itch.io

This game is an outstanding instance of Breathless. If you need to feel the danger and continuous tension and adrenaline of a dungeon crawl, this is definitely the game to look for!

I’d use notes right after the ? line and before the answer I can’t recommend anything more specific, I don’t have access to that specific oracle

I usually embed the notation in a code block to prevent this!

You got it totally right!

As for the expansion… I actually drafted a “Beyond the Void” expansion with many rules like “passengers transport”, “market competition” and “fleet management”

Since my schedule is very packed I don’t plan to release it till next year, but I loaded the text in a shared gdocs, you can find it here:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1giKYO-ZWM6zGUfm0g5zpt4Ire0XfkGwk7UyBsaenl2I/edit?usp=sharing

any feedback is very welcomed!

Thank you!

Thank you! That’s what I was aiming for!

Thanks for the feedback! The Oracle actually comes from the Breathless SRD, so I didn’t write that part myself, but I also find it quite useful. I’d be happy to clarify how it works for you if you’d like.

Nice!

It’s coming in the next weeks/months. Draft is complete, but my typesetting queue is quite packed

Thank you!

Thanks for the detailed feedback! Really appreciate you taking the time to read through it carefully.

1. Links in the doc - I’m not quite sure I understand what you mean here. Could you clarify what kind of links you’re looking for and where? The doc is meant to be standalone and system-agnostic, so I want to make sure I understand the suggestion before considering it.

2. +/- notation for tag changes - I like that! Using [N:Jonah|+captured] or [N:Jonah|-wounded] is definitely clearer than just [N:Jonah|captured] when you want to show incremental changes. That’s a nice extension of the notation—feel free to use it! As with everything in the system, if it makes your logs clearer, adopt it. The notation is flexible, so anyone can adapt it as they see fit.

3. Mythic GME random events (doubles below Chaos Factor) - Are you asking how to record the random event when it triggers, or how to track whether it’s likely to trigger? Just want to make sure I understand before I give you a good answer!

If you mean recording the event itself, I’d use:

? Is the merchant trustworthy?
d: Fate chart d100=33 (Chaos 5) => Yes
(note: rolled doubles below CF - random event!)
gen: Mythic Event d100=45,78 => NPC Action / Betray
=> The merchant nods yes, but I notice him signal to someone in the back.
[N:Merchant|duplicitous]

4. PC stats tracking - In my logs, I only track variable stats in tags (HP, ammo, status conditions). Static stuff like your Strength score or skill bonuses I keep in a separate character sheet.

That said, you can absolutely track everything if you want! Some people do [PC:Alex|STR 16|DEX 14|HP 20|Gear:Sword,Shield] on first mention. It’s really about what serves your play—the notation is flexible and anyone can adapt it as they see fit to match their specific needs.

Let me know if I can clarify anything else!

Great question! Prompt-based journaling games like Wretched & Alone and Carta work a bit differently, but the notation adapts well. I see two main approaches:

Option 1: Using the mechanics symbol d: to note the prompt draw

This treats the prompt as a mechanical element that triggers the journaling:

S1 *Day 3, supplies running low*

d: Draw card: 7♠ - "A sound in the distance"
=> I hear scraping metal beyond the walls. 
My hands shake as I write this.
The sound is getting closer.

d: Tower token check => FAIL (6 tokens placed)
[Tower:Stability 6/10]

Option 2: Using a custom symbol like gen: or tab:

For systems where the prompt IS the core mechanic:

S1 *Day 3, supplies running low*

tab: 7♠ - "A sound in the distance"
=> I hear scraping metal beyond the walls.
My hands shake as I write this.
The sound is getting closer.

d: Tower check => FAIL (6 tokens placed)
[Tower:Stability 6/10]

For Carta-style games (map exploration):

S1 *Entering the ruins*

tab: 3♦ - Forest tile - "Ancient stones"
[L:Stone Circle|mysterious|overgrown]
=> I discover a clearing with weathered standing stones.
Moss covers strange symbols I cannot read.

? Are there signs of recent visitors?
-> Yes, but... (low roll)
=> Fresh flowers at the base, but whoever left them is long gone.
[Thread:Mysterious Visitor|Open]

Both approaches work! The first keeps everything within the existing notation, the second makes prompt draws visually distinct if your game is heavily prompt-driven.

The key is: use what serves your play. If you develop a format that works well for you, I’d love to see it. Prompt-based games are definitely an area where the community could help expand the examples!

I’m flattered to be compared to such big names, so thanks!

Thank you!

Thank you! I’ll inspect the issue asap

I also have difficulty with complex wargames, which is why I’ve been playing around with this ultra-minimal skirmish. Keep me posted!

here is the web version:

https://roamersofthedream.zotiquestgames.com/

Thank you!

Thank you!

It’s an excellent implementantion of the fantasy game!

Wow, that’s excellent! May I link this in the game page?

This error comes verbatim from the Nomadic SRD, you should tell them also

This game is on an entire different level of the usual Breathless game. I am amazed at the detail of the world building in this. It is a steal to offer it PWYW, it is worth much more

A little demo or some screenshots of the interior would be great to evaluate this before buying

thank you! I used the layout of the deprecated Italian edition and a little fragment survived out of place!

outstanding hack and incredible layout work!

not for now I’m afraid

Indeed it was a typo, a remnant of the first version of the game that as Ed Brannin pointed out comes from the Oracle of Fari Games

I’ve just released the fixed version

Kal-Arath is such an excellent game! Flattered you considered the switch!

Sure thing! Later this week, though. Currently afk

Love this insight in your design work!

Thank you!

Great! Thank you!

Sure! Please link your channel in the comment below, I’m just curious!

The Discord server is not anymore

Reading this was incredibly moving. Thank you for holding We Were Here Once with such care and clarity—it means a lot to see it living in someone else’s hands and imagination like this. The idea that play can be a container for grief, not an escape from it, resonates deeply with why I made the game. Vashelek’s story, as you’ve told it here, carries a quiet dignity and warmth even in its final moments. That balance between loss and agency, collapse and creation, is exactly the space I hope we can keep exploring—together, and in our own time. Thank you again for this thoughtful reflection.

Thank you! Inspiring except too!

Thank you!

Thank you! How interesting is this pitch of yours! Keep me posted if you are going to play it