Just Passing Through

Just Passing Through is a cozy fantasy inspired, gm-less duet armchair role playing game. It tells the story of two childhood friends coming back together after one has gone off on grand quests with an adventuring party, and one has stayed at home, living a life that may be more ordinary, but is no less beautiful as a result. As the Voyager passes through town, they stop to visit the Villager. As the old friends share a cup of tea, they pick up where they left off.

Folklore is created through oral tradition passed down over time; this is a game about planting the seeds of future stories. Folklore influences the choices that people make. The adventures of the Voyager have been big, or important, or interesting. The life of the Villager has been special, or satisfying, or introspective. There is value in the stories from both spaces; both could be the origin of something wondrous. Any story from this conversation could become the story that is passed down and remembered.  

You Will Need

• A deck of playing cards with jokers
• Two players with enough time for a conversation
• A comfortable space to sit together
• An easy way for both players to access the game book
• A warm beverage for each player
• The safety tool(s) of your choice

I recommend this list of safety tools from Drama Dice; it offers several options that could be a good fit for your game, including Lines & Veils and Tone Conversation. Because this game shares some overlap with LARP in the way it is structured, you may also want to take a look at Nordic LARP's Safety and Calibration Tools. A few specific recommendations are listed in the game doc. 

This game was created for Folklore Jam 2024, focusing on the stories we tell ourselves and each other, and how those stories shape our choices. Stories and legends, worked into our lives, can shape and change meaning, or guide our choices. An illustrated edition is in the works, with some potential prompt revisions.    

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It’s been a long time since you visited your hometown. There’s always been some task or another keeping you away - a grand adventure, slaying monsters, protecting your traveling companions, solving mysteries, keeping the darkness at bay. But today, you’ve found yourself passing through this hometown. There is an old friend, a kindred soul, who you miss dearly. They’ve told you before that their home is always open to you. And so, in want of a friendly face and a comfortable chair, you knock on their door…

~~~~~

You’re not sure when you stopped feeling like a fledgling sparrow and began to feel like a wise old owl, but maybe the timeline is not important. In adulthood, you’ve established yourself as a well-respected member of the community. You’ve never been one for glory, but you’ve found it after all: To take pride in your life, and the choices you’ve made, and to live each day content with your corner of the world. You always keep your tea set ready, in case a neighbor or friend needs a calm afternoon and a listening ear. And today, there is a knock on your door…

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Cover art is A Traveller and His Dog by Anthonie Waterloo, in the public domain via the Metropolitan Museum of Art's digital collections. Cover font is Kingthings Calligraphica 2.