Hello fellow forum-goers,
The first serious story game I ever wrote, and indeed, the first Kickstarter campaign I’ve ever run, is now live on Kickstarter as part of #Zinequest.
/a loud noise in a quiet place/ is a quiet, duet story game exploring my experiences of temporary hearing loss. This game was written in the frustration I felt at the discomfort, pain and isolation that this sudden shift in sensory experiences of the world threw at me. It’s deeply personal and introspective, and I’m so proud of it that I wanted to share it with the world.
Those are the themes; mechanically, it’s influenced somewhat by Ironsworn and somewhat by 14 Days. The main player narrates vignettes in the life of someone with temporary hearing loss, and the partner reflects on these experiences and tweaks the difficulty. Each scene has only one die roll, with lasting and meaningful consequences for the fiction. All-in-all, it’s a tight narrative focus and an intense experience.
The Kickstarter campaign is to get this zine printed, sure, but it’s also there so I can pay professional sensitivity readers and accessibility consultants to make sure this game represents and is sensitive to the needs of as many different sensory experiences of the world as possible. If we get enough money, it’s also gonna have some new cover art from my wonderful, talented friend, artist Bri de Danann, as well as professional copy editing by @nynphaiel who is a gem and a treasure.
The zine will be 16-24 pages depending on funding levels, and will be printed by one of the UK’s foremost zine printers (insofar as that exists as an idea) using a Risograph printer. I’ve tried at every step to improve environmental credibility, and it’s as economically and socially sustainable as I can make it too. It’s going to look amazing and I want you all to have a copy in your hands.
At time of writing we’re at 85% funded, so with your help I think we can blast through my goal and get to those amazing stretch goals! Please help me on this journey if you can, and if not, I’d appreciate any sharing and hyping. If you have any questions at all, just drop them in the thread below!