Babel is a role playing game supplement written and published by David Blandy. This is a solo role playing game system that uses the Wretched & Alone SRD which is based on The Wretched.
The supplement is available from itch for $7 but was purchased at a reduced price as part of a special bundle. There are two PDFs for the game, one designed for print and one a full colour version. The second is 20 pages long, with two being the front and rear covers and four the front and back matter. The first PDF is 18 pages long and lacks the covers.
The first page of content lists what’s required to play; journal, writing implement, d6, recording device, pack of cards, letter tiles and a block tower. The letter tiles are the primary deviation from a standard Wretched & Alone game.
You explains that the game starts in the Tower of Babel with a few possessions and no memory of what you are doing.
The Legend is the introductory text, which is from Genesis.
Setup explains how to prepare for the game. Most is the same as a standard game, with the deck shuffled and the tower set up, but the Ace of Hearts is removed from the deck, letters are taken that spell your True Name, at least ten letters long, with other letters, a journal is prepared and then the diary is started.
The Game explains that each day has the standard two phases, Investigation and the Diary, and explains how to use these.
How to Play covers the use of the d6, your True Name and the Ace of Hearts, the cards, the block tower and the rest of the letter tiles.
The Codex explains the suits with results for each card except the Ace of Hearts. Hearts are your Will to remember your True Name. Diamonds ae the quest to rediscover The Unified Human Language, lost at Babel. Clubs are your Past Life. Spades are the fragile state of the ruins.
Babel in Review
The PDFs lack bookmarks and are long enough with enough different sections that these would have been appreciated. Navigation could be better. The text maintains a two-column format and appeared to be mostly free of errors. Apart from card suits, the only illustration is the painting of the Tower of Babel, used in fragments throughout.
Like all Wretched & Alone games, success is unlikely and failure is the most probable result. Should you not be interested in solo journaling games, especially ones where failure is the probable result, this will not appeal. Interestingly, this game does have some different features to the standard game, with the addition of the letter tiles and some changes in use for the prompts, so if you do like this sort of game, it’s worth picking up for a different experience. Babel can be found on itch by clicking here.
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