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Finished Statement:

My work seeks to immerse its viewers in surreal worlds where they can investigate their own feelings and experiences with dreams, fears, escapism, isolation, and identity. It mostly utilizes writing and interactive elements through either physical or digital games.

I mostly work with video games; usually text-based games, visual novels, or physical games. I like to utilize these as mediums to allow for stranger, non-linear storytelling that further immerses the player and encourages reflection. One of my biggest artistic inspirations is the works of David Lynch; I want to create work that is hard to explain yet easy to feel, just like his movies. A work I am currently making that exemplifies this statement is The Girl from the Television Set. It is a text-adventure where someone ambiguously dead wakes up in a movie theater that they don’t want to leave. The player is encouraged to explore many different routes that reveal what the characters in the fictional movie represent to the main character, and explore their reliance on media consumption. The world is supposed to confuse and disorient the player, inspired by particularly the way that David Lynch’s Inland Empire mixes the real and the cinematic. 

I am currently looking into lyric game development, which I think will allow a lot of interesting experimentation. I am also still working on finishing and expanding The Girl from the Television Set, and have also been working on a game about “solving” a murder as time begins to unravel. 

Draft:

My work seeks to immerse its viewers in surreal worlds where they can investigate their own feelings and experiences with dreams, fears, escapism, isolation, and identity. It mostly utilizes writing and interactive elements through either physical or digital games.

I mostly like to work with video games; usually text-based games, visual novels, or physical games. I like to utilize these as mediums to allow for stranger, non-linear storytelling that further immerses the player and encourages reflection. One of my biggest artistic inspirations is the works of David Lynch; I find that his works make me feel stories rather than watch them deeply touching, and I want to create work that similarly is hard to explain yet easy to feel. A work I am currently making that exemplifies this statement is The Girl from the Television Set. It is a text-adventure where someone ambiguously dead wakes up in a movie theater that they don’t want to leave. The player is encouraged to explore many different routes that reveal what the characters in the fictional movie represent to the main character, and explore their reliance on media consumption. The world is supposed to confuse and disorient the player, inspired by particularly the way that David Lynch’s Inland Empire mixes the real and the cinematic. 

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You have awoken into a dream. Or, someone has.

To navigate the dream, find a deck of cards. Separate them by suite. Sort each suite in number order. Shuffle them together, making sure they stay in the same order. 

You need to understand the dreamer. The dreamer is not you. Write down two people that they love. Write down two people that they fear. 

Write down two places they love. Write down two places they fear. 

Decide their greatest fears and greatest loves. The dreamer is not you.

To further understand the dreamer and the dream, draw cards. 

These will explain what the dreamer sees. You will see through their eyes. 

If you draw a spade, the dreamer will become more afraid of the dream. If you draw a club, the dreamer will become more in love with the dream. 

Keep track of this, adding one when they love or subtracting one when they fear, starting with zero. 

If the dreamer has run out of characters or places of a certain type, their dream may always reveal more to you. Create new facts about the dreamer if needed. 

You may choose to wake the dreamer at any time. You may choose to stay in the dream at any time.

If the dreamer’s score is positive, they will want to stay in the dream. If the dreamer’s score is negative, they will want to wake up. If their score is zero, they will listen to you. 

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I wanted to use this playtest to see how the character vs. player worked, and it went really well! My tester created a character and said they didn't think the game needed more or less direction in that area, and the prompts were clear when they called for the character vs. the player. The tester did say that keeping track of the points was complicated, and that it would be helpful to have a visual to keep track of. I will likely do something I saw in another game where you keep the cards in piles and use them as the counters. I plan to do another playtest soon, and hopefully of the full game because I only did a few prompts for time reasons. I was really happy with the way that the real life started to bleed into the game, and I want to see more of that. I want to try and add more interactions, maybe outside of the prompts, but I will run that by my out-of-class tester.

Here are the current prompts:

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Spades: 

2 ♠

The dreamer meets a shadow that is familiar, yet a bit frightening. What traits does it share with a person who makes them uncomfortable? What do they do to it?

3 ♠

The ground opens up beneath the dreamer’s feet, and they fall through the world. When they land, they find themselves at the entrance to a world that looks like an unfamiliar one from the waking world. What do they see? Do they attempt to venture inside?

4 ♠

The world darkens until the dreamer cannot see anything. They hear voices whispering, saying things that frighten them. What are the voices saying?

5 ♠

A strange mirror seems to warp everything in sight, distorting everything. What everyday object near the dreamer takes on a new form? What fear does it instill in them? Add this to their list of fears. 

6 ♠

The dreamer finds themself in a movie theater, watching a movie starring someone they love. The character begins to take on the actions and mannerisms of someone they fear - what does the character do? How does the dreamer react?

7 ♠

The dreamer finds a building that looks just like their childhood home, but the inside looks like an environment they are scared of. What relics of their home remain?

8 ♠

An entity that embodies one of the dreamer’s fears begins to chase them. What happens when they catch the dreamer?

9 ♠

A loved one approaches the dreamer, before telling the dreamer something they’d never shared and turning into a monster. What makes the dreamer afraid of them now? Change a friendly character to unfriendly.

10 ♠

The dreamer finds themself transported to a familiar environment, but something is wrong. What lurks in the shadows? What scary aspects have they never noticed before? Change a comforting environment to an unsettling one. 

