This is a fun game, but the new layout is really confusing. It felt like steps were left out; when I downloaded the old one, the instructions are a lot more clear.
The new one almost feels like pages 2 and 5 are describing completely different modes of play. It doesn't really mention referring to the tables to guide your story, so reading it front to back in order to understand how to play is simply confusing.
Also the Relationships table on page 6 has a transparent background which makes it difficult to read. The game itself is fun once you actually figure out the gameplay though.
Edit: Could you speak to why you removed the 2-player rules in the new edition? Seems like something that should be included since you already put the work in.
This is an excellent story game that works fantastic in an educational setting. I’ve run this game with high schoolers to create a shared mythology together as a class.
The generation of story can be daunting, but the oracles provided constrain and prompt the imagination in interesting ways.
We played this remotely with the help of some online tools last year. It's a fantastic system for storytelling and worldbuilding, and I feel that you could use this game as a writing exercise.
I don't think I'm built for anything that involves storytelling, so I really appreciate how flexible the rules were (explicitly having the option to skip my turn was very reassuring to me). Drawing the constellation map (we chose to have a colorful one) and having prompts/archetypes helped a lot, as was the collaborative nature of connecting characters and events. Overall it was a very relaxing experience, I enjoyed it a lot!
Told By Starlight is a mythology-building and star-drawing tabletop game for multiple players.
It's 11 pages, with a gorgeous cover and cool evocative interior illustrations.
Mechanically, Starlight is pretty simple, but its structure is solid. You draw constellations on a shared map, tell stories using a deck of cards and also the audience for prompts, and you stop when everyone feels their mythology is complete.
Overall, I think this is maybe an amazing utility for building a cosmology for a fantasy game, but it also seems like a fun, pretty cozy game by itself. Friends who don't really like roleplaying games may still like this, and it's pretty child-friendly as well. Ideal gameplay conditions probably include mulled cider, cool weather, and a clear view of the sky.
Even though I didn't have solo play in mind when I was working on the game, there's no reason it wouldn't work. Each constellation that is drawn and each card pull work together to jump start the imagination.
If you play it solo, I'd love to hear about your experience!
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This is a fun game, but the new layout is really confusing. It felt like steps were left out; when I downloaded the old one, the instructions are a lot more clear.
The new one almost feels like pages 2 and 5 are describing completely different modes of play. It doesn't really mention referring to the tables to guide your story, so reading it front to back in order to understand how to play is simply confusing.
Also the Relationships table on page 6 has a transparent background which makes it difficult to read. The game itself is fun once you actually figure out the gameplay though.
Edit: Could you speak to why you removed the 2-player rules in the new edition? Seems like something that should be included since you already put the work in.
This is an excellent story game that works fantastic in an educational setting. I’ve run this game with high schoolers to create a shared mythology together as a class.
The generation of story can be daunting, but the oracles provided constrain and prompt the imagination in interesting ways.
Great game that I can’t stop raving about.
We played this remotely with the help of some online tools last year. It's a fantastic system for storytelling and worldbuilding, and I feel that you could use this game as a writing exercise.
I don't think I'm built for anything that involves storytelling, so I really appreciate how flexible the rules were (explicitly having the option to skip my turn was very reassuring to me). Drawing the constellation map (we chose to have a colorful one) and having prompts/archetypes helped a lot, as was the collaborative nature of connecting characters and events. Overall it was a very relaxing experience, I enjoyed it a lot!
Told By Starlight is a mythology-building and star-drawing tabletop game for multiple players.
It's 11 pages, with a gorgeous cover and cool evocative interior illustrations.
Mechanically, Starlight is pretty simple, but its structure is solid. You draw constellations on a shared map, tell stories using a deck of cards and also the audience for prompts, and you stop when everyone feels their mythology is complete.
Overall, I think this is maybe an amazing utility for building a cosmology for a fantasy game, but it also seems like a fun, pretty cozy game by itself. Friends who don't really like roleplaying games may still like this, and it's pretty child-friendly as well. Ideal gameplay conditions probably include mulled cider, cool weather, and a clear view of the sky.
Thank you for taking the time to write such a thorough rundown of the game!
And you absolutely nailed the ideal play conditions.
Thank you for writing it!
can this be played solo?
Even though I didn't have solo play in mind when I was working on the game, there's no reason it wouldn't work. Each constellation that is drawn and each card pull work together to jump start the imagination.
If you play it solo, I'd love to hear about your experience!
Sir, I think you've made a Mythology Creation Kit for Fantasy Writers and haven't realized it, yet.
Mythology Creation Kit has a very nice ring to it. I hope you enjoy the Kit!