itch.io

If you like point and click adventure games and want a game with a dark atmosphere and great pacing - Rabbit Hill is for you. I played it it years ago and enjoyed it a lot. It won't take more than a few hours to play but the time is well spent. (Those birds did kick my ass though, lol)

omg, I'm about to tell you something crazy. I don't often compare one creators works to another's in comments unless its prompted. I know some folks don't like that. But when I saw "Yes, Matriarch" I automatically thought, "These themes and vibes are SO similar to that one game I saw recently: Lonely Number 4! I wonder if VItheSixth would enjoy that game..." but decided to stay quiet. So when I went to click on your comment and saw your creator page instead...lol. I do INDEED hope you'd enjoy Lonely Number 4 after all! It'd only be fitting, haha. 

This is definitely an interesting duet game with a fascinating world to explore.

For players that open a lot of games on a page all at once, I'd suggest adding to the gamepage that this is a duet game. So when they get to it that information is readily available. I say that because I know some players who come from outside of Itchio don't always check the tags.

Otherwise this is a very good setup, the green and black work well on the gamepage (recalls something classy but also moldy at the same time the way it creeps in on your header. Good for evoking decay). The doodles are GREAT. Very 90s indie comic or even something simple from the keenspace days. You put a LOT of heart and soul into this document and it just resounds with all the lore and character a game like this needs. I can't speak to playing it because I normally play solo games but I can definitely see a duo picking this up and really vibing with it.

This does the thing. When it said it would give cozy vibes I was like, "I don't know..." and then BLAM. Right away I could see the 1980s Ghibli-ness of it all. The itchio page has all of the information you need and the document itself is set up perfectly with that cover image to establish the tone and then the instructions flow so well. Easy to understand and at first I was like, "Oh, is that it?! No secret crazy mechanic?" but nope - it was off to the raises with ease and then you just GET it. It was charming and you have my seal of approval. 

THIS-IS-DARLING! 

100% Would ride in a hot air balloon with a Mothman wearing overalls. It's nice that he'd even want to invite me on his whirlwind of ballooning fun. 

For this game, I was intrigued by the premise and that introduction which sets the perfect tone for how players should approach the game. Really, This could be consolidated to a one page RPG or even a brochure format. It's minimalist, which isn't an issue. I even felt it spoke to how sparse and devoid the world may be of life. 

I think there are a few things that are missing which would make this a much more solid offering, though. 

One: you should mention that this is a solo ttrpg for prospective players (even though I think there's an opportunity here for asynchronous play with other players where you write letters or notes to them instead of your siblings). You should also explicitly state what kind of dice players should use. There are SO many. I know from experience that you're likely thinking of 1d6 but since the instructions state you need "a green die" and "you'll roll a die" someone can come in with 1d4 (and have a very easy time) or a 1d20 and weep continuously lol. You can encourage players to try other dice but there really should be an optimal one for the experience you'd like to offer. The last bit was the dormant and wild portion. I understand leaving it up to the players imaginations but if the garden turns dormant...do you keep playing out the full 12 months/12 turns (I assume, too, that you weren't encouraging players to journal 365 letters in order to play) and can it come back? If the Garden is wild...do you stop then too? If it's 1d6 I'm assuming you can't even have a roll where it gets still yours to tend. As a player I'd ask that question for sure. Cause you may wish for the player to start again and just keep playing but that isn't stated in the instructions. 

I still like the look of it all though. So simple and straightforward in concept. Very easy to grasp and the mechanics aren't labored. I can see this one as being very friendly to first time solo ttrpg players with some tweaks. 

A simple game with a rich premise for those wishing to reflect on nature, gardening, and sustaining. 

I wasn't sure how I'd feel about it, with all that red it was either going to be spot on or have more style than content but you completed this with just the right notes. I love the idea of the Hostess and the Diner and these people who can't sleep getting mixed up in supernatural shenanigans. I do wish that the encounters had a bit of a pivot because it focuses on combat when I think there's a side to this that isn't just fighting. I also wish that resolve was more fleshed out, it seems it works as a kind of defense but the section on it didn't spell that out explicitly and I think for those learning your system it would have been helpful. 

Otherwise, for a lite system it DOES THE THING. You packed a lot of flavor, sparks, seeds, and all that jazz into this one and the fact that it's lite seems...correct? Like a full-fledged book might be overdoing it and the menu type styling or setup worked well. That said, I can see you easily making a print version of this for cons or something.

A lite system that offers the chance to recreate some of your favorite creepy podcasts like Alice Isn't Dead, The Magnus Archives, or even Mayfair Watchers Society. 