J ♠

The dreamer is suddenly attacked by monsters wearing the guise of something they love. How do they attack the dreamer? Change a comfort to a fear. 

Q ♠

Something grabs the dreamer’s hand. It looks like someone they fear. It takes them to a place they dread. What does it want with them?

K ♠

Everything the dreamer sees morphs into something they fear. They cannot escape. 

A ♠

A being of pure malice appears to the dreamer. It tells the dreamer that it wants their fear. Do they escape? If they don’t escape, what will happen to them? If they don’t escape, end the game with the dreamer stuck in the dream regardless of the number. 

Diamonds: 

2 ♢

While investigating a mysterious forest, the dreamer thinks they see something strange. It is something you are afraid of. Do you tell them to run? Do they listen to you? Can they hear you at all?

3 ♢

The dreamer finds a door that is not attached to anything. Opening it leads to a sprawling hallway of doors of all different types. One calls to the dreamer, but when they open it, they see a place they do not recognize. You do. You fear this place. Can you get the dreamer to close the door? Or do they venture within?

4 ♢

The dreamer sees someone standing off in the distance, and calls out to them. When this person turns around, their face is someone the dreamer does not recognize. It is someone you fear. What do they tell the dreamer? Does the dreamer fear them?

5 ♢

The dreamer finds a book and decides to read it; however, it tells them the dangers of something they’d never consider dangerous. It is something you are deeply afraid of. Add this to the dreamer’s fears. Do they sense you now?

6 ♢

A song plays from a distant source. As the dreamer follows its call, it distorts into something you are afraid of. What does it begin to sound like? What is producing the melody? How do you feel as the dreamer continues to run towards it?

7 ♢

The dreamer sees a beacon in the distance and follows it. As they follow it, the world distorts into a place you fear. Is the dreamer upset? Can they sense your fear?

8 ♢

The dreamer becomes lost, and receives guidance from a figure. When they find their bearings, you realize the figure is someone you fear. Where did they take you? The dreamer embraces them, yet begins to feel a creeping sense of discomfort. Why?

9 ♢

The dreamer finds something that comforts you. The dreamer is confused at first, but finds that they enjoy it and decide to stay there. They suddenly notice that many days have passed. What aspect of this kept them there, that they now fear? Create a new fear for the dreamer, based on something you find comforting. Is the dreamer relieved to be different from you?

10 ♢

The dreamer runs from something that they cannot comprehend into a space they don’t know, but you do. What knowledge does the pursuer have of this space that you don’t? How does the world seem terrifying to the dreamer? Create a new feared environment for the dreamer, based on one you love. 

J ♢

While exploring an area the dreamer fears, they find you. They cry out and run away. What do you do? Add yourself as a person the dreamer fears. 

Q ♢

The dreamer finds a box and opens it. Out springs everything you have ever feared. Does the dreamer delight in your suffering? Or are they just as scared as you?

K ♢

The dreamer finds themself in a maze, but every turn they make places them somewhere new that they fear. When do they accept that they can’t escape? Do they try to ask you for help?

A ♢

The dreamer finds someone claiming to be the ruler of this world. Whose face do they wear? What do they want from the dreamer? What will they have the dreamer do? Do they see you?

Clubs:

2 ♣

A small creature runs up to the dreamer’s feet. They don’t feel afraid; what similarities does it have with someone they love? 

3 ♣

The world seems to melt away, and is replaced with a place the dreamer remembers and loves. What do they do while they are here? What is different from how they remember it?

4 ♣

A curtain draws around the dreamer, and when it raises they find themself surrounded by all sorts of familiar things. What do they do? How does the fantasy compare to the real thing?

5 ♣

A being from this world visits the dreamer and helps calm them. What does the being do? How will the dreamer attempt to replicate this in their travels? Add a new comfort. 

6 ♣

Looking in the mirror, the dreamer’s reflection turns into that of a loved one. What happens when the dreamer reaches out to touch them?

7 ♣

The ground turns into water, and the dreamer is swept away through a familiar location. What new areas do they get to see as the water pulls them?

8 ♣

An entity appears, and yet the dreamer doesn’t feel afraid. What about it puts them at ease? What gift does it give them?

9 ♣

The dreamer becomes injured, and is helped by someone they are afraid of. What new side of themselves does this person show? Change an unfriendly character to a friendly one. 

10 ♣

The dreamer wakes up within the dream. They are in a bed, but their surroundings are unfamiliar and frightening. As they snuggle under the blanket, they feel safe. What parts of the world look less frightening from their new vantage point? Change an unfamiliar environment to a comforting one. 

J ♣

All of the lights shut out, and the only thing the dreamer can see is a fear of theirs off in the distance. They run to it - why? What aspect of it feels safe? Change a fear to a comfort.

Q ♣

The dreamer finds themself embraced by a loved one somewhere they feel safe. What is better about them here than in the real world? Do they want to go back?

K ♣

The dreamer is showered from above by every comfort they could possibly want. Do they feel satisfied?

A ♣

A being appears to the dreamer and tells them it will give them everything they want if you stay. If they want to stay, what happens to them? If they want to stay, end the game with the dreamer stuck in the dream regardless of the number. 

