A game of world-building and interpretive block construction for a small crew of wanderers exploring a post-apocalyptic world.
Crumbling structures from before the collapse can be found here, some small and some large, but most everywhere has become overgrown, buried in windblown dust, or sunken into wet earth.
This world may be one we recognize, or it may be somewhere else entirely. Throughout the game, you’ll build your world incrementally by exploring the wilderness, telling its story bit by bit, and building ruined structures to encounter and interpret.
To play this game, you’ll need:
First, as a group, choose one World Question to answer together. Try to make your answer detailed and vivid, like the opening scene of a movie, but keep it limited to the question you’re answering. This is a good chance to establish something that makes this world unique or distinctive. Further questions will be answered as the story unfolds.
Each question is followed by a “talk about” prompt in parentheses. Keep this in mind for when you start Exploring the World, but don’t worry about it just yet.
Each player will portray one of the wanderers in your small party. Each person should come up with a name and pronouns and choose a simple role that their character plays in the group. Roles can be things like:
scout, hunter, forager, cook, tracker, navigator, doctor, storyteller, historian, guardian, engineer, relic keeper, torchbearer, equipment manager, seer, envoy, seismologist
Keep your roles simple and broad, and don’t worry too much yet about who or what you might be tracking, what ingredients you cook with, etc. These things should arise naturally as you explore and answer questions.
While your characters are exploring, you (the players) will be assembling the next structure that they’ll encounter on their trek. Each World Question that you answer (including the one you chose during Setup) will provide a conversation prompt that you can follow while you’re building the next structure. You may also choose to quietly ponder the topic instead, imagining your character’s thoughts and considering the world they inhabit.
To construct a building, first place a single block flat in the middle of the building surface. Then, take turns rolling a d6 and adding a new block to the current structure, following the rules outlined below. As you build, chat with each other (either in character or out) about the topic provided by the most recently answered World Question; what your characters think about it, how it fits into their lives, how it’s affecting them as they travel, etc.