Designing a Short Solo Rivercrawl Adventure for Itch.io
Dev Diary: River-Crawl Adventure & Solo RPG
I'm excited to share some details about my upcoming project—a river-crawl adventure that can also stand alone as a solo RPG. Inspired by the atmospheric charm of Into the Odd, the mysterious allure of The Dark of Hot Springs Island, the enigmatic narrative of Lost, the rugged tone of Frontier Scum, and the surrealism of Jeff Vandermeer's Annihilation, this game blends dark whimsy with a touch of early industrial steampunk, reminiscent of Blades in the Dark.
Setting and Theme
Imagine a world set in an imaginary fantasy 1600s, marked by dark, whimsical, and weird fantasy elements. It's a time of exploration and exploitation, with early industrial imperial colonizers trampling through undiscovered lands, rapidly depleting their resources. This world is full of peril and mystery, perfect for a survival exploration adventure.
The River
Your journey takes place on a riverboat navigating a sacred and mysterious river. This river is notorious for its vicious, man-eating predators and carnivorous plants and mushrooms. Tribes of mutated elves and ogres, known as the "savages," inhabit its shores. The river is a treasure trove of unidentified medicinal and magical plants, and the elves, with their highly ritualistic and fetishistic culture, are said to create hauntingly beautiful and powerful magical artworks. Rumors abound of an entire civilization of ogres, with illuminated tunnels of perfectly cut stone connecting subterranean cities, leading to a massive underground ziggurat made of pure gold. Wouldn’t you like to find out if these legends are true?
The Mainland
Back in the imperial cities, the middle class and commoners are lost in a haze of mass-produced goods, cheap drugs, and addictive games of chance. Your character is just another cog in the machine. The streets are filled with carousing royalty and lordlings, but the true elite of the empire remain unseen, their existence shrouded in myth and legend. These elites are rumored to be immortal demigod wizards who manipulate every aspect of common folk’s lives for unknown, nefarious purposes. Some believe they kidnap children and drink their blood to stay young. Scientists and lesser wizards have tried to debunk these legends, and many flat-out deny the elites' existence.
What's Next?
Stay tuned for the next dev diary, where I'll dive into the mechanics of this adventure.