Hopelessly Devoted
A downloadable game
Hopelessly Devoted is a solo ttrpg with NSFW/erotic elements. A journaling game with light scorekeeping, it was designed to provide generative structure to your fantasy and play. If you've ever been intimidated or shy of erp with another, start here and create your perfect blend of exposition and eroticism.
You will take on the role a squire of your own creation, guiding them through their tumultuous final year of mentorship. Play through prompts that help you create your own, unique setting. Define your squire's past and future. Meet rivals, lovers, and enemies to play out your complicated, charged relationships. Better yourself and your community to become the ideal knight.
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- Check out my other game Making Love (And Other Alchemical Components)
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Please leave all feedback, comments, and criticism below. Hopelessly Devoted is in it's first version and has the potential to be updated and added to. Tell me what you enjoyed, what more you'd like to see, and absolutely everything about your squire and their shenanigans.
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Hi again,
I'm launching that zine I mentioned this coming week. It's about playing immersive journaling games, and I budgeted to send a copy to anyone whose game I talk about in it. It's called The Ink That Bleeds.
And I talk about Hopelessly Devoted a lot, and include several excerpts from my play. It was a super affecting play experience for me. So if you'd like a copy, I'd love to send you one. I just need your mailing address. You can DM it to me on Twitter @paulczege, or email it to me paul *at* halfmeme d*t com
Thanks. It's a great game.
The pre-launch page for The Ink That Bleeds is here if you want to see it:
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/252728880/the-ink-that-bleeds-how-to-play-i...
Thanks so much, Paul! I just sent an email your way and can't wait to get to read the zine. You've been too kind and I'm just so pleased and honored that you enjoyed this little game so much.
Hi. It's a great game. Super immersive. One of the most affecting journaling game experiences I've had. I'm writing a zine about playing immersive journaling games and I'm going to talk about it a lot.
I do have a question about calculating Adherence. For Acts of Solidarity it says to score every third instance. Do you mean to score instances 1, 4, 7, etc, or to not score the first or second instance, and score 3, 6, 9, etc.
And I presume the same principle will apply to Acts of Selfhood and Acts of Commitment. Do you score the first instance for them, or not score anything until the second for Acts of Selfhood, and fourth for Acts of Commitment?
Thanks.
And thanks for making the game :)
Ah, thanks so much! Sorry I didn't see this notification until now, I've been away from this space for a while.
I did not intend for you to score on the first instance for any of those, so it will be the 3,6,9 structure and so on. Hope that helps with the clarity of play and thanks so much for the lovely comments and interaction. I always appreciate hearing from players and I will definitely have to check out your zine when it comes out. I'm so glad you enjoyed!
Hi! Wanted to say: I love the game! And wanted to ask if you would give permission to do hacks of it? Like a change of setting and prompts with the same system? If not, that's totally ok! Hope you have a great day!
Thanks so much! Honestly I'm honored that you enjoyed it enough to be inspired by it and would want to hack it. As long as credit is given, I would love to see other versions of it. Lemme know if you do, I'd have a blast getting to play whatever you make. :) Have a great day as well!
I have not yet started hacking it and I am so sorry! But! I started playing it and it really inspired me. Well…I am still fleshing out my squires background, which after a year…is not a lot…but it is also in prose form…so maybe not that bad? Especially considering my writers block. Anyway, just wanted to say: I‘m still constantly thinking about the game and the story it has brought me.
Cheers to you and I hope you are well.
This is a great story-telling system! I love moving through prompts and seasons by rolling a d4.
One question though, there are lots of references in the prompts to "your dedicated": Does this have a specific meaning beyond "a recurring character"? I get the sense from the context that there is a piece of the implied setting that I am missing.
Ah! I can definitely do some rewording to help with clarity on that subject.
Prompts with "your committed" are meant to reference the recurring individuals in your squire's life defined by Acts of Commitment-- the idea behind scoring that category every four instances being an evolution of your relationship with a contentious character over multiple intense encounters. Sorry for the confusion!
And thanks so much for your comment, feedback is always much appreciated and I hope you're enjoying the game. :)
Okay, that makes sense. Given that there are only 13 Act-of-Commitment prompts, and your chance of landing on any one of them is about 1/3 (~36%, if I did the math correctly), you will only hit 4 or 5 in an average game. This would tend to encourage developing a single recurring character, but the prompts seem to encourage multiple recurring characters (because the prompts drive the characters' stories in different and sometimes mutually exclusive directions).
As a possible solution, you could encourage a step in character creation where the player outlines several already existing relationships. This would allow the player to connect the early prompts to whichever character makes most sense and give them the opportunity to develop multiple relationships.
In my current playthrough, that is what I am doing. I am also going to try to work them into whatever other prompts I roll (even if it doesn't score commitment with them).
That's a great suggestion, I'll definitely consider that if I update or iterate on the game. Figuring out the math and flow on these things was one of my main trouble shooting issues so I appreciate hearing how they come across in play. Thanks a bunch!