Hearts:

2 ♡

The dreamer lays down to close their eyes for a minute, and visions seem to seep into their mind. What comforting aspects of the real world, your world, do they see? What do they see when they open their eyes? Do they take comfort in that which they do not understand?

3 ♡

The dreamer finds a town full of old buildings; behind one of the doors is an environment you know but the dreamer doesn’t. Do they go inside? Do they find it comforting? Do you wish you could take their place?

4 ♡

The dreamer sees someone off in the distance, and upon running up to them, finds that they appear to be someone you consider a friend in the waking world. They cannot speak here, but what do you want to tell them? What does the dreamer actually say? Can they feel your plea?

5 ♡

The dreamer decides to search for something kind in this world - what do they find? Do you agree with their comfort? Do they react to your judgement or agreement?

6 ♡

The dreamer is granted an ability related to one of your greatest comforts. What is it? Is the dreamer afraid of their new power? Or delighted by it? Give the dreamer a new comfort based off of something you find comforting. 

7 ♡

The dreamer finds a key and a door. When they open the door, they see a world that looks like one you love. The dreamer refuses to go in. What do you do? What can you do?

8 ♡

The dreamer decides to sit down next to a grave. You realize it reads the name of one of your loved ones. What else does it say about them? The dreamer does not notice. 

9 ♡

The dreamer finds a world filled with things that they are afraid of, but something helps them venture through. It was something that you know. The dreamer does not recognize it. What do they no longer fear? Replace a fear with something you find comforting.

10 ♡

While looking for an exit, The dreamer stumbles into a frightening world, finding themself holding a flashlight. The light illuminates a world that you find comforting. What does the dreamer find instead of an exit? Are they still afraid of this world?

J ♡

While looking for a friend, the dreamer instead finds someone they are afraid of. It is you. Are you afraid of them? Do you comfort them? If it makes sense, add yourself as a comforting character.

Q ♡

The dreamer decides to try and find the perfect comfort. What are they looking for that they can’t find in the real world? Why do they want it? What will they do when you find it? Will they let you join them?

K ♡

The dreamer wants to find somewhere to stay forever. What are they looking for that they can’t find in the real world? Will they ever want to leave? Would you stay with them? Would you be trapped with them?

A ♡

I want the player to create a character, but then have the prompts sometimes ask for the player and sometimes the character. I want some prompts to force you to interact with the character. I rewrote the initial character creation, and I plan to change the game itself. I decided I want the actual mechanics to be much simpler, as I found that in some of the lyric games that I looked at. Right now I have drawing cards for prompts, but I kind of want the prompts to escalate. I am thinking about just having the player read them in order, but I'm not sure if that is "not enough of a game." I'm not sure entirely how I want the game to end, but I think it should either be when all the prompts are read, or when the player decides to stop (this is likely something I will decide in out-of-class playtesting this week). Here are the rewritten rules:

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You have awoken into a dream. Or, someone has.

To navigate the dream, find a deck of cards. Shuffle them. Place them next to you.

You need to understand the dreamer. The dreamer is not you. Write down two people that they love. Write down two people that they fear. 

Write down two places they love. Write down two places they fear. 

Decide their greatest fears and greatest loves. The dreamer is not you.

To further understand the dreamer and the dream, draw cards. 

I remembered when I was playtesting my Experiment 2 I had a player decide to play as Dr. House, and I kind of got the inspiration from that. I wanted players to try and roleplay as specific characters, and in order to add a bit of chaos, I decided that I wanted them to come up with characters for the other player to play as. I decided to make the game a duet, partially because I wanted to try and make a non-romance based duet after being a bit surprised to see how few there were. I wasn’t entirely sure what I wanted to do with the characters once they were created, but I decided to try and use a goal-based system again. I really liked that idea but was unhappy with how I implemented it in my second experiment. I also wanted a bit more structure to the character creation itself, so I detailed certain information players must provide about their characters. This was mostly so that if someone got a character they weren’t familiar with they could still figure out some key points of how that character acts. I also used a system from the duet I played for the prompts, where I had specific suits affect specific characters. I wanted to add a bit more randomness to the outcomes (because the game is much looser and comedic, I thought that it would work), so I added a success roll. 

I based the gameplay off of the duet I played, as I really liked the randomized options with some choice. I wanted the prompts to feel very dreamlike, in the way that things would seem strange or disconnected. Because of this, I was a bit worried about how the narrative would be able to fit together. I wanted players to still be able to tell a story, just one that felt dreamlike. The other thing I was worried about was the difference between environmental and personal prompts. I wanted half the prompts to seem like things that happened to the player, and half the prompts to be things the player pursued themselves. I wasn’t sure how this would come across, and it turned out that it didn’t work for a reason I hadn’t foreseen. The player never rolled high, so never ended up getting any of the environmental prompts. This was a short game, but I still want them to happen a bit more often. I was satisfied with how the prompts ended up creating a very dream-like story - it was silly, but sounded like it was a dream. I was happy the dream logic ended up showing through in the game. The player also played as himself rather than a character; I had planned this with a character in mind, and should maybe make this more clear. One thing I ran into that the player agreed with was that the other aces should probably be game end conditions as well; the player said that his story seemed to end with the prompt, but the game didn’t technically end. I also need to really solidify the character creation, and make it clear exactly what players need to create. 

