Week 8, part 2: starting rules for Sunbright Dynamo

These are the rules of Sunbright Dynamo (temp title?), the second game in the set starting with Stone Words Walk (see the previous devlog for the latest rules for that game).

This is a map-game about journeys, specifically about defining the first travel through that route.

This game's a bit simpler than the last one; also, these starting rules are rough and hacked together. Hopefully I'll redesign them soon!

Playing the game

Like with Stone Words Walk, I used an A6 writing pad for playtests, one spread per journey.

Step 1: Check your inventory

Make a list of your supplies and possessions and their condition (just a few things).

Step 2: Plot the route

1. roll a d6 to determine how many “Passages” long the route is
2. take d6s equal to the number of Passages and drop onto the paper
   • if they're too close together or far apart, move them further/closer until they take up most of the page/spread area
3. draw a single line connecting every die—this is the route, each line between two dice is a Passage, and the sum of the dice at either end is the Difficulty (needs a better term) of that Passage; write the number somewhere along the Passage's line

Choose which end of the route is the start, and give each Passage a name.

Step 3: Travel the route

For each Passage, roll 2d6 against the its Difficulty:

• if the roll is lower, the path is difficult (confusing, dangerous, wearying, temporarily blocked, etc.); annotate the map with a detail along the Passage and either:
  • use things from your inventory to bypass the problem and complete the Passage, or
  • roll again on this Passage
• if the roll is equal or higher, the path goes easy and you finish the Passage; annotate the map with a detail seen/heard/otherwise sensed from afar anywhere on the map and continue to the next Passage

Step 4: Tally your expenses

When you reach the end of the route, list the costs of travelling through this land (the changes in your inventory).

Some extra thoughts

Firstly, this is rougher and much less tested than Stone Words Walk was at the time I started Archipelago23.

Secondly, there's a bunch of things that're kinda left hanging or semi-undefined. What counts as part of your inventory? What about your character's knowledge or skills? What about prior knowledge or other travellers? Should there be a special result if you roll equal to the Passage's Difficulty (also, what should “Difficulty” actually be called)?

Third, I'm not really sure about the inventory stuff. One of my first priorities is figuring out some other way to bypass difficult Passages that makes sense in context but doesn't involve this kinda self-imposed puzzle-solution mechanic. I have another game in the set where that kinda approach would be fine, but I want this game to eventually be more about your connection to and experience of the land you're travelling through, not bringing in tools from outside and using them to Overcome Obstacles™.

What next?

Next week I'm gonna be doing the first week of journey maps as I travel across an alien world!