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The Quiet Year
The Quiet Year
a map-drawing game
Supplies
The Quiet Year requires 2-4 players and 3-4 hours.
In addition, it requires:
• A blank piece of paper to draw the map
• A few pencils or pens
• A couple index cards
• Six small dice
• 20 Contempt Tokens
• A deck of The Quiet Year cards
• The Turn Summary card
(located at the end of this document)
Separate the deck into the four suits, each in its own
stack. Place the blank piece of paper in the centre of
the table - it will become the map of your area. Around
it, array the remaining supplies: pencils and pens, dice,
Contempt Tokens, and the Turn Summary card.
A Fleeting Year
A full-length game of The Quiet Year can take up to
4 hours. If you’d prefer to play a shorter game, try this
simple adjustment: before play, remove 5 cards from
each suit. Make sure to remove the King of Diamonds
(Summer), and make sure to keep the King of Spades
(Winter) in the cards you play with.
The Opening Story
Read aloud.
We’ll all take turns drawing on this map. You don’t have
Chapter Two: Survey to worry about drawing well; every drawing is good
enough.
As the facilitator, read the regular text of this chapter aloud
to the group, following the instructions written in italics as Point to the Turn Summary card. This card explains how
you go. play works from week to week. We’ll go over it soon.
Play a Card
As there are 52 cards, so there are 52 weeks. We won’t
necessarily get to play them all - the Frost Shepherds
could arrive any time during Winter.
Chapter Three: Play
Most cards have two options to choose from, with an
Pass the book around the table, letting people take turns “or…” divider in between. Pick the option that you find
reading a section aloud to the group. Once we’ve finished the the most interesting and fitting, and read the text aloud.
chapter, it’s time to play. The card might ask you a question, bring bad news, or
create an opportunity. If you drew the card, it’s up to
you to make all of the decisions.
Pacing
Spring will ask us a lot of questions, and we will learn
more about our community’s inner workings and
surrounding landscape. In Summer, larger threats
and greater progress will both emerge. Autumn will
challenge us with more serious dangers and losses. In
Winter, the community will continue its work and
preparations, while we as players will contend with the
dramatic irony that at any moment the Frost Shepherds
could arrive.
A Divided Community
Sometimes, factions arise within the community that
actual lead to a fracture, with two separate camps
emerging. If ever the community splits apart, the rules
Chapter Four: Beyond function exactly the same, but player voices might now
represent members of neighbouring communities.
As the facilitator, read through this chapter. It contains Contempt can arise both within and between the two
elaborations and additional resources. communities. Discussions can be held about mutual
issues or issues specific to a single camp.
Living Underground
If your game is set in an underground or indoor
environment, some creative interpretations may be
necessary for certain cards. For example, ‘weather’ might
refer to air circulation and ground tremors.
Lisa reads The Opening Story aloud, and then pauses for Raj: I choose fish.
a moment to let it sink in. She then moves through the
Introducing Our Tools section, following the italicized Lisa: I’m going with drinkable water as mine.
instructions and reading the regular text aloud. She reads
aloud Our Role, and then Sketching Terrain (including the Kate: And I’ll go with textiles, if that’s good with both
examples). Lisa simply reads these sections verbatim. of you.
Lisa: Alright, so where are we situated? What ideas do Lisa: That’s great. Fish, drinkable water, and textiles. Of
you two have? those three, which one do we have in Abundance?
Raj: My first thought is that it’d be interesting to put The players all agree that it’d be most interesting to have
ourselves next to the coast. Somewhere wet and windy. an Abundance of textiles, and a Scarcity of both fish and
drinkable water. What a peculiar situation for a coastal
Lisa: I think that’s great. I’d also be into setting it in a community! The three choices get recorded on the index
thick wooded area, like a mountain forest. card. Kate draws a little cross-hatched blanket next to
the storehouse, to indicate an Abundance of textiles. Lisa
Kate: I’m into the coast. Let’s go with that. For details: draws an empty water glass next to the inlet, to represent a
maybe our community is built right next to a wide inlet. Scarcity of drinkable water. Raj draws a fish skeleton in the
water, to indicate a Scarcity of fish.
