SPINE is now available
A (free) dark solo ttrpg about losing yourself in a book.
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As of 10/14 Backwards Tabletop has officially released SPINE: A dark solo ttrpg about losing yourself in a book by Asa Donald.
SPINE is a solo TTRPG that looks like a book. In SPINE, you play as a researcher who has inherited this strange book from an estranged relative. You play by reading the book and following the prompts that you discover in the endnotes. But you soon discover a catch. You are being absorbed by the book — getting lost in it. The only way to lessen its power is by defacing the text.
Piece together the story without losing yourself in it.
You can find it on itch and on DriveThruRPG, and it is free for a limited time.
A print-on-demand version will be available via Mixam by the end of the October.
FAQ
Q: What do you need to play?
A: The book. A pencil. Your curiosity. A spine…
SPINE is meant to be played with a physical copy. Although I provide a digital version available for download, I recommend printing the booklet version or purchasing a print-on-demand copy.
SPINE is easy to learn. It has only one page of rules. The book takes care of the rest.
Q: How long does it take to play SPINE?
A: SPINE takes about 4 hours to play. It can take more or less, depending on how much time you want to dedicate to prompts.
Q: Is SPINE replayable?
A: SPINE is replayable. Each book can be played three times. Although the broader plot remains the same, each playthrough has different experiences, and there are many secrets inside this book that you will not uncover in just one or two playthroughs. Some secrets exist outside of play, meant to be discovered only by the most astute readers. And the book’s defacement is designed in such a way that it will survive multiple playthroughs.
Q: Can I read SPINE instead of playing it?
A: SPINE can be enjoyed without engaging with the prompts; however, the prompts are a central part of the play and contribute to future playthroughs and reading.
Q: Is SPINE a journaling game?
A: SPINE's prompts are very diverse and can involve note-taking, drawing, ripping, burning, and more. SPINE has writing prompts too; however, they are typically short notes in the margins from your character's perspective. There are several prompts throughout the course of the book that can involve journaling.
Media
- Review and Interview for SPINE in The Lone Toad newsletter
- A Review of SPINE by Mint of Therersattrpgforthat
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