I figured I might as well get an itchio page up! It might be easier to keep  devlog here rather than chase the odd twitter post/thread down.

So, the "Soulmate Game" has grown a lot from my original idea. For some reason I thought this could be a 1 page RPG, but it's evolved a bit from that.

I did a short playtest last night and got even more inspired to sharpen the mechanics down and really represent the type of exploration I'm trying to capture with this. I'm excited to really figure out the ways to make a lot of different approaches to destiny, romance, etc, have mechanical support and meaning.

A song that's inspired this game's development: Casina - Run River North

The chorus, "I'm stuck in this casino / not much left for me" reverberated with the idea of aromanticism in the context of this soulmate-and-cards game, as well as anyone not cishet in a heteronormative society with very particular ideas of what love and life is supposed to look like. The expectations of 1.5 children and a hetero marriage don't mesh with a lot of people. It can feel like being "stuck" somewhere that has nothing for you. "'Good luck,' is what they tell you / 'Get fucked' is what they mean."

The second verse, 

One, two, hold me 'til I find you
Three, four, I'm all caught up
To me, to me, I'm going round and round
To you, to you, I'm all burnt out
Round and round, go back and forth
Go black, then red, then never again
You said, "One, two, hit me 'til I find you
Three, four, clubs over diamonds"

feels reflective of some of the games' mechanics of searching for, or getting to know, your soulmate - but also having the ability to "burn" your cards and sever a connection that maybe you don't want.

Something I'm keeping in mind while developing the game is making sure there is a reason to play it even if you don't want a soulmate, or even if you do, and balancing things so that players of the multitudes of different identities can find something in it that feels representative of themselves and their journeys.