March 2024
The Challenge
After my grandmother shockingly passed near the end of summer 2023, I grieved through writing. As a way to process the very sudden change in my life, I began to believe in the theory that spirits exit one's host body upon death, spreading memories and wisdom throughout nature. This theory of a wandering spirit that influences through the way it interacts with the environment was a concept that helped me throughout the process of not only grieving, but also creating the world of "In Search Of." The world itself reflects my family's very personal experience grieving the death of my grandmother by showcasing how, sometimes, the questions we keep asking ourselves may never have an answer, and that's quite alright. After creating a narrative design document for this strange, yet familiar universe, I went to my grandmother for inspiration about what type of game to create.
Executive Summary
Map of Earth
The Solution
My grandmother was a reading and writing teacher, and an avid fan of poetry for as long as I can tell. Using her guiding voice as well as inspiration from A Thousand Thousand Islands' "Mr Kr-Gr," I began writing the framework for a TTRPG.
Writing a TTRPG was quite the challenge for me, but I was more than willing to accept it with grace. While I have tremendous respect for the genre as a whole, I never got into games like Dungeons and Dragons. However, after reading "Mr Kr-Gr," I began to understand the different ways I could create a TTRPG; one with more freedom and poetic writing. Using my knowledge of poetry and inspiration from writers such as James Baldwin, I confidently delved deep into the world of "In Search Of." And when it finally came time to release the final product, I could hear my grandmother's voice congratulating me on a wonderful piece of writing.
TTRPG Zine Cover
Example Gameplay Mechanics
Excerpt from TTRPG Zine
The Story
After a sudden, catastrophic, world-ending event on Earth, a mysterious little creature emerges in a state of extreme confusion and loss. They are in search of answers, whether that be a sign of life, food, water, shelter—anything to take their mind off of the oddities of reality. But when voices from a world beyond begin to communicate, they must journey across the unfamiliar, yet familiar landscape in search of hope.
"In Search Of" Logo
The Tools
Google Docs: writing and editing
Adobe InDesign: design and format of the zine
Adobe Illustrator: logo and graphics
Paper and Pencil: sketched artworks