One thing that I found very interesting this week was reading about lyric games. I got really inspired looking through the reading given to me in response to my second journal entry. Looking through it, I realized that lyric games hit the chord of experiences I want to create, regardless of medium. They seem to hit upon exactly what I like about the media that I like. The “removal of the distance between the ‘player’ and the ‘character’” really touches on why I love movies (Codega). I really like it when characters are not necessarily people, but rather reflections of parts of the viewer. It feels hard to describe exactly what it is, but that’s exactly what the reading said about lyric games! It reminds me of a game I’ve been trying to make: I want to make a game that feels like watching Inland Empire. That feeling of lack of understanding while in a familiar medium is something I’ve always wanted to accomplish in a game. The “reversal of assumptions” of lyric games is another aspect of this that perfectly captures that feeling (Codega). Looking at the games, LOGAN definitely sounded like something I would like to play. I really want to examine the idea of connecting the player to the designer, and intentionally creating a sort of parasocial experience. However, the game that really stood out to me is 101 Games for Survival. I read the small game listed on the itch page, and it touched me deeply. I plan to play (or read, as I really like the idea that lyric games work with reading as play) through the game myself soon. The levels of personal introspection and emotion that come from mixing yourself with the game are something I would really like to play with in my own work. 

I’ve started thinking about what I want to do for my final project, and I am torn between a couple different things. I like my game for Experiment 3, and think that I would enjoy tuning it more. However, I also really want to develop a game I made before. The game was what I described as an almost dream game of mine to develop. It’s a solo-journaling game about a character who wants to code themself into a computer. The game is designed so that the character experiences life in a way that makes them feel afraid and uncomfortable, and they slowly come up with algorithms for certain types of interactions. As they code themselves, they become unable to understand new experiences or be affected by them. The game follows them becoming more and more isolated as they become more and more code. I think that for my project I would really like to take one of these games and develop them into some sort of lyric game. I really like the idea of making the code game into one, but I’m worried that would go too far in terms of player safety/enjoyment. I’m going to play around with what I would want to do with either concept, but I know I want to experiment with lyric games. 

Determine the character the OTHER person will be playing. Give them their name and what they are from. Also give them a goal to work towards - this should align with a goal of theirs from their original media. This should be a larger task that they need to work towards, not one they can complete right away. Give them 2-3 characters that they know from their story, and how they know each other. Give them two abilities (this can be a literal ability, or something more vague like “sarcasm”). Finally, ask the player if they would like to know any traits about the character (if they are less familiar with them), and if so give them a few traits to guide roleplay.

Example:

Character Name: Mario

From: Mario Series Video Games

Goal: Save Princess Peach from Bowser

Characters:

Princess Peach: Special to you, princess who gets captured that you save

Bowser: King of the Koopas who kidnaps Peach; he is your enemy

Luigi: Your brother who sometimes joins you on adventures

Abilities:

Can transform when eating mushrooms

Can kill things by jumping on them

(Optional) Traits:

Blank slate

Italian plumber

Once you have received your characters, prepare a deck of cards and a d20. Remove the spades and clubs from the deck - you will only be using the hearts and diamonds. Shuffle those cards and place them facedown. One player will be the hearts player, and the other will be the diamonds player. Each player will also need to keep track of how close or far they are from their goal - start at zero. 

Each turn, draw a card from the pile. Determine which player the prompt is for (hearts vs. diamonds). Read the corresponding prompt below - if it says roll for outcome, roll the d20. Use the following numbers to determine the success. 

If one goal is affected:

1-5: Fail miserably. If a character was involved in this prompt, lose the character (they don’t need to die, this can be loosely interpreted). Subtract two points from your goal count.

6-10: Fail at what you were trying to do. Subtract one point from your goal count. 

11-15: Succeed at what you were trying to do! Add one point to your goal count.

16-20: Succeed at what you were trying to do, and accidentally make more progress than you intended! Add one point to your goal count. 

If two goals are affected:

1-5: Both players fail. Subtract one point from each player's goal count. 

6-10: The player who didn’t roll succeeds at their goal, and the other fails. Add or subtract one from each player’s goal count.

11-15: The player who rolled succeeds at their goal, and the other fails. Add or subtract one from each player’s goal count. 

16-20: Both players succeed! Add one to each player’s goal count.

There are three ways that the game can end for a player.

A player’s goal count reaches 5. Narrate how they succeed at their goal. The other player continues until they reach an end condition.  

A player’s goal count reaches -5. Narrate how their goal is impossible. The other player continues until they reach an end condition.

An ace is drawn. The story ends here - follow the prompt according to the number of goal points.

Prompts:

2

Try to do something to get closer to your goal. Roll for outcome.

3

A character that you know tries to help you in your quest! Roll for outcome. 

4

You use an ability to attempt to further your goal. Roll for outcome.

5

A character you know tries to hinder your progress. Roll for outcome.

6

Help a character that you know using an ability. 

7

Hurt a character you know using an ability. 

8

Try to do something to get closer to your goal, and the other player assists you. Roll for outcome.

9

A character that the other character knows tries to help you in your quest! Roll for outcome. 

10

The other player uses their ability to attempt to further your goal. Roll for outcome.

J

A character that the other character knows tries to hinder your progress. Roll for outcome. 

Q

Help a character that the other player knows using an ability.

