This is a boring summer! A little exploration game (Draft)

Preparation

First of all you need to make a map of your valley.
"But I don't know anything about that valley yet?!" you might say now, but don't worry.
The map can be empty or almost empty for now. You can just take some watercolor and make some big shapes. Or a pen and sketch out some different areas. Make some dots or define one area as the deep woods. You can do that all by yourself or take one of the two maps provided as inspiration. If you want to use the other inspirations from this game I would encourage you to stay with the theme of some small countryside valley, preferably with access to the sea, for them to fit well. But if you want to take it to a completely different kind of environment, you can do that as well!

Next sort your deck of cards by suits and mix those piles well afterwards, so you have four little face-down decks in front of you. Put the clubs and jokers to the side for now.

Prologue

It is a humid summer day in the valley. At your location you can hear (pick a location on the map, mark it with a dot and describe your soundscape) and smell (describe).
It is hot and sticky. You are bored. This is a boring summer. You look around - the valley is beautiful. Maybe you should explore a little?

**Now in order to do so you should build your journey deck. **

For that think about: What kind of person are you or whoever is exploring right now? Picture them in your mind. Is it you? Or a little cute woodland animal? Is it a highschool girl sent away for summer? It doesn't matter, only that you have an idea of who they are. You can make some notes if you want to. Give them a name.

Think of which of these fits your bored explorer the most and which the least:

curious
heartfelt
impulsive

You have 11 points in total to give to these three traits. You have to give at least two points to each. Distribute the 5 other points as fits your character.
Now take as many cards from the corresponding suits and put them all into a little pile in front of you. This could mean 5 spades, 2 hearts and 4 diamonds or any other combination.

Spade (curious), Heart (heartfelt), Diamond (impulsive)

Which number is the number between your highest and lowest?

In the example before this would be the 4. Take as many cards as that number from the clubs and put them on your new pile. Shuffle the whole thing well and put it face-down. This is your journey deck.

Starting your journey

Remember: You are still in that hot, humid valley, and you are still very bored of this boring summer.
You decided to go explore for a bit. As you do so uncover a card from your "Journey Deck".

You start walking in just any direction and just as you start to get really sweaty and even more bored you spot something.
What suit does your card have?

club: you arrive at a new location adjacent to your previous spot (or you go deeper into the current scene). Draw it onto the map or pick an existing spot. Describe it, make it detailed. If you picked a special card, like a Queen or a King, make the location a little more special as well. Use the 5 senses to flesh out the feeling. Write it down or do it in your head.
spade: as with club, but you spot something there! What could it be? If you need some inspiration look at the number of your suit and look it up in the corresponding table.
heart: as with club, but someone is here! Who could it be? If you haven't met them before, give them a name! If you need some inspiration look at the number of your suit and look it up in the corresponding table.
diamond: as with club, but you get a sudden urge! What could it be? If you need some inspiration look at the number of your suit and look it up in the corresponding table.

Now now, that is your first discovery there! Congratulations! But finding something isn't quite so thrilling yet. Come on, interact with it!
For that you first need to build your resolution deck. Take all the other cards you haven't used for your journey deck yet, including the jokers.

Shuffle them together, and put them face down next to your journey deck.
(Don't confuse them! You can take a piece of paper and write on top which deck is which and place it underneath the decks)

Draw a card from your new resolution deck and place it onto your journey card from before.
Whatever it is let it be delivered in context of your journey card. If you drew a heart before, then the resolution is delivered through a person. If you drew a spade then your resolution is a consequence or attachment of what you found.

Now - what suit is your resolution card? Imagine or write out how the interaction takes place. Is it a dialgoue? Is your explorer wondering about something, might they become even more curious? Are there consequences to these revelations?

Spade: There is a task/quest for your here. Describe it! If you need some inspiration look at the number of your suit and look it up in the corresponding table.
Diamond: There is an Item or Collectible here. If you need some inspiration look at the number of your suit and look it up in the corresponding table.
Club: It seems you found some new place on your map or unlocked an area you couldn't previously go to! Describe it! If you need some inspiration look at the number of your suit and look it up in the corresponding table.
Heart: There is a secret or some backstory here. Describe it! If you need some inspiration look at the number of your suit and look it up in the corresponding table.
Need some examples? Look at the example list in the back.

