Exploring the different types of games that can fit on a bookmark, and how books can be used as part of tabletop mechanisms. Also, three new bookmark games for the TTRPG Bookmark Jam.
I'd never heard of a bookmark game before, but after reading your post last week then downloading Dragon Pages and Blood Chapter, I thought I'd give it a go!
I've now written two, with a third on its way, and then I'll see about trying to format them for the jam. Never formatted before, so 'crude' and 'amateur' are something I aspire to!
Dragon Pages and Blood Chapter are inspirational btw!
This seriously made my day! I write articles like this in the hope that someone will read it and try making something of their own. "We need more “amateur” games with “crude reproduction” and “small circulation”, not less."
Thank you for sharing and I hope you submit them to the game jam!
I read your EP and Skeleton Code Machine posts with eager interest. Not always fast, mind, as I have a bit of a backlog, but they have deeply informed how I go about writing and designing games/adventures. Most of my stuff is still at the project stage, though my first published adventure was well received, and I know it wouldn't have been half as good without having first learned from your generous advice, tips, and game analysis.
Just to update: I managed to submit 3 bookmark games to the jam. Although lacking artwork at first, everything was finished yesterday and the games duly updated. I hope you get a chance to have a look (they're Cult Reading, Book Wyrm, and Book Worm, by Privy Press) - you inspired them!
3) I think I just really like tiny format games because A) tiny! and B) seeing the creativity that comes from such constraints.
4) Postcard format is my favorite tiny format, so I look forward to that article. I am an avid snail mailer. My biggest gripe with most postcard games is that you can't actually mail them as postcards. They are more like index card games, then. IMO, if you can't put an address and a stamp on it without putting it in an envelope, then it's not a postcard. A lot of postcard games are 5x7 in size, too, which is too big for a postcard stamp.
😹 And to be clear, there's nothing wrong with games on 3.5x5 or 4x6 or even 5x7 cardstock - I will happily play and collect them. I will just be a little sad if a game says it's a postcard game and I cannot mail it as a postcard. I think the only exception might be an epistolary game with rules in non-postcard format that has players send postcards of their choice as part of gameplay (but then I'd just call it an epistolary game instead of a postcard game).
l o v e the idea of the jam :D i'm a huge fan of constrained writing, so it makes sense ^^ i've read more about the topic than read actual works, but i've read Georges Perec's "Life: A User's Manual", which, among other things, incorporates a knight's tour into its structures :)
and yesssss i looove digital roots! if the final number is divisible by 3, then so is the original, for example ^^ (and if it's 9, then it's also divisible by 9!) ever since i learned that back in middle school, i haven't been able to see a number without figuring out if it's divisible by 3 xD 3 is also one of my favourite numbers, partly because of this reason, and for being the first odd prime, etc ^^
all the featured bookmarks seem great – thank you for sharing :)! really fun to read.
Saw this in Dec...allass was ill at time so failed to take part in it. Got me thinking about complex and simple things...rules like mushrooms after rain can grow out of control, when no one edits the script.
This is such an interesting way of formulating a game, I've been clearly stuck in thinking a game needs to be its own thing, sort of the main event. This reminds me of the types of things kids do every day, coming up with games about mundane things they interact with, but with a little bit more thought behind what makes the game fun and how it relates to the "main experience".
I'm tempted to do a bookmark game that I would just sneak in between books in the library, and the game would somehow get more fleshed out every time it passes to the next reader. 😅
I wonder what other novel shared game experiences could be possible apart from bookmarks or post cards. Like some ephemeral game you could play during commute with your fellow passengers?
"Make stuff not because it is perfect and slickly made.
Make stuff because it’s fun, and engaging, and because you can."
TRUTH
💯
I'd never heard of a bookmark game before, but after reading your post last week then downloading Dragon Pages and Blood Chapter, I thought I'd give it a go!
I've now written two, with a third on its way, and then I'll see about trying to format them for the jam. Never formatted before, so 'crude' and 'amateur' are something I aspire to!
Dragon Pages and Blood Chapter are inspirational btw!
This seriously made my day! I write articles like this in the hope that someone will read it and try making something of their own. "We need more “amateur” games with “crude reproduction” and “small circulation”, not less."
Thank you for sharing and I hope you submit them to the game jam!
I read your EP and Skeleton Code Machine posts with eager interest. Not always fast, mind, as I have a bit of a backlog, but they have deeply informed how I go about writing and designing games/adventures. Most of my stuff is still at the project stage, though my first published adventure was well received, and I know it wouldn't have been half as good without having first learned from your generous advice, tips, and game analysis.
Please keep up the good work!
Thank you! 🥹
Just to update: I managed to submit 3 bookmark games to the jam. Although lacking artwork at first, everything was finished yesterday and the games duly updated. I hope you get a chance to have a look (they're Cult Reading, Book Wyrm, and Book Worm, by Privy Press) - you inspired them!
1) I adore bookmark games.
2) I also adore business card games.
3) I think I just really like tiny format games because A) tiny! and B) seeing the creativity that comes from such constraints.
4) Postcard format is my favorite tiny format, so I look forward to that article. I am an avid snail mailer. My biggest gripe with most postcard games is that you can't actually mail them as postcards. They are more like index card games, then. IMO, if you can't put an address and a stamp on it without putting it in an envelope, then it's not a postcard. A lot of postcard games are 5x7 in size, too, which is too big for a postcard stamp.
I love your strong opinions on what is and is not a postcard! 🤣
(You're not wrong though.)
😹 And to be clear, there's nothing wrong with games on 3.5x5 or 4x6 or even 5x7 cardstock - I will happily play and collect them. I will just be a little sad if a game says it's a postcard game and I cannot mail it as a postcard. I think the only exception might be an epistolary game with rules in non-postcard format that has players send postcards of their choice as part of gameplay (but then I'd just call it an epistolary game instead of a postcard game).
Not beating the pedantic postcard opinion allegations. 🤣
It's the hill I've chosen 😹
This is just what I needed to get started. Thanks for the great suggestions!
Love to hear this! Can't wait to see what you make. I'm sure the layout will be fire!!!
It'll be my first bookmark so hopefully I can make it work ahah
l o v e the idea of the jam :D i'm a huge fan of constrained writing, so it makes sense ^^ i've read more about the topic than read actual works, but i've read Georges Perec's "Life: A User's Manual", which, among other things, incorporates a knight's tour into its structures :)
and yesssss i looove digital roots! if the final number is divisible by 3, then so is the original, for example ^^ (and if it's 9, then it's also divisible by 9!) ever since i learned that back in middle school, i haven't been able to see a number without figuring out if it's divisible by 3 xD 3 is also one of my favourite numbers, partly because of this reason, and for being the first odd prime, etc ^^
all the featured bookmarks seem great – thank you for sharing :)! really fun to read.
Thank you so much! I always appreciate your comments!
Saw this in Dec...allass was ill at time so failed to take part in it. Got me thinking about complex and simple things...rules like mushrooms after rain can grow out of control, when no one edits the script.
This is such an interesting way of formulating a game, I've been clearly stuck in thinking a game needs to be its own thing, sort of the main event. This reminds me of the types of things kids do every day, coming up with games about mundane things they interact with, but with a little bit more thought behind what makes the game fun and how it relates to the "main experience".
I'm tempted to do a bookmark game that I would just sneak in between books in the library, and the game would somehow get more fleshed out every time it passes to the next reader. 😅
I wonder what other novel shared game experiences could be possible apart from bookmarks or post cards. Like some ephemeral game you could play during commute with your fellow passengers?
Very thought-provoking article, thanks! 🙏