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For the events, yeah, I can see how there's a balancing act between making them simple (to speed play) and interactive (to add depth). I think you can find that sweet spot, though!

It makes sense that the "stat of choice" effects use the Primary stats. Though testing Udder to avoid being cursed is a pretty funny mental image! (Would the curse just bounce off it?)

And thank you for writing it! It's flavorful and well-designed, and I think the complete version has a lot of potential!

I've played through this a few times, and I enjoyed it! The events and the NPCs are fun, and I can't wait to see the other Aces and events get filled out.

A few thoughts, in no particular order:

• I'd love to see more events with choices for the player to make. I think there's some design space you could explore with those decisions. ("Would I rather increase a stat or gain a negative condition?")
• I'd love to see more face cards too, although I can see how that doesn't necessarily work with playing cards. Maybe some alternate NPCs/TFs in a future expansion?
• Some of the events (like the 2 of Diamonds or the 5 of Hearts) reference "one of your stats" or "a stat of your choice." Are those limited to the Primary stats, or can you use a Secondary stat for them?
• The 7 of Diamonds references "the top cards of your deck." Is that meant to be the top card of the current Stanza's deck?

When you say text-based, what exactly do you mean? Twine is good for a lot of Choose-Your-Own-Adventure or Fighting Fantasy-style games, but if you're looking for a "GET LAMP" kind of text adventure, I think Inform would be your best bet.

I've been planning to write another To Change adventure like I did last year! (Assuming, of course, that I don't change gears while brainstorming tonight...)

Or if you're looking for complications, mirroring or rotating the D-pad could add a fumbly element to it. (I think some barbershop quartet-style music would add to the proceedings as well.)

HA! Thank you for the hint!

I know this is a demo, but it's already more complete than most full games! I'm really impressed by the sheer breadth of possible play styles for Dorothy, and the interactions between the characters are a joy to see.

About the secret boss in Shallas Grove - I haven't found any attacks that are able to damage it. What can I use to fight it? (Or am I missing the point by asking?)

In His Castle on the Hill: Or, “Tonight, Lord Harn Dies!” is a dark fantasy-themed dungeon starter for the rules-light Dungeon World roleplaying game. It's intended as a jumping-off point for starting your very own tabletop RPG campaign!

Link: https://marquisgames.itch.io/in-his-castle-on-the-hill