The Wandering Lake
A downloadable game
In a forgotten part of the world, you have taken up the mantle of the Keeper of the Lakes. A single-player journaling game where you - a being of questionable power - defines a Nameless Mountain, a fickle Forest, and a settlement at the edge of the world. Your duty/destiny compels you to retrieve a missing Lake. Will you rise to meet it?
You can read a playthrough by k-ramstack here https://kadenramstack.neocities.org/ (~2k words)
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Development log
- Revision 11/28/22Nov 28, 2022
Comments
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Hey Keith,
I'm launching a zine soon (like July 9th if things work out) about playing immersive journaling games, and I budgeted to send a copy to anyone whose game I talk about in it. It's called Inscapes: How the Worlds We Make Make Us Who We Are. It's a sequel to my prior zine The Ink That Bleeds.
And I briefly mention The Wandering Lake in it. But it was a super affecting play experience for me. So if you'd like a copy, I'd love to send you one. I just need your mailing address. You can DM it to me on Twitter @paulczege, or email it to me paul *at* halfmeme d*t com
Thanks. It's a great game.
Paul
The 2d6 Clue/Setback mechanic is really clever and elegant, I also love the idea of lakes wandering around or being stolen, it's both whimsical and mysterious ❤️
Thank you! :D
i really enjoyed that mechanic as well. i didn’t have any really big or really small rolls, but i did see-saw between clues and setbacks in a way that the final outcome was always up in the air (in my case literally, my keeper found themselves floating above the spot the lake been only the day before just before the final roll).
Hope you found your lake in the end! <3
yes, my sweet Despair came back after i learned my lesson!
Hi, I have a question.
It says if the sum of the numbers you rolled is *less* than last time you get a clue, and if the sum is *less* than last time you get a setback. Was one of these supposed to be if the sum is more than what you rolled last time?
Oop, yes. If the sum is more, you get a clue. Thank you for bringing that to my attention! 😄
Great. Thanks. I'll play it soon.
This is a simple game where you play as the Keeper of four lakes up top a mountain. Unfortunately for you, those lakes like to wander, and one of them has gone missing. How will you find it? What will you do if you don't?
You start the game by answering a set of simple questions: who are you, how long have you been here, Etc Etc Then you are ready to set out to find the lake!
You roll 2d6, with one number as the Lead and one as the Second. You answer the corresponding prompts and if your combine number is greater than the previous roll, you get a clue. If the number is lower, you get a setback, and if it’s the same you get both a clue and setback
You play until you receive 4 clues, in which you find the lake and bring it home. Or, until you get 5 setbacks and the lake has left the mountain, and you need to form a new lake.
The tone for the game is completely up to the player. You can make it a light-whimsical story or you can make it as dark as you like.
I played as someone who’s sacred duty was to the lakes and went searching for someone who stole the waters. I was able to find them and get my lake back by using a magic item gifted to me by a voice on the wind. You can find my playthrough Here