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Thanks for the jam! Is this for video games only, or are physical games allowed?

Absolutely. I thought the tortoise was a wonderful shorthand for a particular relationship to history, one that feels very familiar -- late, confused, missing the important moment, trying to catch up -- it's me. I'm the tortoise.

Playing the game was a great way to meditate on history; I couldn't help but try to build through-lines, theories about human behaviour, from my tortoise perspective. What events seemed to formed patterns? Which patterns made me despair and which  made me hope?

I found the lists of events well-crafted. I like that the game could easily be adapted by switching out the lists of historical events (okay, not easily -- making the lists must have been a lot of work!) -- but one could create modules for particular histories, for example -- I can see it being a really interesting teaching tool for thinking about perspectives on history.

That was also my one question -- thinking about the kind of default perspective of the tortoise. For example, the Panama Canal's construction was pretty contentious / calamitous for some people -- could there be ways to build evocations different / varying perspectives on history into the prompts? (Even something as simple as the waters being troubled rather than smooth)?

It's a lovely thoughtful game and a great thinking tool. Thank you for making it for the jam!

>would "purchasing" the game through name your price work?

Good idea! I'll do that. I'll pay in American to cover any site fees.

>I'd love your notes!

Awesome -- where's the best place to post / send them?

Thank you again for your beautiful games. I've left a few notes on everyone's entries about my favorite aspects.

I was particularly impressed and delighted by the inventiveness of the mechanics in the games you submitted. I'll definitely run another jam like this.

The final winners are based on mechanics (fun? thematically fitting?), playability (easy to pick up?), scenario/setting, use of theme (breakage and repair), playfulness/inventiveness, replayability, and je ne sais quoi.

Here are the four cup-of-coffee winners (couldn't stop at three in the end):

• Monster in the Wilderness - Yarntheory - a beautiful abstraction of the themes of Beowulf (or that's how I read it) - gorgeous
• A Moment too Late - ToriBee - You are a time-travelling tortoise who always arrives too late for the Major Historical Event and has to piece things together from the aftermath - moving
• A Game of Tower - Yoon Ha Lee - Fantasy, surrealism, and personal growth via confronting your lies about yourself - delicious
• Kintsugi - Elusis - A supple yet strong spine for stories of damage and repair - poignant

I think this makes such a great role-playing tool. It would add a wonderful contemplative layer to any ongoing campaign. It feels like a resonant coda to the cycle of combat and conflict or danger and risk in many adventures.

I really like that there's a getting-to-know-you phase!

Let me know if you'd like more notes!

A winner!

I liked the story I told through this game so much!

I really like that the series of tables provides a kind of spine for the story -- not quite a narrative, but prompting towards different readings or points of view of the damage and repair. Just the sequence of ideas makes a great guide for the player without needing any further layers of mechanics.

Let me know if you'd like more notes! And let me know how you'd like to receive your cup of coffee.

I had great fun with this. I love how different your two games are in feel. So inventive!

I like the docility tracker a lot, and the mechanic for dealing with duplicates was an excellent layer both of play and of story.

Let me know if you'd like more notes!

A winner.

I love this game. I love the stories it helped me tell. The mechanics are so satisfying.

The way you play in through the seven cards and then play out through the same cards is (chef's kiss). The symmetry! The lair as card house! Just inspired.

This game abstracts Beowulf so elegantly into something more expansive yet rooted in the core ideas of the monstrous, the heroic, the natural world, and the human will.

Let me know if you'd like more notes / play reports! And let me know the best way to get you your cup of coffee.

 Caring for these creatures is a terrific basis for a game. I really enjoyed the scenario. The tables for familiars generated some wonderfully surreal beings. I adored the end mechanic and its rule-breaking.

I'm delighted to discover your games, and I look forward to future ones! If you'd like more notes, let me know.

A winner!

If you'd like more notes, let me know! And let me know how you'd like to receive your cup of coffee.

I like how much this game gets done in a very small space. The reconvene token is an awesome mechanic. Also, thanks for using the too-often-neglected d4.

