What We Found In The Field

1-4 players

What We Found In the Field is a relatively short game that uses an evolving deck to illustrate both the reactions of a buried cyclopean object to the actions of small group of people, as well as their own relationship with the object in their lives, and their relationship to the world around them.

An older text is below – a cleaned-up version can be found on my itch.io page.

Setup

You’ll need a deck of cards. separate the suits and lay them aside. These are your pull decks. Take the 2 of each suit and create the play deck.

Play

Read the introductory paragraphs and answer the questions within through consensus. Once finished with the introductions, as a group decide what actions you’d like to take. You may discuss as much as you like until someone says they will perform an action—no take backs! Sometimes, we act and react rashly in real life, without thought of the consequences. If the group decides the action was carefully thought through, the player who called out the action will pull three cards from the top of the play deck and choose one, placing the unused cards on the bottom of the play deck. If the action is decidedly rash, the player may only pull the top card of the play deck.

Once a card is chosen/pulled a player will:

  1. Read it out loud, answering any questions associated with the card and narrating how your actions bring about the result. On cards 2, 5, 9, and A, all other players will also answer the question. Once answered, discard the card.
  2. Follow the associated deck instructions.
  3. Resume the dialogue towards the next action.

Follow this loop of play until you reach an Ace in the play deck. At that point, read the card aloud; questions asked will be answered by the group to conclude the session.

You are in a field.

What lies around you? 
Grassland? 
Ancient temples? 
The ruins of war long past?

Why have you come to this place?

Glory?

Discovery?

Escape?

Revenge?


Before you, in the ground,
lies something newly discovered.

What is its form?

A shape?

An object?

Some part of an immense body?

Deep within the mysteries of your being, it beckons. You approach.

Cards

♦ Discovery

  • 2—Nothing happens, but you feel like you’re on to something. What rumours exist of giants—made or born—in your lands? (Add ♦ 3-5 and shuffle the deck) 
  • 3—Your action reveals something on the immensity before you—a removable panel? A sigil? An inscription? Where have you seen something like this before?
  • 4—You hear something from within the immensitygrinding? Buzzing? Singing? To what in your life does this sound mimic?
  • 5—The earth trembles – your actions have caused the immensity to rise from the earth before you! What is one aspect of the immensity you notice?
    (add ♦ 6-9 and shuffle the deck)
  • 6—Somehow, you feel the immensity focus on you—a connection? What does it do? Of what in your memory does the immensity remind you?
    (Draw the next ♥ shuffle the deck)
  • 7—Something goes wrong—you’ve angered it! What happened? To what in the world do you point your own anger? (Draw the next ♠ and shuffle the deck) 
  • 8—You’ve pushed too hard; something breaks. What happened? What else is broken in the world around you?
    (Draw the next ♣ and shuffle the deck)
  • 9—A breakthrough! How does the immensity change? How have you changed in your lives?
    (Add ♦ 10-K, remove any lower ♦ and shuffle the deck)
  • 10—Your actions have altered the immensity in some way, leaving its connections behind. How? When else have you traded connection for knowledge? Was it worth it?
    (Remove the next two ♥ in the play deck and shuffle)
  • J—Somehow, you’ve soothed the being within. How did you accomplish this? When else was peace the answer?
    (Remove the next two ♠ in the play deck and shuffle)
  • Q—You discover an easily-fixable flaw. What is it, and what happens when you fix it? What else have you fixed in this life? (Remove the next two ♣ in the play deck and shuffle)
  • K—Just a little more – you are so close to knowing. What do you seek?
    (Add the ♦ A and shuffle the deck)
  • A—The true purpose of the immensity is fully revealed. How do you react? Can you use it for your own ends? How do you change the world?

♥ Connection

  • 2—You feel connected, somehow, to the immensity before you. What is a story your mother told you when you were young? (Add ♥ 3-5 and shuffle the deck) 
  • 3—Almost imperceptibly, the immensity focuses on you. What happens? When was the last time you were chosen?
  • 4—You feel called to touch it. What happens? What do you feel?
  • 5—The immensity speaks! What do you hear? Of what in your own lives before today does this remind you?
    (add ♥ 6-9 and shuffle the deck)
  • 6—Something you’ve said or done has soured its mood. What did you do or say? When else in life have you caused offence?
    (Draw the next ♠ and shuffle the deck) 
  • 7—It has over-exerted itself to be nearer to you. Why and how? When else in life has connection caused hurt?
    (Draw the next ♣ and shuffle the deck)
  • 8—You have a flash of inspiration! What is revealed?
    How has the immensity inspired you?
    (Draw the next ♦ and shuffle the deck)
  • 9—It tells you its names. What are they? How do you already know these names?
    (Add ♥ 10-K, remove any lower ♥ and shuffle the deck)
  • 10—Somehow you’ve soothed the beast within. How did you connect with the immensity? Who else have soothed in life?
    (Remove the next two ♠ in the play deck and shuffle)
  • J—The power of your connection renews its spirit. How did it react to your actions? Who else have you supported in life? (Remove the next two ♣ in the play deck and shuffle)
  • Q—Its purpose has become more mysterious to you. Why? When else have you been lost?
    (Remove the next two ♦ in the play deck and shuffle)
  • K—You feel its spirit within you. What question do you ask it? (Add the A and shuffle the deck)
  • A—The connection you have nurtured has gone to fruit and is ready for harvest. What will you do with your new friend? How will you enrich its life and how will it enrich yours? <END>