K

Hurt a character that the other player knows using an ability. 

A

Setting Up:

To play, you will need one standard deck of cards and one d6. 

Split the deck into two piles: spades and hearts (this that occur around you), and clubs and diamonds (things you search for). 

Place the second deck near you, and the other slightly away from you. 

Character:

Before you begin, you must determine some elements of your dreamer’s life. Make sure to write these all down, as the dream you have found yourself in may change your perceptions of the outside world. 

Decide upon four characters you know in the waking world; two should be people you view as friendly, and two you view as unfriendly or antagonistic. 

Similarly, decide upon four settings you were familiar with, two of which are comforting, and two of which are unsettling. 

Finally, decide two fears and two comforts. 

Playing the Game:

To play the game, draw two cards from the deck near you (the deck of clubs and diamonds).

Choose one of the two as your choice of prompt, and shuffle the other back into your deck. 

Roll the d6: if it is less than three, draw a card from the spades and hearts deck. If this card is higher than the one you selected, use that as your prompt instead. In the case of a tie, use your original card. 

Find the prompt corresponding to the card, and write a few sentences (as many as you would like) about the events that transpire. You may need to create or change the aspects of your character’s life that you wrote earlier. If a prompt asks for a type of element you no longer have (such as a friend or a fear), you may make a new one. 

Ending the Game:

There are two ways the game can end. 

First, if you finish every card in the deck of clubs and diamonds. If this happens, your character wakes up uneventfully; write about their reflections and musings of the night. 

Second, if you draw the ace of spades or clubs. If this happens, answer the prompt, and count up the prompts you have done. You will end your prompt based upon this number.

If you have more hearts/clubs, you wake up. 

If you have more diamonds/spades, you do not wake up, and remain trapped in the dream. 

Prompts:

Spades: 

2 ♠

You meet a shadow that is familiar, yet a bit frightening. What traits does it share with a person who makes you uncomfortable? What do you do to it?

3 ♠

The ground opens up beneath your feet, and you fall through the world. When you land, you find yourself at the entrance to a world that looks like an unfamiliar one from the waking world. What do you see? Do you attempt to venture inside?

4 ♠

The world darkens until you cannot see anything. You hear voices whispering, saying things that frighten you. What are they saying?

5 ♠

A strange mirror seems to warp everything in sight, distorting everything. What everyday object near you takes on a new form? What fear does it instill in you? Add this to your list of fears. 

6 ♠

You find yourself in a movie theater, watching a movie starring someone you love. They begin to take on the actions and mannerisms of someone you fear - what do they do? How do you react?

7 ♠

You find a building that looks just like your childhood home, but the inside looks like an environment you are scared of. What relics of your home remain?

8 ♠

An entity that embodies one of your fears begins to chase you. What happens when they catch you?

9 ♠

A loved one approaches you, before telling you something they’d never shared and turning into a monster. What makes you afraid of them now? Change a friendly character to unfriendly.

10 ♠

You find yourself transported to a familiar environment, but something is wrong. What lurks in the shadows? What scary aspects have you never noticed before? Change a comforting environment to an unsettling one. 

J ♠

You are suddenly attacked by monsters wearing the guise of something you love. How do they attack you? Change a comfort to a fear. 

Q ♠

Something grabs your hand. It looks like someone you fear. It takes you to a place you dread. What does it want with you?

K ♠

Everything you see morphs into something you fear. You cannot escape. 

A ♠

A being of pure malice appears to you. It tells you that it wants your fear. Do you escape? Do you remember it? If you don’t escape, what will happen to you?

Diamonds: 

2 ♢

While investigating a mysterious forest, you think you see something you are afraid of. Can you make it out clearly? How do you run away?

3 ♢

You find a door that is not attached to anything. Opening it leads to a sprawling hallway of doors of all different types. One calls to you, but when you open it, you see an unfamiliar place from your waking life. What do you see before you close the door? Where do you go?

4 ♢

You see someone standing off in the distance, and call out to them. When they turn around, their face appears to be that of someone you fear. What do they tell you? What aspects of them are different here?

5 ♢

You find a book that you decide to read; however, it tells you the dangers of something you’d never consider dangerous. What does it say, and what are you afraid of? Add this to your list of fears. 

6 ♢

A song plays from a distant source. As you follow its call, it distorts into something you are afraid of. What does it begin to sound like? What is producing the melody?

7 ♢

You see a beacon in the distance and follow it, only to realize it is trapping you within an environment you fear. What lured you this way? Why can’t you leave?

8 ♢

You become lost, and receive guidance from a figure. When you find your bearings, you realize the figure is someone you fear. Where did they take you?

9 ♢

You find something that comforts you. You decide to stay there, but suddenly notice that many days have passed. What aspect of this kept you here, that you now fear? Change the comfort to the corresponding fear. 

10 ♢

You run from something that you cannot comprehend into a space you thought you knew. What knowledge does the pursuer have of this space that you don’t? How do they use it to catch you? Change a comforting environment to an unsettling one. 

J ♢

While exploring an area you fear, you find a friend delighting in your suffering. Why are they happy? Change a friendly person to an unfriendly one. 

Q ♢

You find a box and open it. Out springs everything you have ever feared. What do you try to do to contain them?