Thanks for submitting this game! If you'd like more notes, let me know.

I love how the opening lines set the mood, and the fact that the process of conservation changes you. Making a game of object repair is exactly the kind of thing that delights me.

Thanks for submitting this very cool game. If you'd like more notes, let me know!

A winner!

I loved this game! The unassuming little tortoise on the cover guards a beautifully evocative playspace -- I ended up telling a story about human knowledge and conflict that genuinely moved me. I particularly liked working with the prompts that were just images. Often I didn't come up with the same event as in the full prompt, but I liked having that latitude to interpret.

If you'd like more notes, let me know! And let me know how you'd like to receive your cup of coffee! (I can be reached at this username + gmail.)

This looks like a really well-organized and fun module for your game system. Great visual layout! It feels like something even a beginning GM could work through confidently and run a great session.

Hey creators! I'm totally blown away by the responses to this jam.  Everything I've looked at so far has surprised and delighted me. Thank you so much for taking this small prompt and creating something new out of it. Magic! Best birthday ever.

Because there are so many games, I'm going to call in some friends to help me playtest. I'm looking forward to a brilliant afternoon of games and talk.

Results will be announced on Dec 31st.  Every game will get comments on favorite aspects of the game, and three games will will a cup of coffee.

This jam has been so amazing! Please do submit it -- there's no hard limit for length.

Just be aware that the judging panel (er, me) has a strong bias towards short easily learned games in this particular jam. Other jams may be different!

And thank you for getting inspired and following where your invention took you.

Thank you so much!

Thanks for the question! That does sound cool.

Could you make it bimodal? Make a python or Java version of the randomization and also figure out a physical version? It would be interesting to compare the two.

I love it!!!

Ahh so gorgeous and surreal.

Love this! I would probably end up playing just this part and not the rest of the campaign, lol. The built-in loss to age / wear is lovely.

Hurray! Very excited to read it!

I'm  looking forward to playing with friends! We all love the film.

Typo - P.9 playbook for Katya Goncharov - looks like the goals for Goncharov got copied over instead of her own goals.

This looks fantastic in conception and design. Can I report a small typo?

It's such an honour to have my game played so thoughtfully and movingly. I look forward to reading the next game you play.

I love this: "It's only the fourth entry and the lighthouse already feels like home."

LOVE following this story as it evolves. So lyrical!

This is so amazingly cool! I love the first entry. So richly imagined. Thank you for using my little game this way.

Well, I'm addicted, lol. What's the maximum level anyone's made it to in the game? I think mine is 25.

Thank you! That's just the place I'm always aiming, and it's so gratifying that it worked for you!

This game is an absolute delight! I love the mechanics and the scenario. It's addictive and spookily endearing.

I did start trying to roll exactly in the sweet spot of neither losing nor winning so that I could postpone earning enough notoriety that the game ended, and instead focus on accumulating as many dice as possible, lol.

Great work! I see that your high standings in the contest reflect the achievement -- those are great numbers in a huge field.

I'd really love to have one, if that's possible. I have an idea, but haven't had time to get it into its final form yet.

Thank you! That was a lot of fun.

Hey folks! Thank you so much to the organizers of this jam. I had a lot of fun, and I feel really fond of my little game.

I'm just starting out at making games, so I'm not expecting any prizes myself, but I'd love to see how this all turned out. Is there an estimated date for the list of winners to get released?

I know you're all super busy, so thanks for taking the time to make this jam at all, and to answer this message.

This was fascinating! I'm sure I learned a lot about game design... also about the tiny emotional attachments inside each task. Thanks for this stressful experience, lol.

I've edited the Joker's powers so that they're less guaranteed to create chaos. Thanks so much for your comment, and for braving the storm!

Haha, so noted. Maybe the Jokers should hang back a little. Thank you for playing!

I really like the resolution role the citizen has here, and that it's a storytelling role. 

I really like this. It sounds like it would be a delight to play of an evening with friends.

This is elegant and fascinating. The rules themselves are great reading.