You put a lot of work and thought into this game. You're giving potential players a way to look at zombies from several different angles. I know it's supposed to be kind of silly too but there's also a way in which the game can be approached as tragic or melancholy/brutal as well. In fact, with the survivors there's really an element of bloodthirstiness baked in (and I don't mean the zombies feasting, lol). The document is well designed and easily readable. The green is just the right color to keep things legible and comfortable for the eye. Your use of the storefront page is smart and tells potential players EXACTLY what they're getting into, which is very important. 

The mechanics of losing body parts and augmentation is a good one and allows for some agency during session. I'm not sure the GM portion is necessarily needed since it doesn't have much elaboration. By that I mean there's no section really focused on them, their role, and how they can really help the game. However that's just a small critique because I think the group taking turns deciding things works better with your system - but I also see if from the perspective of...an experienced GM/DM will take this concept and really throw a group for a loop so...why not? 

Good work overall! 

If you want to have an interesting solo play session or group foray with friends in a world where you're a part of the zombie horde - this one is for you. There's a lot more going on here than feasting on the living, which will make for interesting playthroughs!

Heaven love a game that really twists a concept and that's what you have here. Perfectly evocative where it needs to be without complex mechanics and presentation. I found it all to be very charming. The opening instructions made my eyes twirl a little bit with the boxes but I still find it all interesting. Also - I appreciate the digital edition with the link and everything. Shows you're really thinking about accessibility. Smart stuff!

There's a hint of "cursed technology" in this ttrpg that's kind of compelling. Do you own a simple digital pet or is something else going on? I guess the player will need to decide.

Great use of the store page to entice players to play the game. The red, blue, and white work well together as a color palette and within the game document the use of the emoticons was VERY smart.The system is solid and is smartly designed to add layers and replayability. My critique is that the document gets a little drab or it goes on compared to how it starts. As in it stops engaging the eye as much. You can fix that by peppering in an additional cat silhouette on a page or two to bring things up. Otherwise a thumbs up from me!

An excellent game for cat fans near and far. It's almost like you're playing "Cat Cam the Game". A ttrpg full of heart and whiskers! 

I was greatly impressed by this collection of spells. Imaginative and not just the normal druid dominion-over-nature type of thing. Really geared towards working WITH the natural world and its facets. 

A verdant collection of spells that can level-up magic beyond the usual spark-blam-conquer mindset. Good for solarpunk and environment-centric campaigns and systems, while adding interesting layers to others.

In a way we are all always birds just collecting things. This is such a fun and imaginative game. It's really something I can also see families doing together. Like taking the little ones to a park, beach, campgrounds, etc. and being Bowers for an hour or two with ziploc bags. Almost like a scavenger hunt but also just exploring the world together.

This is so flipping cute! I love the look of it all and you can totally see the Carle influence. I also think this could work well as a solo drawing game too! 

There's a typo in the "How to Play" section. I think "...crete a unique location..." is supposed to be "...create a unique location...". 

Under "They..." there may be a few typos as well. Number Four is already past tense so it should be "Had someone steal from them" instead of "Had someone stole from them" or just have it as "Someone stole from them".  Number Nine should either be " Ran away from an important situation" or "Is running away from an important situation". Number 11 should be corrected to read "Made a selfish choice". Number Fourteen has "Chated to avoid responsibility" but maybe should be "Cheated to avoid responsibility".

Okay, all that out of the way. I know editing help can be a DRAG, especially when you may not have a second pair of eyes, so it's good to help each other out when we see it. 

But I love this! I love games like this. A little journaling. Prompting. A story. This is very much in the lyrical realm of solo ttrpgs and I can even see people playing it in a group by taking on different roles in the tavern (The cook, the bartender, the waiter or waitress, or even the bard that stays there) if they wanted to. It looks like you made the art for this too?! OMG love the painterly look of that sky behind the tavern. Did you make the image first and then base your game around it or make the game then do the image for it? I also dig the hand lettering on that tavern sign. It's all very evocative for players while keeping the game world open. 

When I woke up today it was still dark outside. One look out of the window told me why - underground city, so no sun. I made sure to set-up the lanterns before opening for business. 

A thief dragged himself into the tavern and wouldn't even look me in the eye. Just sat down and tossed me some kind of metal coin (I don't even know what it's worth. I hope an appraiser stops in one of these days. I have a LOT of coins I can't identify saved up again). 

I'm still a pretty good judge when it comes to drinks in these situations. A little Lichen Wine got him to open up about what's been weighing on him. The city's king of thieves gave him a task and he cut corners to get out of it. The job isn't done but he's not ready to try again or own up to it. Too afraid to correct it. Poor guy. I pour him another shot on the house. 

