The art is absolutely beautiful, of course, but the premise and the writing completely made me want to play it. The concept of cooperation is beautiful! It’s such a brilliant twist on stories about wandering through a desert full of scarcity. My sincere congratulations, Jennifer!
Once I understood the mechanics, I found them quite good and really fun. Although you suggest taking it a little more lightly when playing solo, I decided to understand well the rules and play it as you intended. I had a great time drawing cards from both decks, keeping track of when I was the Tamer and when I was playing as the Storm.
That said, I had to read through the rules very carefully several times, and my initial impression is that you leave certain concepts a little too ambiguous. The biggest problem I encountered was with the way to calculate the event that occurs. But once you get your head around them, it’s a lot of fun.
I especially loved the promises. They’re such a gorgeous way of bringing me back from the mechanics into the fiction, coming up with heartfelt promises when the events are beneficial, or desperate pleas when a difficult event threatens to bring harsh consequences.
Playing it as a duo must be an even more wonderful experience. :)