K ♢

You find yourself in a maze, but every turn you make places you somewhere new that you fear. When do you accept that you can’t escape?

A ♢

You find someone claiming to be the ruler of this world. Whose face do they wear? What do they want from you? What will they have you do?

Clubs:

2 ♣

A small creature runs up to your feet. You don’t feel afraid; what similarities does it have with someone you love? 

3 ♣

The world seems to melt away, and is replaced with a place you remember from the waking world. What do you do while you are here? What is different from how you remember it?

4 ♣

A curtain draws around you, and when it raises you find yourself surrounded by all sorts of familiar things. What do you do? How does the fantasy compare to the real thing?

5 ♣

A being from this world visits you and helps calm you. What do they do? How will you attempt to replicate this in your travels? Add a new comfort. 

6 ♣

Looking in the mirror, your reflection turns into that of a loved one. What happens when you reach out to touch them?

7 ♣

The ground turns into water, and you are swept away through a familiar location. What new areas do you get to see as the water pulls you?

8 ♣

An entity appears, and yet you don’t feel afraid. What about it puts you at ease? What gift does it give you?

9 ♣

You become injured, and are helped by someone you are afraid of. What new side of themselves do they show? Change an unfriendly character to a friendly one. 

10 ♣

You wake up within the dream. You are in a bed, but your surroundings are unfamiliar and frightening. As you snuggle under the blanket, you feel safe. What parts of the world look less frightening from your new vantage point? Change an unfamiliar environment to a comforting one. 

J ♣

All of the lights shut out, and the only thing you can see is a fear of yours off in the distance. You run to it - why? What aspect of it feels safe? Change a fear to a comfort.

Q ♣

You find yourself embraced by a loved one somewhere you feel safe. What is better about them here than in the real world? Do you want to go back?

K ♣

You are showered from above by every comfort you could possibly want. Do you feel satisfied?

A ♣

A being appears to you and tells you it will give you everything you want if you stay. Do you wake up? If you do stay, what happens to you?

Hearts:

2 ♡

You lay down to close your eyes for a minute, and visions seem to seep into your mind. What comforting aspects of the real world do you see? What do you see when you open your eyes?

3 ♡

You find a town full of old buildings; behind one of the doors is an environment you know. Do you go inside?

4 ♡

You see someone off in the distance, and upon running up to them, find that they appear to be someone you consider a friend in the waking world. They cannot speak here, but what do you try to tell them? What do they do?

5 ♡

You decide to search for something kind in this world - what do you find? Can you take it with you? If not, how will you remember it? Add a new comfort. 

6 ♡

You are granted an ability related to one of your greatest comforts. What is it?

7 ♡

You find a key and a door. If you open the door, you see a world that looks like one you love. Do you go in? If so, what else does the key open?

8 ♡

You decide to sit down next to a grave, before realizing it reads the name of one of your loved ones. What else does it say about them?

9 ♡

You find a world filled with things that you are afraid of, but something helps you venture through. What helped you? What do you no longer fear? Replace a fear with the new corresponding comfort. 

10 ♡

While looking for an exit, you stumble into a frightening world, finding yourself holding a flashlight. What does the light illuminate? What do you find instead of an exit? Change an unfamiliar environment to a comforting one. 

J ♡

While looking for a friend, you instead find someone you are afraid of. They seem afraid of you. How do you comfort them? How do they differ from your fears? Change an unfriendly character to a friendly one. 

Q ♡

You decide to try and find the perfect comfort. What are you looking for that you can’t get in the real world? Why do you want it? What will you do when you find it? 

K ♡

You want to find somewhere to stay forever. What are you looking for that you can’t find in the real world? Will you ever want to leave?

A ♡

I was intimidated by actually making a game with this concept, and I definitely think I would need to do a lot more iterations to actually make it a complete game. I definitely took inspiration from where I’ve seen murder mysteries in games before, namely Werewolf, which then led me to thinking about Blood on the Clocktower. I was very inspired by the idea of two opposing sides and some neutral characters from that game, and remembering the goals from the discussion of Everyone is John, decided to have goals that fall under three different sides: reveal the truth, conceal the truth, and neutral (no goal). I wanted players to have a relation to the murder (that they kept hidden), inspired by these social deduction games. I also wanted players to have a public identity to allow for more roleplay than is allowed in a game like Werewolf, and tried to come up with archetypes that appear across many different mystery media. I wanted players to have freedom to set the game wherever they wanted to. At this point, I felt confident about my setup, but very uncertain of what I wanted the actual gameplay to be. I assigned some points and skills to try and give a gameplay benefit to roleplaying, but I wanted to use the playtest to see how players would actually react to this scenario.

I knew this was a GM heavy game, so I took on the role of the GM for testing and made a small two-room mystery. I had a feeling that gameplay would be pretty unstructured (I also went last in my group and we were running a bit short on time, so I went through the actual rules a little bit quickly), but I was surprised by how little the players interacted with the world. It seemed that they were roleplaying more outside of the structure that was supposed to exist in the game. I had wanted each conversation to encompass a turn, but conversations seemed to spill over out of turns. When I asked for feedback, I was told I needed to make the actual game more structured. This was what I expected, as I was happy with the setup but not the content of my game. One of my testers referenced Ace Attorney as inspiration to draw from (which I found interesting because I accidentally based the scenario for playtesting on my least favorite Ace Attorney case), in having specific things to interact with planned out. They also mentioned giving more of an outline for GMs to follow, which I agree would be very useful to have. I still don’t know the best way to do investigation work like this; I made a game for another class that was much more investigation heavy, but that had a pre-planned world that was used every time. Additionally, it was not really a roleplaying game, so it was designed far more around telling a determined story than letting the players make one. I’m still struggling with how exactly to create this sort of gameplay in a TTRPG. 

