Your Lantern Burns With Borrowed Light
A downloadable game
Your lantern burns with borrowed light.
Describe feeding it memories, dreams, regrets— you've two of each. Roll 1D6: 1-4 dims, 5-6 ignites.
If the lantern ignites thrice, you escape darkness. Without light, you are forever lost.
(a 36-word ttrpg)
Notes
A minimalist narrative tabletop RPG made for the 36-word RPG Jam.
Art by the amazing @Sisaliks.
The game was designed and tested for solo play, but I encourage you to play with two or more people, each taking a turn to light your lanterns.
This game is inspired by Mechanical Oryx—a 200-word RPG.
The world grows dark.
You carry a lantern that burns essence to hold the shadows at bay.
Each offering pushes back the darkness.
Video narrative adaption by superbrainpanic.
Download
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Comments
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A short micro-game made for the 36-Word jam, this game asks you to give up your memories dreams and regrets to a lantern as you attempt to stave off the darkness.
Each round you roll 1D6 and if you roll 5-6, the lantern lights, otherwise it dims. If you ignite it three times, you escape. The game never says that if you reach 3 Dims it ends, but that's how I interpreted the rules for my playthrough.
I wrote my game in verse about a royal courtier with high ambitions who sold their soul to the devil, who got taken in the darkness in the end. You can read my playthrough HERE
I really enjoyed playing this game. It inspired me to make this little narrative adaptation for YouTube
Thank you for making such an evocative and emotionally intelligent game.
Oh wow! This was amazing. Thank you for creating it and sharing. Would it be okay if I emebed your video on the game’s Itch page?
Yes, absolutely. thank you.
Your work is seriously incredible. Keep going from now until the end of time!
Thank you. That means a lot. I don't get to spend as much time as I would like making games, but there are a couple of things in development that I hope to release over 2025 and 2026. Comments like this really help motivate me!
You have inspired me so much to put my writing out there! I have three postcard games I made a while back and didn't post. I am excited to share my work. I can't wait to play the updated version of The Last Tea Shop with my boyfriend!
This game is beautifully written, eerily simple, and wow Jo's art suits it so well.
I wanted to note specifically that I think your word choices here are so elegant. I think it takes a confidence and carefulness to, rather than go, "How do I maximize every single word of the 36 I'm allowed," instead sit in the space of, "How can I use those words to evoke a specific mood, make someone feel a certain way." It's one of my favorite things about more lyrical style games, and here you are, doing that AND nailing a simple but effective mechanic/win condition?
Well done!
Thank you for taking the time to leave this comment. It made my day.
I spent a lot of time trying to work an end condition into the tiny ruleset. I'm really glad it landed for you. :)
Ohhh this was creepy! I did not escape, but it was brilliant to try. I used Paul Czege's idea of the 'approximate self ' to play and found the game mildly therapeutic as well.
I am really glad the game connected with you. Thank you for sharing.
Looks yet another brilliant game from Spring Villager :)
Thanks for your comment and for your support over the years. Glad you like this small game!