Cellar, Lichen, and Space Banjos

A pay-what-you-want collection containing three games for the 36-word TTRPG Jam

CELLAR

A Game of Slow Survival

BENEATH THE OLD CHURCH, THE VILLAGE WAITS FOR SPRING

Cellar is a journaling TTRPG for one or more players inspired by Moominland Midwinter, Frostpunk, and the concept of jars. You'll need a (shuffled) standard 52-card deck and some way to record information, such as a journal, a shared doc, or just your voice echoing in an empty room. It is ideally played indoors or underground, in colder months of the year.

LICHEN

A Meditation on Decay

REMEMBER WHAT MATTERS. FORGET WHAT DOES NOT.

Lichen is a one- (or perhaps zero-?) player game inspired by Entangled Life, The Dispossessed, and the occasional feeling of crushing despair due to recent political events. You need nothing but a willingness to memorize a few rules (or to internalize a vibe) to enable you to play with your eyes closed.

This experience makes heavy use of visual imagination: There is no incorrect way to do this. Losing track of details, getting lost in a moment, and elaborating on the framework are all not only allowed, but a part of the game. 

If you are someone who struggles with visual imagination, such as a person with any degree of aphantasia, I encourage you to draw or journal your experiences with this game instead - however you wish to engage with it is valid. Also, feel free ignore the instruction to close your eyes, as that can increase the effect of aphantasia in some people.

SPACE BANJOS

LISTEN TO BANJOS. DREAM OF STARS.

Space Banjos is a TTRPG for one or more players about traveling the stars, inspired by Hardspace Shipbreaker, Firefly, and the ragged desire for an honest living spent being useful. You'll need at least 1d6, a place to keep track of some skills, and some appropriate music.

If you reach the end of the game's progression and still want more, I recommend retiring your character somewhere to give them the send-off they deserve before making a new one.

Credits

Design, Writing, and Art by Matthew Marsland
Additional Reviews by Pip Andersen and Jordan Reece

Thanks to the hosts of the 36-word TTRPG Jam - there's some really clever and creative stuff in there; give the submissions a look if you haven't already!

And thank you, dear reader, for making it this far! If you find the games interesting, please do let me know what you think.