a must for any Paranoia referee."
The Yellow Clearance Black Box Blues won the H.G. Wells Award for Best Role-playing Adventure of 1985.
An article in Locus Magazine from 2012 by Graham Sleight also mentions it as "surely the funniest RPG scenario ever."
Reviews
- Casus Belli (Issue 32 - Apr 1986)
- ' #48 (as "Blues en Jaune pour une Boîte Noire")