The Dark Room
A downloadable game
The Dark Room is a solo journaling RPG about a re-discovery of yourself to embrace your past and escape from a dark room.
This game was Created with the Fireflights creator Kit by Fari RPGs and submitted during the Firelights Jam.
You will only need a deck of cards, two six-sided dice, a notebook and a pencil to explore vibrant, surreal landscapes with butterflies.
Included is:
- A PDF of The Dark Room (a full-colour digital zine)
- The printable version (a black & white, four roll folded A4 document)
- The Japanese version in Google Docs
DISCLAIMER
The content may include expressions of depression, PTSD, anxiety, psychological illness and distress. You are encouraged to read and play with caution and awareness of your mental condition.
SPECIAL THANKS
- Pictures taken by Mashu (@marshuumallow)
- Japanese translation by Sabaki Mujihina (@bane_tukumo)
Download
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Comments
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Thank you Darren for this lovely game. When I was journal ling, I got to create an awesome character dealing with some personal family trouble. The game has a simple premise but its chose in using Drawing cards and two d6s makes it very easy to get started journal ling.
Plus the entire theme of traversing a maze/labyrinth that is influenced by your anxieties, is brilliant.
As a result, I decided to make a video discussing my thoughts on the game. Thank you for the work you created and keep up the awesome work!
This looks VERY good
The Dark Room is a surreal solo Firelights rpg. The closest thing I can think of to compare it to is maybe Yume Nikki or maybe Void/Tension, but this isn't exact. It feels liminal and personal, and it's about exploring a dreamscape.
The PDF is 2 pages, clean and well organized, with some really expressive and subtle visual design on the logo.
Mechanics-wise, you play by drawing cards, rolling dice, and comparing the numbers on the cards against the numbers on the dice. This system is used to generate encounters, but it's also to make checks, and it feels both swingy and balanced. Results tend towards mixed success.
The game is mostly atmospheric, but it culminates in a very cool boss fight which is always tailored to your character. It's neat to see a solo game take this angle, and it makes the game feel not just introspective but purposeful.
Overall, if you like solo games where you develop a character, I think The Dark Room can be a pretty powerful experience. It has a good atmosphere and a strong conclusion, and it's definitely worth adding to any solo games library.
Thank you so much for your wonderful review!
Thank you for writing the game!