♠ Emnity

  • 2—You feel a chill within your soul…What violence is in the world?
    (Add ♠ 3-5 and shuffle the deck) 
  • 3—It feels like the stones and the earth itself echo an unseen anger. How does this manifest? What angers you?
  • 4—You feel something more—unease? Hate? Malevolence? fear? Where does this feeling manifest in your own life?
  • 5—Its original—dark—purpose is brought to light. How? What is that purpose? What are your own dark secrets?
    (add ♠ 6-9 and shuffle the deck)
  • 6—It reacts angrily; in its frustration, something fails. What fails? When have you failed?
    (Draw the next ♣ and shuffle the deck)
  • 7—Your actions give the immensity pause. How do you capitalize on this connection? When else have you had a second chance?
    (Draw the next ♥, shuffle the deck)
  • 8—The immensity readies to fight; In doing so it, reveals a something new. What is revealed? When else did your quick eyes bring opportunity?
    (Draw the next ♦ and shuffle the deck) 
  • 9—It reveals a weapon. You cannot escape. What is it? When else did you face the possibility of death?
    (Add ♠ 10-K, remove any lower ♠ and shuffle the deck)
  • 10—Its anger is palpable, like a new source of energy. How does the immensity change? When did anger last drive you?
    (Remove the next two ♣ in the play deck and shuffle)
  • J—“No Quarter will be given,” it says. You realize the ground around you is riddled with devastation. What does it look like? When else have you seen devastation like this?
    (Remove the next two ♥ in the play deck and shuffle)
  • Q—The immensity’s aggression hides its mysteries. How? When else have you lost crucial knowledge?
    (Remove the next two ♦ in the play deck and shuffle)
  • K—You have crossed the Rubicon. It readies its weapon. What are your final thoughts?
    (Add the ♦ A and shuffle the deck)
  • A—The immensity ends your time on this plane of existence. There is a chance that one may escape—the group may choose one player to survive. What is their fate? What is the fate of the Immensity? Where is its violence directed next? <END>

♣ Entropy

  • 2—Nothing happens. What are the eras past of this land?
    (Add ♣ 3-5 and shuffle the deck)
  • 3—Something falls from the immensity. What and how? How are you broken?
  • 4—Creeping moss infects its crevices. How else is does the immensity show its age? What is the oldest thing you have with you?
  • 5—Your actions have caused the immensity to lose function in some way. What has it lost? What does this land lack?
    (add ♣ 6-9 and shuffle the deck)
  • 6—Somethings falls from the immensity and reveals a secret. What is it? What secret is in your own life?
    (Draw the next ♦ shuffle the deck)
  • 7—The immensity needs help. How do you know this? When else has someone asked for help?
    (Draw the next ♥ and shuffle the deck) 
  • 8—The immensity reacts to you as if you were a memory out of time. A bad memory. What does it say? How is the feeling mutual?
    (Draw the next ♠ and shuffle the deck)
  • 9—Rousing the immensity costs it much. What else is failing? What else is broken in this land? (Add ♣ 10-K, remove any lower ♣ and shuffle the deck)
  • 10—Your actions push the immensity towards oblivion; its secrets, lost to history. What knowledge have you lost now? When else were you the source of ignorance?
    (Remove the next two ♦ in the play deck and shuffle)
  • J—The immensity becomes resolute as it contemplates the end and begins repeating a phrase. What is that phrase? When else have you heard this phrase? (Remove the next two ♥ in the play deck and shuffle)
  • Q—One of the immensity’s weapons fails. What was it? When else was peace achieved by failure?
    (Remove the next two ♠ in the play deck and shuffle)
  • K—The immensity shudders as if gasping for breath. Do you want to save it, or let it go into oblivion?
    (Add the ♣A and shuffle the deck)
  • A—So often, we don’t get a chance to say goodbye. Whatever fuels the Colossus’ life ends abruptly, leaving the Colossus frozen upon the field in front of you. What happens to the immensity’s cold shell? <END>