Kate quickly sketches an inlet, and draws some crude waves
to indicate which part is water. Lisa: Alright! We’ve established our community. We’re
living on the coast, rich in textiles, but without fish
Raj: I’d like to add a lighthouse, with a small storehouse or drinkable water. Now, to learn how to play out the
attached to it. weeks of our year, we’re going to take turns reading
pages aloud from this book. The we can start! Who
Raj sketches a three-quarter view of a lighthouse, and puts wants to read first?
a small rectangle next to it, depicting the storehouse.
Three Weeks of Play Lisa knocks the remaining die from 2 to 1. The boat repair
will be finished next week.
It’s the middle of Summer, and Raj is now the active player.
He begins by drawing a card from the top of the deck. Lisa: Okay. For my weekly action, I’m going to Start a
It’s the 7 of Diamonds (Summer). There are two options Project. We’ve been afraid of these marauding pirates
written on it. He chooses one to read aloud. for a while now, and some defences would be good. So
we’ll train some sentries and arm them with whatever
Raj: “Introduce a mystery at the edge of the map.” we found in that army jeep.
Alright, a young boy is out searching around in the bog, How long will this take?
and discovers a weird skeleton. He pulls it out of the
mud with the help of his friends. It’s sort of like an alli- The players quickly agree that this seems like it’d logically
gator, except its limbs are articulated in too many places be a 2 week project. Lisa places a die marked “2” next to the
and it’s got too many eye sockets. A mutant, maybe? jeep icon, because that seems like a fitting place to ‘anchor’
the project. Once again, there is no room to protest the
Raj spends about 25 seconds drawing a weird animal spine launch of this project, though Raj and Kate both have the
over by the bogs. His picture is less than half an inch wide. opportunity to take Contempt. Neither do so.
He glances at The Summary card for a moment. The next Finally, it’s Kate’s turn. She draws the 2 of Diamonds
step is to reduce project dice. There are two dice sitting on the (Summer), and chooses one of the two options.
map, set to 3 and 2. Each of those dice is linked to a project
that the community is working on. Raj knocks them both Kate: Alright: “Someone new arrives. Who? Why are
down by 1. they in distress?” I think a lone man washes up on the
shore, starving and delirious. He’d been held captive on
Raj: For my action, I’m going to Hold a Discussion. I’ll one of the pirate ships, and managed to escape only by
lead with a question: “When we’ve finished the boat diving overboard and swimming toward the shore. We
repair project, will we resume our scouting endeavors? greet him with what little food we can spare.
Or is that too dangerous now?”
Kate draws a little stick figure man. The next step is to reduce
Everyone gets to weigh in once, with a single response. the project dice on the board. The boat repair project finishes
and the sentries project has 1 week remaining.
Lisa: I think that recon will keep us safe in the long
run, so it’s worth a bit of short-term risk. Lisa: Alright, I started that boat project, a month ago
now. How does it turn out? Well, we managed to patch
Kate: No. If we incite the wrath of another pirate fleet, the crack in its hull, and furthermore seal the whole
it could spell ruin for our community. underside. It’s seaworthy again.
Raj: I think we should focus energy on establishing Lisa updates the map by drawing a pristine boat picture,
coastal sentries, but keep our boats in safer waters. next to the previously-crossed-out boat picture.
Raj marks the docks with a dot, to indicate the discussion. Kate: And now my action. I’m going to Discover
That concludes the week. It’s Lisa’s week next, and she draws Something New. Once we get the boat out into the
the 9. She chooses one of the two options to read aloud. water again, we discover that a strange sea plant is in
bloom, submerged just below the water’s surface. It is
Lisa: Uh oh, guys. “A project fails. Which one? Why?” spiny and fuchsia. Nobody’s sure what to do with it yet.
The boat is more important in the long run, I think.
So the ‘sun shrine’ project gets nixed. Several people She draws a few squiggles in the water to represent this
decide that we can’t spare the heavy canvas or the wood mysterious new plant. This concludes her turn. Each of these
that we were using to build it, so they disassemble turns took 2-3 minutes to complete. This entire example
whats been done. spans 7-8 minutes of play.
Lisa removes one of the dice from the map. Raj and Kate
don’t get to talk about Lisa’s decision, because it isn’t their
turn and this isn’t a discussion. They do have the option of
taking Contempt, though, which Kate does. She doesn’t feel
honoured by the actions of those community members.
The Oracle: Spring
A♥ 8♥
What group has the highest status in the community? An old piece of machinery is discovered,
What must people do to gain inclusion in this group? broken but perhaps repairable. What is it?
or... What would it be useful for?
