Humanity’s grand era is drawing to a close, not with a bang, but with a peaceful twilight. In this interlude, life finds its own rhythm, families grow, and a new world is quietly born from the old. This is the setting for Twilight Song, a captivating map-making and storytelling game that invites you to explore this poignant transition.
Serene World in Twilight Song
In Twilight Song, you step into the shoes of an immortal narrator, a being existing alongside humanity but untouched by the relentless march of time. Are you a creation of humanity’s ingenuity, an AI or lab-grown individual? Or perhaps something older, a mysterious entity emerging from the shadows of the past? Your origins are yours to define. What remains constant is your immortality, your unique perspective as you witness humanity’s twilight age. You become a chronicler, a guide, a friend, an explorer – your immortal life unfolds as you choose within this era of quiet transformation.
Inspired by the gentle, reflective sci-fi manga Yokohama Shopping Log by Ashinano Hitoshi, Twilight Song captures the beauty of fading worlds and resilient life. It also draws inspiration from the mechanics of The Quiet Year by Avery Alder, adapting its map-game structure to tell a story not of immediate post-collapse survival, but of reflection and acceptance in the face of inevitable change. Twilight Song offers a unique narrative experience, focusing on personal stories against the backdrop of a world in gentle decline.
Setting Up Your Twilight Song Game
Getting started with Twilight Song is simple and engaging. Begin by sketching the narrator’s home and community onto a map. Populate this world with landmarks, remnants of a bygone era, and the subtle details that bring your setting to life. Next, define your narrator. What is their personality? What kind of life do they lead? What customs have they embraced or left behind? This initial world-building sets the stage for your unfolding narrative.
The gameplay of Twilight Song revolves around narrating short episodes from your narrator’s life. Each episode is prompted by cards drawn from the Season Oracle, presenting events and questions to guide your storytelling. For each prompt, you choose an action:
- Open Your Senses: Immerse yourself in the immediate experiences of your narrator, focusing on sensory details and the present moment.
- Learn Something: Explore the world and its people, delving into the history, culture, and relationships that shape this twilight society.
- Make a Plan: Focus on the practicalities of life, the rituals, routines, and small adventures that fill your narrator’s days.
As you progress through the game, each year concludes with a time jump, ranging from a single night to an entire generation. This progression continues until the Season Oracle deck is depleted, marking the natural conclusion of your Twilight Song narrative.
Twilight Song Game Components
Twilight Song is available in multiple formats to suit your needs. The downloadable .zip archive includes:
- A comprehensive, full-color 26-page rulebook for immersive reading and detailed gameplay guidance.
- A print-friendly version containing the oracles and a concise play summary for easy reference during sessions.
- A Mobile Play Resource, offering both oracles and a rules summary optimized for digital devices, perfect for on-the-go gaming.
- .txt files of the rules and oracles, ensuring accessibility for screen readers.
- playingcards.io imports, allowing for seamless virtual play.
For those seeking a darker, more unsettling narrative, Midnight Signal serves as a pastoral weird horror playset for Twilight Song. This expansion (requires the base Twilight Song game) plunges your immortal narrator into an oppressive setting filled with unsettling strangeness woven into the fabric of ordinary life. Survive the long night, navigate deepening mysteries, and strive for the dawn of a better world. Midnight Signal introduces new Season and Interval Oracles, along with subtle adjustments to the core Twilight Song gameplay, offering a distinct and compelling experience.
Twilight Song is more than just a game; it’s an invitation to contemplate endings, transitions, and the enduring spirit of life in the face of change. Purchase Twilight Song today and begin crafting your unique story in this beautiful twilight world.
Buy Now$10.00 USD or more
