Metal Scraps Covered in Moss is a solitaire junk journaling TTRPG zine played over 10 days, where you, a Reclamator, find artifacts in the real world and record them in your Artifacts Log as insights into the What Once Was.
In a world that has moved beyond What Once Was, you are a Reclamator. A traveler, an archaeologist, a seeker, a chronicler for what has been seen, what has been found, and what was once known. As a Reclamator, you live a largely solitary life, traveling through the Old Growth and cataloging remnants of the Once Was. Even then, you come across communities on your journey, settlements of people traveling their own paths together.
Played across 10 days, this TTRPG zine encourages you to blend the lines of what is real and what is in-game, discovering artifacts from the real world to incorporate into your Artifacts Log through the act of Noticing.
Blending solitaire journaling TTRPGs and commonplace junk journaling, Metal Scraps Covered in Moss asks you to Notice more of the world around you.
Metal Scraps Covered in Moss is a solitaire game of Noticing: collecting artifacts in the real world and recording observations of them to guide your narrative in the game.
Metal Scraps comes with two zines:
The TTRPG Zine details the rules of play, different modes of play (fully or partially immersive), the map, the Artifacts Log, what each day looks like, and location descriptions.
The Artifacts Log is the physical journal in which you will rule, tape, adhere, and sketch your found artifact. Here you will describe it, detailing what it is, what it does, and how it connects to your world.
There are two ways to play Metal Scraps Covered in Moss:
Partially Immersive play is the default play style. In partially immersive play, you go about your day as you normally do (in the real world), keeping an eye out for interesting objects that could be seen as artifacts. Each day you are hoping to collect at least one artifact that later you will detail in your Artifacts Log, guided by prompts in the Artifacts Log. At its heart, this is a derivative of junk journaling.
While Fully Immersive play is not the default play style, I understand people might have limitations and/or limited access to maneuvering throughout the real world. In this instance, you are doing much of the same, but you are using either artifacts you find from home and/or images you find throughout your day. You can completely make up each artifact as you go, if you would like. The difference is you may not have a physical object. There is room to sketch it in your Artifacts Log if you want to go this route.
The Map, along with the location descriptions, give you a sense of the world around you. The descriptions are small but could provide additional insight or context into what you have found.
After 10 days of Noticing and collecting and recording Artifacts in your Log, you reflect on what you have found. After 20 cycles of this, you are beginning to grow weary. What does your life mean?
The game is complete. Layout is finished. Proof copies have been ordered. And everything looks correct!
Physical zines will be ordered two weeks after the completion of the campaign with an aim to ship towards the beginning of September.
PDFs will be distributed via Backerkit. These will be distributed when the physical copies are shipped.
(Similar to above) PDFs will be distributed via Backerkit. These will be distributed when the physical copies are shipped. This includes the RPG PDF bundle.
Below are some things some nice people have said about the things I make.
[Travis' games] are often about other people, observing them, listening to them, sharing time and space with them.
When people you know make thought-provoking, interesting spaces for creativity. [Metal Scraps Covered in Moss]
A journaling game where you wander around in the real world finding objects then write about them in your journal in a solarpunk world?! I am the exact target audience/radical buyer/ideal customer profile for this game. [Metal Scraps Covered in Moss]
Thank you for this beautiful offering. [How are you advancing the revolution?]
[Our Innermost Thoughts] made me appreciate how looking outside your comfort zone can sometimes lead to interesting discoveries about what it is that you actually love about things that have simply become your "done thing".
oh, this looks like a joy! [STAY]
Oh yes. More of this kind of thing! [Terebridae]
Thank you for this contemplative lyric game. I really like generating a prompt by counting something in the environment - what a great way to embody your play. [What if you could fly away?]
