Play solo mystery
OBJECT OF DESIRE's itch.io pageResults
| Criteria | Rank | Score* | Raw Score |
| How well are design principles used to setup fun gameplay? | #18 | 2.840 | 3.667 |
| Overall | #19 | 2.582 | 3.333 |
| How appealing (conceptually & stylistically) is this mission? | #20 | 2.582 | 3.333 |
| How legible and easy-to-understand is this mission? | #20 | 2.324 | 3.000 |
Ranked from 3 ratings. Score is adjusted from raw score by the median number of ratings per game in the jam.
Which RPG system(s) is this for?
HARDCASE
Which themes, if any, did you use?
Love 2.0.
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Comments
I'm not sure I have good insight to offer, but I wanted to echo the people saying this uses the Love 2.0 prompt excellently, well constructed to frame everything well. Unfortunately, short of including a primer on CfB-style games and solo play thereof, I don't know that this could be easily made significantly more legible - it took me going to the Hardcase page, then a Brindlewood blurb, to clock that that was what we're doing here. I really like what I think are the natural conclusions to draw from the case though.
First off, I do really like the basic premise and the suggested bits for building out the PC's relationship with the deceased friend. The overall flow is clear (once I read your comment below at least),the mystery is engaging, and your use of the "Love 2.0" theme is top-notch.
On a personal note, this system (and the very concept of a solo mystery game), is new to me, and idk if i like it. In a mystery, I wanna find out what happened, not make something up and then roll dice to see if it is retroactively the correct answer, but I get that that is how this game is played, and not all games are for all players. This is probably a gripe I have with HARDCASE though, rather than your mission itself, but I can't be sure, having not read HARDCASE or TRUTHSEEKER yet.
I also don't know Hardcase (and Brindlewood bay just by name). I tried to apply my limited experience with solo games with what I read and have this doubt: what happens if a struck of bad luck locks me out of several clues? I may never solve it? There are some "fail-forward" mechanics to help me?
By the way I really liked the immediate emotional stakes at the beginning, by forcing the player to define their history with the deceased and the details you really picked my interest.
Of the submissions I have seen so far, this one makes the best use of the theme "Love 2.0" by placing the companion squarely in the centre of the scenario. However, being unfamiliar with the rules, I find it very hard to rate.
Yeah, it uses an unconventional style for mysteries that can be hard to judge.
If you know about Brindlewood Bay, it basically works the same way. As a mini-explanation: in “Carved from Brindlewood” mystery games, there is no pre-determiend solution. Instead, there are a bunch of clues.
When you want to “solve” the mystery, you come up with a solution that uses as many clues as it can for evidence. Then you roll 2d6 + # clues used - the mystery’s complexity. Roll 7 or more, and you’re correct (possibly with a complication). Otherwise, back to the drawing board.
So these kinds of mysteries are about gathering as many clues as you can, then weaving a solution that uses as many of those clues as possible.
If you don’t want to buy two different rulebooks (understandable), I suggest skewing your ranking towards the lower end of your range. It’s the “safer” score, and it’s possible any issues you currently have persist even after learning the rules.