Games For Lost People
A downloadable zine
Games for Lost People is a collection of nine short, 1 page RPGs I've written over the past year. These are games in a traditional sense, in that most of them can be played to various ends, however they also function as short poems about mental illness, queerness, and recovery. I've included a screencap of the Table of Contents.
This is a very personal project, and my hope is that this product can both serve as artistic inspiration and redefine the conceptual idea of a roleplaying game into something bigger, more beautiful, and weirder.
Content Warnings: Many of these games are allegorically about potentially triggering experiences, including mania, self harm, depression, abuse, agoraphobia, and suicide. No games feature text which is overtly about those themes, besides play this instead of killing yrself, which is directly about avoiding suicide.
Games For Lost People is the first zine in the Games For The Missing & The Found series. These zines have become an important touchstone and marker for the emerging Lyric Game genre on Itch.
Purchase
In order to download this zine you must purchase it at or above the minimum price of $5 USD. You will get access to the following files:
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Community Copy
If there's any reason why you can't afford to buy this game, but you still want to read it, claim a community copy and read it for free. I will add another copy to the pool with every purchase of a physical copy.
Development log
- 2nd Edition & Physical CopyJul 09, 2019
Comments
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Jay’s writing is focused on interpersonal connection, queerness, and lights shining in the darkness. They are a great example of how independent designers are innovating!
Games for Lost People is the perfect example of these themes. It is as much an essay on fear, friendship, and mental illness as anything else. They are games to play when reality leans in too close.
"How to Build a Magic Forest" stands out to me as the most whimsically interesting game to actually play in this collection. Over the course of many years you will paint symbols on trees, until you have created something mystical.
For a more serious game from the collection, “Play this instead of Killing Yrself” challenges you to wander in the face of grave pain. It is a compelling read.
Tender and evocative game design. So many of these games are windows directly into jay's heart. play this instead of killing yourself is one of the most beautiful and vulnerable games I've ever seen.