I also remembered hearing that I should try to stray away from making a solo journaling game, which was my first instinct - I think this was good advice, as I needed to push myself more outside of my comfort zone. I ended up getting the most inspired reading through different types of TTRPGs listed on Canvas, because I thought a drawing game sounded so fun! I’ve played mapmaking games before, but never one centered around drawing. When trying to brainstorm things to draw, I thought a menu would allow for a simple yet fun drawing experience (I wanted to make a quicker and simple game). It allowed for lots of different options of things to draw, yet grounded in a good reference point for players. I added the food critic as a way to make the game multiplayer and add a more technical system for players to follow. However, I was the most concerned for this mechanic as well, as I worried it wouldn’t be very engaging to actually play. 

I sadly missed playtesting in class, but I did get to playtest outside of class! I ended up having a menu-maker that got really into roleplaying based off of the role he got, but my fears about the food critic role came true. My player basically didn’t have anything to do while the menu was being created. I got feedback that I should have each player act as a food critic for other players - that way they would get to play while still critiquing. I also was told I should add more instances to roleplay; while I was able to get a good amount this time, there weren’t any rules that really facilitated it. (I will attach the photos of the playtest below, but be warned my players ended up being a bit obscene). The feedback I got on my prototype was that it was more of a party game than a TTRPG, and that it didn’t really facilitate roleplay. I think I got caught up trying to make sure it had systems and wasn’t just freeform, that I didn’t end up leaving that much room for player freedom. (I think I ended up having the opposite problem in Experiment 2, as I feel that one wasn’t structured enough). 

Begin by having a GM come up with some information about the murder. This will be passed along to the relevant characters in a secret method of your choosing (you could message them privately, or hand papers to all players and only write secrets on some). There will always be at least one murderer, one witness, and one family member. From there, the GM can decide if they want to add accomplices, more witnesses, or more family members. Players can also be left without a second role. The GM will need to decide:

1) How the murder took place (setting, method, evidence left behind, what was done with the body, etc.) - you can go as in depth as you want with this! You can create a full original world or set it in a pre-existing world. You will want to be the most detailed with what the murderer needs to know - their motivations will likely be fleshed out by players, but the actual actions of the murder itself should be set in stone. This full explanation will be given to the murderer - with the exception of any evidence left behind, or anything they aren’t supposed to notice. 

2) If there were any accomplices, what were their exact roles? What did they do during the murder itself? For each accomplice, come up with at least two secrets they did not know. Tell the murderer these secrets as well as the identities of the accomplices, and tell the accomplices their exact roles in the murder. If they know who the murderer is, also tell them that, though this can stay secret. 

3) For any witness, come up with one or two vital moments they saw. However, also create an obstruction for each moment - maybe it was dark and they couldn’t see the face of the killer? Give the witnesses the obscured information, and make sure this cannot solve the murder on its own. 

4) For any family members, decide their relation and share this. They have not witnessed anything special about the murder itself. However, share one secret about the victim that no one else should know. This can be vital to the murder, or a complete red herring. 

Once the GM has created all this information, distribute it randomly to players (make sure the GM knows which player is which). Have players proceed to character creation. 

Once you receive your role, you must decide your second role within the town. Then, decide which side you want to be on - the side of concealing the truth, or that of revealing the truth. This will be your main goal during the game. (You will select smaller goals later, but your character should be largely shaped by this outlook). You can play around with pairings you don’t expect - are you a detective who wants to conceal the truth? Or an accomplice who wants it revealed? 

The Roles:

Detective: 

This character doesn’t necessarily need to be an actual detective, but should be inquisitive and have a knack for deduction that others don’t possess. 

You should determine some of the following facts about yourself:

What background gave you this ability?

Is there anyone you work for? 

What’s your name? Do you tell it to people? If not, what do they call you?

Are you from the same place as all the other characters? Or were you called in from elsewhere?

Next, determine a secondary goal - some ideas are provided, but you are encouraged to come up with your own:

Murderer Detective who wants to conceal - use your powers of deduction to pin the investigation on someone else

Accomplice Detective who wants the truth to be revealed - get away with revealing facts without the murderer noticing

Detective Skill - 5 points: If a player has jumped around answering a question multiple times, force them to answer it

Doctor: 

This character doesn’t necessarily need to be an actual doctor, but should function as a sort of healer character

You should determine some of the following facts about yourself:

What are your qualifications for your position?

Are you associated with an institution? What made you decide to work with or without one?

What’s your name? Are you called “Dr. ___”?

Are you trusted by your community as a healer? Or do you have a less savory reputation?

Next, determine a secondary goal - some ideas are provided, but you are encouraged to come up with your own:

Accomplice Doctor who wants to conceal - hide the true cause of death of the body. 

Family Member Doctor who wants to reveal - find the weapon that caused your loved one to die. 

