An incredibly intense experience. The use of the Tarot deck is wonderful, with the Major Arcana playing an inspirational role throughout the entire game rather than being just additional prompts (like the minor arcana) and really shows what a Tarot deck can do for a journaling game. Due to how the Major Arcana are often highly unique from deck to deck, playing with different decks will yield different inspirations, especially with decks that have detailed Major Arcana.
My first game I used as self reflection, remembering a point of time in my life when I was lost and walking through it to finding myself again.
My second game was entirely about a fictional character that the game built with depth as each act passed. I was not prepared to find myself playing a lawyer fired from their law firm because they walked away from prosecuting a case against a nature activist who, it turns out, was protecting an ancient tree in the city that someone wanted destroyed. It did not go well for anyone, and in the aftermath my lawyer remembered her partner, who left her an acorn from said ancient tree, and now she is going to go find a location to plant it that is more worthy than the city (which no longer exists).
I highly recommend this game as one of the best character exploration engines.
Anamnesis is a solo journaling game about memory loss. In practice, it's a mystery, but that mystery is one of self-discovery.
The PDF is 10 pages, with a relatively bare layout but a cool cover and a good structure.
You play as a person who has woken up in a state of anamnesis.
Mechanically, the game uses tarot cards to add detail and color to its story. Gameplay is divided into five acts, with each act consisting of three card draws. Each drawn card is a prompt, giving you a chance to explore another facet of your lost memory.
I think a lot of games would use this framing device to weave in some slow-burn horror, but Anamnesis resists that temptation. There's emotional intensity, but it comes from you, not from the cards. Prompts like "You realize you are crying. Why?" hit hard with an economy of motion. All of their force comes from you.
This can make the game a bit tough and intense, but it swerves in an interesting way at the end, and I don't think it's ultimately about putting the player into an intense emotional state. It's about asking the player to consider who they are.
Overall, this is a really cool solo game that explores a condition rather than a setting. If you like journaling games, emotional intensity, or introspection, I would strongly recommend giving Anamnesis a read.
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An incredibly intense experience. The use of the Tarot deck is wonderful, with the Major Arcana playing an inspirational role throughout the entire game rather than being just additional prompts (like the minor arcana) and really shows what a Tarot deck can do for a journaling game. Due to how the Major Arcana are often highly unique from deck to deck, playing with different decks will yield different inspirations, especially with decks that have detailed Major Arcana.
My first game I used as self reflection, remembering a point of time in my life when I was lost and walking through it to finding myself again.
My second game was entirely about a fictional character that the game built with depth as each act passed. I was not prepared to find myself playing a lawyer fired from their law firm because they walked away from prosecuting a case against a nature activist who, it turns out, was protecting an ancient tree in the city that someone wanted destroyed. It did not go well for anyone, and in the aftermath my lawyer remembered her partner, who left her an acorn from said ancient tree, and now she is going to go find a location to plant it that is more worthy than the city (which no longer exists).
I highly recommend this game as one of the best character exploration engines.
Anamnesis is a solo journaling game about memory loss. In practice, it's a mystery, but that mystery is one of self-discovery.
The PDF is 10 pages, with a relatively bare layout but a cool cover and a good structure.
You play as a person who has woken up in a state of anamnesis.
Mechanically, the game uses tarot cards to add detail and color to its story. Gameplay is divided into five acts, with each act consisting of three card draws. Each drawn card is a prompt, giving you a chance to explore another facet of your lost memory.
I think a lot of games would use this framing device to weave in some slow-burn horror, but Anamnesis resists that temptation. There's emotional intensity, but it comes from you, not from the cards. Prompts like "You realize you are crying. Why?" hit hard with an economy of motion. All of their force comes from you.
This can make the game a bit tough and intense, but it swerves in an interesting way at the end, and I don't think it's ultimately about putting the player into an intense emotional state. It's about asking the player to consider who they are.
Overall, this is a really cool solo game that explores a condition rather than a setting. If you like journaling games, emotional intensity, or introspection, I would strongly recommend giving Anamnesis a read.
This is such a kind and thoughtful review, thank you!
:D