The Penguins animated series was insane but also a fun time and I love that you made a zine about it. Do I recognize any of the quotes? No. But a zine is about the person making it and the subject, and not the audience (which I will eternally adore about zines). In this one I like your use of color blocking throughout and the handwritten black text. Great contrast and easy to read. The penguin illustrations look like stickers but I can't tell if they are...? It all feels very true to the subject and sincere all at once.

Valid.

I'm so confused about that one part - spore recombination? Can two different species of fungi's spores come together and just...become something?! I don't know a lot about fungi and I may have misunderstood that part. 

The zine reminded me of the posterboards we'd make in school about a topic. Offering interesting facts and trivia without belaboring a topic. And also functioning as a good springboard for questions with the posterboard's maker. 

A true zine offering facts and sparking questions about fungi

Definitely good to read for interested players or even for getting ideas for your own games/campaigns! 

This would have been perfect for the Anti-capitalist Jam next month! 

It's ironic that I was reading up on some of the real world examples just today. Like the Diggers of yesteryear and their kind of radical agrarian push to have food available to everyone in a community. I think injecting ideas and movements like that into ttrpgs makes sense. Also I just love zines in general. Thank you for making and sharing this! I hope others get inspired! 

I'm so happy to hear that you enjoyed it! Sorry Pepper ruined your Legacy but three arcs is a good run. I'm glad you liked my mechanics addition.

And thank you for creating such a flexible and imaginative system. This comment made my day!

The aesthetic here is so on point. The animal faces are like stickers you'd use in one of those "track your trip to the zoo" books for kids (not sure if zoos still make them). Great color choices and that template is too cute! 

I'm so glad to hear that! I believe in a good jam when you see great content you should say something.I hope everyone sees more you in the future. 

I - SUPPORT - THIS. I love projects like your zine. Where people have had a great campaign or playthrough and want to memorialize it by turning it into a keepsake zine, artbook, album, etc. In this case, this is what zines are all about. They should be personal and impersonal at the same time. You were able to give a lot of information about the world and the art really fit. 

I think this one would also fit the Lean Green Zine Jam going on right now as well. You might consider joining that one too.

An insightful and bespoke memento zine of a campaign. Gives a glimpse into the world your group had to contend with and explore. I always enjoy zines like this one.

Thank you, I would love that! ^_^

Very ambitious! I bet you could do it for sure. But I do like your other idea about making zine expansions to help you get to that point. It sounds like Sghorbi has a lot ideas nestled into. Is there more to the story of Sghorbi than we get to see? 

I think this is the only game that has used the zine format thus far but it really works here. It looks like you're offering GM/DMs a lot of tools to make this work with whatever system they're using, which was a surprise (zines are usually so sparse). The Point-Crawl concept was new to me so that was particularly interesting. It did look like the illustrations were done by hand and then scanned? Drawn using like a felt-tip marker maybe? Not sure but I like what they add to the visuals. You stayed very true to the jam's concept and I enjoyed the result. 

The only critique I'd give is to break up the words for the pdf file. So that if a player needs to search for it in a folder they can easily use the search function in Windows and whatever system browser they're using. Also the name of the game is "Curse of the Witch Meat" but the file says "Curse of the WitchES Meat". Otherwise, great work! 

A quick zine offering ideas for a curse-filled campaign or adventure. Very modifiable with cute hand-drawn artwork! 

The game that birthed the jam! Thank you so much for hosting this and using your inspiration to inspire others. While I do wish the document mentioned GMing a bit more I think a GM that knows what they're doing will have a great time with their players. The art evokes the world (It reminded me of the gameboy Final Fantasy Legends or even Phantasy Star, a mix of fantasy and sci-fi) effectively and with your penchant for expressiveness. Having it available right on the game page is really smart too, you can give people a chance to really see how they feel about it first. 

The theme of being a "bastard" or being rebellious directly informed how I approached my own game's story, but I also love how it just makes your game so mischievous. Great job! 

Simple and yet complex at the same time. A good GM or SB (Sghorbi Bastard) would be able to make this sing like a stradivarius - it's a good starting point for those who don't want to learn a 100 page gamemaster guide and then another 100 page player's guide. 

Love this! The art and the vibe perfectly line up with experience you're offering players. I can even see players being able to just draw their gnomes on the fly before they begin playing with the illustrations as examples. There's something punk about it...but also whimsical? Anywho, the storepage design is really good too. For a first game on itch.io this is a really good start!