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(+5)

An excellent journaling game visiting the mysterious city of San Sibilia. While the theme is reminiscent of Alone in the Ancient City, San Sibilia is more specific and concrete yet still extremely flexible. Because you do a brief bit of character gen and set up, this helps guide your journal writing as you follow the prompts immensely and makes more apparent different ways you can take the story—and it is a story with the Change mechanism creating an implicit pacing. I like how the visit itself is structured a lot, with different yet just as self driven mechanics as Alone in the Ancient City—and the differences suit what this game is doing well. 

While I love Alone hacks, and this game is more a cousin than a close relation, I think this is one that belongs right next to my favorites on my virtual shelf.

(+2)

An example of an unusually short visit. A lot of this is brief, like the short daily entries the character would write, without verbose narrative flow, but enough that I remember the story I was constructing and imagining in my head long after.

Person dramatis: A melancholy poet
Name: (Ông) Đỗ Hào Huệ

Day 1:

I was at a tavern, drinking to forget a terrible span of time, when I spotted a door no one else seemed to notice.

I crossed the strange threshold and entered a hotel I had never seen before.

Ten years ago I dreamed about this city.

The hotel I found myself in seemed old-fashioned, with many iron railings, decorated with designs of flora; a Persian rug; and an old elevator that rattled.

I didn't meet anyone, nor did I want to meet anyone.

When I went through the door leading to here I only had the clothes I was wearing.

Day 7

A harrowing trip to the market. There were many policemen all over the place, staring intently at every person there. I left.

Throughout the day I noticed a policeman following me everywhere I went.

Day 10

A mysterious excursion to a ruin. But my fellow travel companions all around me stood stock-still in absolute silence like stone statues.

Day 15

A trip to the market, this time shocking. I saw a policeman turn a citizen into a stone statue!

I ran away quickly. The sunny skies changed to heavy rains.

Day 21

A serendipitous meeting with ruffians. I unexpectedly yet fortunately ran into a gang of thieves. I was searching the city for a way home when they ambushed me.

I turned right around and fled in the direction of the policeman following behind me and past him. The thieves  ran straight into him. While they fought I escaped.

Day 27

A hopeful night at the opera (theater): an old woman sitting next to me whispered the way home.

After an intermission started and the presentation stopped, I walked through a door near the stage. Because the entertainment was not yet finished I was able to go home.

I entered the tavern of my own city and breathed a sigh of relief.

Tonight I'm going to write a poem.

The End

(+1)

Lovely!

Makes me very happy to read this. Thanks for playing!