The Cloister is a role playing game written and published by Everest Pipkin.
The supplement is available as a 20 page Pay What You Want PDF. Two pages are the front and rear covers, one the front matter and half the Contents. There is also a txt version of the game.
The Cloister explains that this is a two-player storytelling game about the last hour of a long journey home. Bring explains what’s needed; beside the obvious, that is one d6.
0 Sunset explains that one person is the Pilot and the other the Operator. The Pilot is returning home; the Operator runs the overnight shift in communications that is usually quiet. The Pilot picks a word for their ship, one for their mood and their name; the Operator chooses one for their job, one for their voice and their name. Each subsequent step involves, amongst other things, rolling at least one d6 to determine some random outcomes.
1 Can You Hear Me has the Pilot contacting the Operator, deciding what to say and the Operator replying.
2 Orbit has the Pilot giving their position, the Operator asking them a question and the Pilot responding.
3 Tracing a Path has the Operator finding a landing site, the Pilot asking them a question and the Operator responding.
4 Deorbit has the Pilot preparing for their descent then the Operator asking them another question.
5 Descent has the Operator calculating the descent and the Pilot asking the Operator a question.
6 Separation is the next stage and sees the Operator asking the Pilot a question.
7 Waiting has the Pilot asking the Operator another question.
8 Silence has the two saying goodbye to each other.
The Cloister in Review
The PDF lacks bookmarks and has enough sections that these would have been useful. The Contents just lists the sections, no page numbers. Navigation could be better. The text maintains a single column format and appeared to be free of errors. There are a variety of stock black and white illustrations. Presentation is okay.
This is a journalling game essentially, albeit one that is likely spoken, so it won’t be for everyone. The dice rolling is to do with the landing; the questions are unrelated to that and are essentially personal in nature. This last may also be a negative for some. The Cloister can be found by clicking here.
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