silent
A downloadable game
I wake on a muddy bank in the dark, dripping wet, my clothes and hair clinging unpleasantly to my skin, and know nothing as cold as I am could possibly still live. Well, damn. What now?
Silent is a small experimental journaling game (as in, writing with dice). It is intended to be lightweight and simple, very fiction forward, while supporting a full journey and demanding choices. It's the product of a lot of time spent trying to figure out what inspires me to actually put pen to paper, and of sorting out what I want under the big umbrella of "journaling games".
This is a prototype, one I'm still tinkering with and iterating on. Early playtests have been solid, inspiring me to write more than I have in a long time. I think you'll be pleased with it, too.
If the theme of being a ghost in the afterlife is too heavy for you (it's a little too heavy for me, too), I'm working on another theme for it. You'll find that here, so if you prefer a gritty game of thrones to a reflective game of ghosts, check that out.
Download
Click download now to get access to the following files:
Comments
Log in with itch.io to leave a comment.
I had a very enjoyable play session with this game. I found myself telling a rather dark Gothic tale about a murdered lover co-haunting the crumbling ruins of an old estate, with the ghost of the spoiled, impetuous Lordling who murdered me. Quite an intriguing scenario of supernatural tension.
As my own play style becomes more and more freeform, I find myself most interested in the tables and prompts that a game provides. The situations, events, and characters suggested by the prompts in this game are rich, and also darkly emotive. There are some heavy themes to explore here. I think that this game has the potential to function as a kind of psychotherapeutic exercise, by providing an imaginative environment in which to process difficult emotions and themes. Games like this show how much unexplored potential there is in the field of roleplaying game design. It's a challenge to the player, to confront unsettling thoughts and feelings.
A game can mean much more to the player than mere entertainment, and this game felt like it became a kind of personal exploration. The themes may not resonate with everyone, but for the right person at the right time I think it has the potential to be a profound experience.