#journaling games

[sicarix]

Mnesis by sicarix

A game about being a Monster who eats Memories

Mnesis is out now!

It's a solo/2-3 player 2-page ttrpg, where you play as a Monster who eats Memories, as represented by Birthday Candles.

It's also a game about otherness, about connection, about exploring how what we choose to hold on to changes us for good or for ill.

Big thanks to my very good friend @takataapui for encouraging me and helping me playtest <3

[s-che]

Parasitic Games

So I've been rewatching Gravity Falls, right? And reading the Book of Bill, of course. And also playing a lot of Cultist Simulator? Which is a weird one but also a very specific combination of vibes.

Anyway I blacked out and finally wrote a twin pair of journaling games, A CALAMITOUS COINCIDENCE and THE ALCHEMIST. I wrote them in my dark basement research center (apartment) while remembering only occasionally to fulfill my obligations to the outside world (still going to work, I guess) while attempting to string together the clues and assemble, at last, my magnum opus (get them on the actual page, or screen I guess).

Anyway, let's do some normal ad copy.

Calamitous Coincidence is based on stories of lonely investigators, clever children, and inescapable tragedy (like A Series of Unfortunate Events, The Mysterious Benedict Society, and Gravity Falls) while The Alchemist lets you jump right in to bullshit esoteric thinking inspired by absolute freaks like John Dee and Aleister Crowley (or Cultist Simulator and Susanna Clarke's Piranesi, which are the reasons I actually wrote it).

I'm really putting that religion degree to good work, huh?

Both games give you the tools you need to figure out who you are in the world, what you're looking for, and where you think you'll find it -- neither give you the answers you're looking for. You'll have to find those yourself.

Both games are prototypes, currently available on Patreon for anyone paying $3 or more. As always with my patreon stuff, I extremely, extremely encourage you to sign up for a month, download the stuff you're interested interested in, and then cancel. It still means a lot.

Both games have been setting my brain on fire for the last month and a half, and I'm glad to get them out into the world (even if they are still a little broken).

I hope you like them:)

[tyhulse]

Art by Wuguo https://www.deviantart.com/wuguo/art/--924799170

[sekanii]

I started playing Thousand Year Old Vampire! And by "started playing" I mean I spent 30 minutes creating and sketching my vampire on the first page of the journal.

This is Avery! She's an aspiring entomologist and conducts her research in a secluded estate in the outskirts of Dover, England, in 1850. Also I love her very much, not relevant to the story I just do.

[junkfoodgames]

Had a great experience at DC Zinefest over the weekend.

I ran a workshop on solo journaling games with two other local designers. We had a great turnout of about 25 people and I think most left with a lot of interest in journaling games. We gave an overview of journaling games and then broke out into smaller groups to demo games and allow folks to experience them. And then ended with a debrief of play and a q&a.

And then got to check out the Zinefest tables and picked up a bunch of cool stuff and did some zine trades too.

And got some pesto ramen for lunch nearby

[noxether]

The Cozy Equinox Bundle is LIVE!

Celebrate the change of seasons with this nice, cozy, equinox bundle on itch.io! 30 items including books, games, poetry, and my zine on How To Brew A Nice Cup Of Tea. The bundle runs until Sept 27th, come and get it! ➡️ https://tinyurl.com/COZY-2025 ⬅️ [Image description: Reeds gently sway along the breeze under a pale blue sky. Text reads, "30 items for 30 USD. Cozy Equinox Bundle, Sept 21 to Sept 27" and the URL the post links to. /end]

Posted using PostyBirb

[canisolothat]

Can I Solo Apothecaria?

Apothecaria is a solo journaling game where you play a witch making potions to fix their neighbors' ailments. Vibes: cozy.

Core gameplay loop: draw a card to determine ailment; go foraging for ingredients and draw cards to determine if you find them in time and what happens along the way; deliver potion and get paid; upgrade house and gear.

This is right on the edge of how much "make all the story yourself" I'll tolerate in a game. It is, I will admit, a bunch of random tables, but the random tables are very flavorful and there is an underlying story. The foraging system does involve a little bit of tactical thinking, enough to make it interesting, and the possibility of upgrading the house and gear provides goals to work toward.

The mechanics solidly match the vibes; gameplay does feel relaxed and cozy, as promised. There are time limits on some things, but they're not too restrictive.

I think this would be even more fun for someone who likes to draw; you could really make a beautiful journal. Similarly, I think this is probably a great game to own in physical form—the rulebook also serves as a beautiful in-world prop.

It also came with a soundtrack for all the different locales! Love that. Very immersive.

Wishes: any way to determine who the patients are, like a table of villagers to roll on. As a professional GM, naming NPCs from nothing is the bane of my existence. I don't really want to do it recreationally.

Did I have fun? Yes!

Would I play it again? Yes, but probably not often.

Would I recommend it? Yes!