Now you are on your own

**You figured out how to explore the whole valley! **

Make the valley feel however you like, gladly take inspiration from your favourite fiction or real places.

You should have some piece of paper next to you so you can document the cool things you find or the tasks you get.

**Keep doing it and find cool things and places! **

When you want to explore some new places or you want to deepen a scene (e.g. by entering a house) draw a new journey card and go through the whole gist again. But don't let yourself be hindered by the cards! If you know exactly what new place you should find, or that someone is waiting for you there, then it shall be that way! Let the cards be a guidance, not a dictator!
There is no true goal to any of it, except to make your summer a little less boring! And who knows, maybe there is something going on in this cute, little valley? Mystery, Fantasy, Secrets or just good old gossip. You decide!

Be free to render scenes within scenes, places within places. Make it specific and detailed. Make up backstory about it.

Once one of your decks has less than four cards left, mix all cards together and make new decks again. You can do this as long as you like!

Now go explore and have some fun!

Inspiration Journey Deck

Club

A sandy street with fragrant flowering bushes to the sides
A small grove of birch trees with a circle of little mushroom heads - today is as good as any other day to be nabbed by fairies
A look-out spot over the sea or hills
A buzzing strip of colourfully dotted meadow
A narrow footbridge over a gently running creek. A frog leaps as you step on. That was quite impolite of you!
A cluster of boulders that form a natural seat circle. Someone's stashed an empty snack wrapper in a crack—rude!
A log bench beneath a dangerously leaning pine - what a thrilling place to nap in!
A rusted gate that opens to nowhere - apparently
A patch of clover with one footprint in the middle - who does that belong to?
A worn path between tall reeds. You can’t see where it leads, but it feels like someone—or something—has come through here often
Queen: An abandoned treehouse, there even is a hammock! And one of the floorboards creaks more than the others - curious!
King: A hidden lagoon or small bay to swim in - the water feels like cool silk!
Jester: A secret fishing/bug catching spot - now you will have the coolest collection of them all!
Ace: An outdoor fireplace surrounded by some big logs to sit on - now you only have to wait for the crickets to show!

Spade (Curious)

There are initials carved somewhere - do you know someone with these initials?
There is a treehole - are you brave enough to stick your hand in?
There’s a tiny garland of flowers hung through the trees - now is that decor or superstition?
In an very unusual spot you find a little painting. It is quite artfully done! What is it about? You could paint one next to it.
There’s a torn page from a book stuck in the grass. The last sentence is underlined. What does it say?
Something has been moved recently—can you tell what it was?
There’s something under that rock that doesn’t quite belong. What is it?
You feel like you’ve been here before, even if you haven’t. What makes you think so?
The grass is flattened in a shape that makes you pause. Was someone resting here?
Another empty candy wrapper! Is this some kind of candy lure?

Queen: You blink twice, you have been here before. In a dream! What happened beyond this moment? Is this the day you will finally be able to predict the future?!
King: One of the gulls ahead caws at you and lets something fall to the floor. Fortunately it is not a dead fish but something shiny and valuable-looking. Will it make you rich??
Jester: You see an ordinary-looking item on the floor, but it is tiny. Like a miniature version of it. What object is it and who could have brought it here?
Ace: There’s a perfect stone for skipping resting right in the center of a big boulder. Did someone save it for last? Will you use it?

Heart (NPC)

