Thank you for bringing this lovely, evocative game into the world! I love that you included a soundtrack with it. Would it be okay if I made a hack inspired by British folk music?
I just picked up and read through this game. It looks great! I do have one question though: Do you have any more guidance on how the players can construct each Chapter's opening question?
I’d say, in general, the Arcadian’s Questions expand the world, the Traveler’s Questions focus it, and the Terror’s Questions tighten it.
Leading questions are always best. The players can cleverly imbed information: Ex, "Who died in the corn field?"; "What lives in the attic?"; "What is the weakness of the Bone Screamer?"
In Example 1, maybe we established a corn field, maybe we didn't. If we didn't, it exists for everyone now. And players are forewarned about a death, and are then prepared to comtribute narrative detail and/or imagry. In Example 2, something lives in the attic. It's a stronger choice than "Does anything live in the attic?" And most importantly, the ultimate payoff will be more exciting. In Example 3, I'm assuming we have established the Bone Screamer (but maybe not!), though no one said it had a weakness. Now it has to have one.
Sometimes the simple "Yes-or-No" question can do the trick, and similarly be foreboding. “Do we ever get out of here?” is not necessarily the most compelling question to drive a Chapter. The results are too binary. But what if the answer does end up being “No”? How did the players come to that consensus? What does that look like in the fiction?
When you’re the Arcadian, you give the environment and their intelligences life. You’re not exactly neutral, but as a player, you have decisions to make and discover about the surreal dream logic of the goings-on.
The Traveler is intended to be a point-of-view character, so your Narrations and Questions are fixed into the first person. How do you react to this world in front of you? How does it make you think about the world you left behind?
The Terror broods and builds. Once you’re, at last, in the driver’s seat, your Opening Question can be brutal. Look to leverage it. It can be a threat or an implication or an inevitability. Try to think of the worst possible thing that could happen. Or the best possible thing for you. Then imbed it into your Question.
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Thank you for bringing this lovely, evocative game into the world! I love that you included a soundtrack with it. Would it be okay if I made a hack inspired by British folk music?
Please do!
Thank you for the community copy!!! Can't wait to cozy up with friends and play this, it's so evocative and the layout and art direction are lovely!
Of course! I hope you tell wild and exciting stories ✊❤️🔥🍂
Do you ever offer more community copies? I am a teacher who runs a gaming group and I know some of my kids would love this.
Yes! There are more coming soon!
Thank you!
I just picked up and read through this game. It looks great! I do have one question though: Do you have any more guidance on how the players can construct each Chapter's opening question?
You bet!
I’d say, in general, the Arcadian’s Questions expand the world, the Traveler’s Questions focus it, and the Terror’s Questions tighten it.
Leading questions are always best. The players can cleverly imbed information: Ex, "Who died in the corn field?"; "What lives in the attic?"; "What is the weakness of the Bone Screamer?"
In Example 1, maybe we established a corn field, maybe we didn't. If we didn't, it exists for everyone now. And players are forewarned about a death, and are then prepared to comtribute narrative detail and/or imagry. In Example 2, something lives in the attic. It's a stronger choice than "Does anything live in the attic?" And most importantly, the ultimate payoff will be more exciting. In Example 3, I'm assuming we have established the Bone Screamer (but maybe not!), though no one said it had a weakness. Now it has to have one.
Sometimes the simple "Yes-or-No" question can do the trick, and similarly be foreboding. “Do we ever get out of here?” is not necessarily the most compelling question to drive a Chapter. The results are too binary. But what if the answer does end up being “No”? How did the players come to that consensus? What does that look like in the fiction?
When you’re the Arcadian, you give the environment and their intelligences life. You’re not exactly neutral, but as a player, you have decisions to make and discover about the surreal dream logic of the goings-on.
The Traveler is intended to be a point-of-view character, so your Narrations and Questions are fixed into the first person. How do you react to this world in front of you? How does it make you think about the world you left behind?
The Terror broods and builds. Once you’re, at last, in the driver’s seat, your Opening Question can be brutal. Look to leverage it. It can be a threat or an implication or an inevitability. Try to think of the worst possible thing that could happen. Or the best possible thing for you. Then imbed it into your Question.
I hope this helps!