Cozy Poetry Game Crowdfunding in October
New game from Central Michigan University Press offers a collaborative, inviting playground for poetry.
Central Michigan University Press is launching its latest BackerKit crowdfunding campaign for Line by Line, a cozy, collaborative poetry-writing game, on October 20th. It was designed by Tilak Vyas (Citadrill) with art by Vicky Tran and development by Dr. Gretchen Papazian. Players in groups of 4-6 and ages 14 and above will enjoy this game, which takes about 30-45 minutes to play!
The café has gone quiet. The espresso machine sits cold, the chairs are stacked, and the windows face an open street. But word has spread: the poets are coming!
In Line by Line, players become a troupe of Bards invited to bring their beloved café back to life – not with repairs or renovations, but with verse. Between rounds of Brewing and the hush before the Open Mic, the Bards craft lines of poetry, then weave those lines into finished works performed from the stage. Every poem has a chance to draw neighbors back through the door and funnel much-needed gold into the Tip Jar.
Inspired by Travis Baldree's Legends & Lattes series and Anne Lamott's advice in her timeless writing manual Bird by Bird, Line by Line guides players to collaboratively craft writing templates, then use those templates to write lines of poetry and share them aloud. Bards play the game in two stages: Brewing and Open Mic.
During the Brewing stage, the Bards choose a House Blend card (or create their own) to define the overall subject and tone for their game-long poetry writing session. Next, the Bards play Ingredient cards with poetic Devices, whimsical Images, and intriguing Words to the game board in an order guided by a Recipe card. Once a Recipe is complete, all Bards write a line of poetry based on the current set of Ingredients. A different set of Ingredients are in use for each round. During the Open Mic stage, each Bard takes a turn reading their complete poem aloud.
Card decks for Line by Line. From left to right: Ingredient decks (Image, Device, Word), House Blend deck, and Recipe deck.
Scoring is optional, with the points - "Tips" - earned per round based on how many Bards use each of the Ingredient cards in play. At the end of the game, Bards decide which complete poem best honors the spirit of the House Blend card.
The game shines as peaceful, encouraging, creative experience for all. Vicky Tran's warm art is a delight, from the game manual flourishes to the dreamy Image card art and all the immersive game board details that transport players into the café environment. Even Line by Line's mascot, the teal-hooded little figure "Quill," evokes a feeling of soft comfort and wonder.
Beyond the coziness, Line by Line provides an opportunity for players to get in touch with their inner poet – or discover that they exist! Published poet and Professor of Creative Writing Nicole Cooley (Mother Water Ash) praises the game as "pure delight" and highlights its capacity to break down hurdles for players. After playing a preview copy of the game, Cooley wrote, "I love how it [Line by Line] dispels our common myths about writing poetry. An antidote to any claim that poetry is not for everyone or poems are only written by a rarified few, Line by Line is built on the idea that language is play and poetry is accessible. And rather than claiming poetry as a solitary art, this game highlights the fun of collaboration.... When you play Line by Line, you learn that creativity is something we can all be part of that will bring us joy."
Central Michigan University Press (CMich Press) is Central Michigan University's official academic press and the force which has published the likes of Five Hundred Year Old Vampire, Monumental Consequence, and, recently, Witch Hunt: 1649 and Keep the Faith.
Line by Line joins CMich Press' score of titles in the Scholarship & Lore series, where each game passes through a rigorous peer-review process before crowdfunding. With a mission to produce quality, thoughtful games that happen to teach something along the way, each game in this series is published alongside a separate curriculum guide for entirely optional educational use. CMich Press is the only academic press which publishes peer-reviewed tabletop games.
Questions and press inquiries about CMich Press and Line by Line can be directed to cmichpress@cmich.edu.