They are friendly, chatty but underneath that you sense a little loneliness
They are grumpy and love to whittle, they flinch from slamming door like they have been abandoned in the past
They are very loud and somewhat annoying, but I'm sure they would help you out with absolutely everything
They are tiny and old, but they seem very confident in themselves
They are kind of scary-looking, and seem to use a gruff exterior to hold others at arms length. Is it working on you?
You have met this person before! Did you like them then? You have a totally different impression of them now that you have stumbled upon them unguarded.
They are full of energy and ideas, and they really want to show you their new invention. It may explode. It may bake a cake. Both outcomes are equally likely.
They speak in riddles—but not to be mysterious. That’s just how their brain works. They are cheerful, helpful, and occasionally baffling.
They are extremely normal. Suspiciously normal. They offer you tea, ask about your day, and seem entirely content. It’s… kind of refreshing?
They are effortlessly cool in a way that feels practiced and are trying very hard to impress you. Maybe too hard, but maybe you are kind of into it?
Queen: Wow, that person is very attractive! Your interest might have shown but it seems to encourage them to come right at you. Is that confidence real or just an act?
King: They seem calm, measured, a natural leader, effortlessly organizing people around them. They invite you to help out like you’ve always been part of the crew. Pick another person from the list you meet here as well.
Jester: It is a group of preschoolers! What is your favourite dinosaur? Why do you look like this? What is your mother's name and why is that your mother's name? What meal would you wish for at the day of your execution? Do you think time sometimes moves backwards? Prepare to answer some hard questions.
Ace: This one stands alone, watching everything and saying almost nothing. You have to pull everything out their nose. Do you keep trying or just give up (for now)?

Diamond (Impulse)

You want to swim - now!
You want to dance - now!
You need to climb something - now!
You need to make a very important announcement - now!
You feel like pretending to be someone else, just for a bit.
You want to follow the next bug you see, no matter where it goes.
You get the urge to do something kinda dangerous.
You need to give something a name, doesn't matter if it already has one!
You feel like telling a secret to no one in particular.
You feel a little mischievous. Come up with a little prank to play on the next person that enters here!

Queen: You need to collect something - now! Decide what it is (bugs, shells, rare soda flavours, people's abandoned dreams)
King: You feel like you must make a rule for this place. A real one. One that everyone has to follow.
Jester: You want to make someone laugh. Go find someone to be hilarious at!
Ace: You feel like this is the perfect moment to begin something. You don’t know what—but it has to start right now.

Inspiration Resolution Deck

Joker!

Wow, fate threw a curve ball at ya! Something very surprising is taking place. Narrate what it is or take some inspiration below.

Improv dance battle!
The downpour of the century
Pirates attack the bay - yes, real ones!
Something awakens in you... You feel very different, I think you can do some new and crazy things now. Some of them might be magical. Others illegal.

Heart (Task or Quest)

There is a nasty disagreement, maybe between people, maybe between the wind and a shop sign. You should fix their relationship
Something is missing. Either someone has lost it, or there is just the spot where something should have been.
Aaah this isn't finished! It is driving you crazy, you have to find out how it ends!
A delivery quest, how original. Well I guess there always needs to be a delivery quest.
This place used to be important. You don't know why. You should find a way to make it important again.
Two things are in the wrong order. You’re not sure which ones. Rearranging them might help. Or ruin everything.
You are missing some information about this. You should ask around or dig in the dirt for some time to find out what it is.
This seems to be connected to something or someone else. Very mysterious, this calls for you to investigate!
You feel like you are encountering candy wrappers everywhere. Is this a trail of breadcrumbs or environmental pollution? Either way you should try to find the culprit!
Queen: This is a marvelous collecting effort! You should really put in some weight of your own!
King: A rule isn't being followed. Should you enforce it, rewrite it, or should you also ignore it?
Jester: This isn't funny at all. But it should be! Make it funny!
Ace: It seems like you are kind of unwanted here. As if that would hold you back! Convince them that they want you!

Diamond (Items or Collectibles)

If you decided that your character is collecting something, you can make up a new collectible for every item you find. Or they could find one at every odd number. Describe all the shiny and cool bugs, fish or rare soda flavours you find! You could even draw them!

An ice-cold can of grape soda
A dotted umbrella
A smooth polished marble
A dried starfish
A pair of very cool sunglasses
A shiny candy wrapper (who is losing all of these?)
Some watercolour paint and a sketchbook
A tiny pink seashell
A bucket with a big hole in it
A bug net
Queen: A Polaroid camera!
King: A treasure map!
Jester: Binoculars! (to spy on people)
Ace: A portable radio!

Club (New place)

The tides have retreated and you can now access a new tiny bay that was previously blocked by water! Maybe something has washed up here?
Wasn't there a big boulder last time? Somehow it has been moved and you can access a little cave now. Did someone sleep here?

Queen:
King:
Jester:
Ace:

Spade (Secret or Backstory)