Jamie: “Good evening, Night Stalkers and Sleep Talkers, you’re listening to Jubilation Radio with your host, Jamie Danno. We’ve got a great program lined up for you tonight, so get comfortable wherever you are in Jubilation—whoa! What was that? Ana, are you hearing this? Uh, hey listeners, bear with us—some interference here—unknown signal—”

Justin: “A warm hello to residents of Jubilation. I'm Justin, the designer of My Very Own Forest Spirit and cross-collaboration partner with Jubilation resident Dorian Blackwood during Pocketopia 2026. It's pleased me so much to see our projects have inspired so many mutual backers, and Dorian was gracious enough to show me how to broadcast my own signal to say hello.

 

Some of you may not be aware, but Pocketopia keeps track and displays which projects have the most mutual backers, and the two of us have taken the top spot with a substantive lead. We're both very collaborative people, and we chalk our success in this respect up to attracting brilliant and curious gamers who want imaginative play experiences. Especially those which can be played solo.

To tell you a bit more about my project; My Very Own Forest Spirit was inspired principally by two things: a love of DIY zines and zine fests (leading to a desire to create a small game with a big play experience); and my first time showing My Neighbor Totoro to my young nieces. From there, a spiral of inspirations led to some of the most whimsical and moving play experiences of my career as a gamer and game designer.

So what is the culmination of the peculiar mixture of muses? It’s something like a ‘strollplaying game’—if I might borrow a phrase—in which you vividly imagine a fictional world around you as you walk. Although I know Dorian enjoyed playing while sitting in their backyard, as that best suited their needs that day. The premise of the game is that our world, long drained of its natural energy, is awakening from a long slumber. The spirits return to the land to heal the damage caused while they rested, and they have chosen you as a companion to help them grow a natural energy, called Bloom. 

 

The goal of the game is to travel to a natural location (even a public park, your backyard, or balcony will suffice). This is called an Outing. There you engage in small game actions, called Offerings, to grow Bloom in the area, awaken spirits and grow your friendship with your spirit friends. It uses your wonder and curiosity at the world around you in place of dice via a system called Synchronicity, where paying close attention to the subtle magic in nature, you eschew dice for the dynamism of the real world (we love dice, but they’re not all that practical for outdoor spaces).

 

The game itself will be a heavily illustrated book in a pocket-sized journal format, printed on archival art paper (300gsm cover, 157gsm interior), with singer-sewn binding and spot-color inks for peak vibrancy. We also offer prints, custom illustrations, and copies of our freshman game offering, VOID (a space-disaster game inspired by Alien, 2001, Sunshine, Event Horizon and many others).

This has been a delightful experience and Dorian has been a great cross-collaboration partner. If anything I’ve said interests you, please check out My Very Own Forest Spirit. And if not, I’d like to thank you for supporting Dorian, you’re in good hands with them and Jubilation Radio.

And, if I might be so bold, I’d like to keep with Jubilation Radio tradition, and make a song recommendation: Born in Xixax by Nina Hagen."

*Soundwave graphic created by @kjpargeter. Character art for Jamie is from the library of Kye Ferrin.