Doctor Skill - 3 points: You may use your knowledge of the human body to learn one extra clue about either a corpse or an NPC’s body language

Reporter:

This character doesn’t necessarily need to be an actual reporter, but should function as a storyteller

You should determine some of the following facts about yourself:

How do you report on information? Do you value that information being true?

Are you associated with an institution? What made you decide to work with or without one?

What’s your name? What’s your report called? What’s your storyteller name?

Are you trusted by your community? Or do you have a reputation as a gossip or a liar?

Next, determine a secondary goal - some ideas are provided, but you are encouraged to come up with your own:

Witness Reporter who wants to reveal - get at least one player to believe your full story of what you saw that night

Neutral Reporter who wants to conceal - come up with a lie based on no evidence and have at least one player believe it

Reporter Skill - 7 points: Choose a player, and broadcast a secret they have been hiding (the GM will choose which secret)

Outcast:

This character should be somehow separated from their society

You should determine some of the following facts about yourself:

What led to you being an outcast? Do you enjoy your status? 

Do you have any trust for the players? Or are you distrustful of your community?

What’s your name? What do people call you behind your back?

Does your community view you as a trustworthy outsider? Or do they fear you?

Next, determine a secondary goal - some ideas are provided, but you are encouraged to come up with your own:

Witness Outcase who wants to conceal - successfully hide the fact that you saw anything if questioned

Murderer Outcast who wants to reveal - tell a secret only you would know about the murder

Outcast Skill - 2 points: Reveal something about the environment that the other players haven’t noticed 

Once you’ve selected your role and fleshed out your character, assign yourself 10 motivation points. These will be used to do actions special to your character. If you run out of points, you can only perform standard actions. You gain points when you take an action that drives you towards one of your goals; the GM should privately communicate this to you, as you want to keep your roles secret .

Once the game begins, the GM will be responsible for describing the spaces you exist in. In each space, the GM should decide one clue from the murder that is hidden there. This could be hidden in the environment or knowledge held by an NPC. The players must find at least 75% of the clues and have a correct deduction to uncover the truth. However, to conceal the truth, the players still need to find 75% of clues, but make an incorrect deduction. Once your group exists in a space, play begins. It will cycle through each character, who may take one action during their turn. These actions are:

Investigate something in the environment

Ask questions to another character

Ask questions to an NPC

Use a skill

Move to a different environment (must specify where - this is your full action this turn)

Make an accusation

The game ends when the GM allows a player to make an accusation. Were they correct? What happens afterward?

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Playtest Notes:

Murder: Murderer whacked the victim (acclaimed mystery man Mr. Magician) with a comically large hammer during an argument, accidentally killing him. Hid the hammer in the lion cage, under a pillow (needs to be revealed by lion tamer), unlocked lion cage to try and make it look like an accident (doesn’t know → the lion didn’t actually eat anything)

Witness: In the next room over, heard the lion cage be unlocked → doesn’t know 

Family Member: Sibling of Mr. Magician, knows he was deathly afraid of the lion and would never open the cage itself

Setting: Clue-esque mansion owned by a magician, in a locked room (in room → table with cards, cabinet of mystery, sawing person-in-half, key to the lions cage hidden in the cabinet of mystery; next room → body, lion cage, bird cage, lion tamer) 

Notes: More structured, framework for GM, define more what can be investigated

To start, select a player to be the food critic. This player will not create any menus, but will act as the judge of the ones created by other players. If you are the food critic, you will have three stats: one major like, one major dislike, and one dietary restriction. You will roll for all of these using the provided options. Keep your results secret from the players - they shouldn’t know what your stats are! You may also choose a level of prestige and a platform for your critic (ex. acclaimed reporter vs. newbie social media influencer). 

Food Critic Likes - roll one d6 and select the corresponding like:

Food presentation

Menu variety

Taste quality

Desserts

Savory dishes

Drinks

Food Critic Dislikes - roll one d6 and select the corresponding dislike:

Fish

Spicy

Salty-sweet

Super sweet

Bitter

Carbonation

Food Critic Restrictions - roll one d6 and select the corresponding restriction:

Vegan

Lactose Intolerant

Gluten Free

Nut Allergy

Halal 

Pescatarian 

The other players will then roll for their establishment type and the theme of their menu. The type of establishment will affect the amount of chefs a restaurant has. Chefs are used to affect roles for what types of food can be made. The theme dictates what the food must appear to be like; if the menu doesn’t adhere to the theme, it will lose points in judging. 

Restaurant Types - roll a d6 and select the corresponding type:

Food Stand

Cafe

Fast Food

Diner 

Chain Family Restaurant

Fine Dining

Set your number of chefs to your roll plus 2

Restaurant Themes - roll a d6 and select the corresponding type:

Vampire

Pirate

Video Game

Dinosaur

Royal

Fairy

Once you have selected your theme and type, you may begin the creation phase. Players will have 15 minutes to design their menus. Menus may contain three different types of items: main courses, desserts, and drinks. Players may make one item for each chef that they have, although they do not need to make one for each chef. The distribution is up to the player - if you have 6 chefs you could have two dishes of each type, six drinks, or only two desserts if you really wanted. All of the food should fit into the theme, and you should keep the potential score modifiers of the critic in mind. Players should draw and name each item.