Are there distinct family units in the community? If so, or...
what family structures are common? An old piece of machinery is discovered, cursed and
dangerous. How does the community destroy it?
2♥
There’s a large body of water on the map. Where is it? 9♥
What does it look like? A charismatic young girl convinces many to help her
or... with an elaborate scheme. What is it? Who joins her
There’s a giant man-made structure on the map. Where endeavors? Start a project to reflect.
is it? Why is it abandoned? or...
A charismatic young girl tries to tempt many into sinful
3♥ or dangerous activity. Why does she do this?
How does the community respond?
Someone new arrives. Who?
or...
Two of the community’s younger members get into a 10♥
fight. What provoked them? There’s another community somewhere on the map.
Where are they? What sets them apart from you?
4♥ or...
What belief or practice helps to unify your community?
What important and basic tools does the community
lack?
or... J♥
Where are you storing your food? You see a good omen. What is it?
Why is this a risky place to store things? or...
You see a bad omen. What is it?
5♥
There is a disquieting legend about this place. Q♥
What is it? What’s the most beautiful thing in this area?
or... or...
Alarming weather patterns destroy something. What’s the most hideous thing in this area?
How and what?
K♥
6♥ A young boy starts digging in the ground,
Are there children in the community? and discovers something unexpected. What is it?
If there are, what is their role in the community? or...
or... An old man confesses to past crimes and atrocities.
How old are the eldest members of the community? What has he done?
What unique needs do they have?
7♥
Where does everyone sleep?
Who is unhappy with this arrangement, and why?
or...
What natural predators roam this area? Are you safe?
The Oracle: Summer
A♦ 8♦
A contingent within the community demand to be Someone tries to take control of the community by
heard. Who are they? What are they asking for? force. Do they succeed? Why do they do this?
or... or...
A contingent within the community have acted on their A headstrong community member decides to put one of
frustrations. What have they damaged, and why did they their ideas in motion. Start a foolish project.
damage it? Is it permanent?
9♦
2♦ A project fails. Which one? Why?
Someone new arrives. Who? Why are they in distress? or...
or... Something goes foul and supplies are ruined.
Someone leaves the community. Who? Add a new Scarcity.
What are they looking for?
10♦
3♦ You discover a cache of supplies or resources.
Summer is a time for production and tending to the Add a new Abundance.
earth. Start a project related to food production. or...
or... A Scarcity has gone unaddressed for too long!
Summer is a time for conquest and the gathering of might. Start a project that will alleviate that Scarcity.
Start a project related to military readiness and conquest.
J♦
4♦ Predators and bad omens are afoot. You are
The eldest among you dies. What caused the death? careless, and someone goes missing under ominous
or... circumstances. Who?
The eldest among you is very sick. Caring for them or...
and searching for a cure requires the help of the entire Predators and bad omens are afoot. What measures do
community. Do not reduce project dice this week. you take to keep everyone safe and under surveillance?
Do not reduce project dice this week.
5♦
A project finishes early. Q♦
What led to its early completion? A project finishes early. Which one? Why?
or...
The weather is nice and people can feel the potential all If there are no projects underway, boredom leads to a
around them. Start a new project. quarrel. A fight breaks out between two people.
What is it about?
6♦
Outsiders arrive in the area. Why are they a threat? K♦
How are they vulnerable? Summer is fleeting.
or...
Outsiders arrive in the area. How many? Discard the top two cards off the top of the deck and
How are they greeted? take two actions this week.
7♦
Introduce a mystery at the edge of the map.
or...
An unattended situation becomes problematic and scary.
What is it? How does it go awry?
The Oracle: Autumn
A♣ 7♣
The community becomes obsessed with a single project. A project just isn’t working out as expected. Radically
Which one? Why? Choose one: change the nature of this project (don’t modify the
• They decide to take more time to ensure that it is project die). When it resolves, you’ll be responsible for
perfect. Add 3 weeks to the project die. telling the community how it went.
• They drop everything else to work on it. or...
All other projects fail. Something goes foul and supplies are ruined.
Add a new Scarcity.
If there are no projects underway,
add a Scarcity born of idleness. 8♣
Someone sabotages a project, and the project fails as a
2♣ result. Who did this? Why?
Someone returns to the community. Who? or...
Where were they? Someone is caught trying to sabotage the efforts of the
or... community. How does the community respond?
You find a body. Do people recognize who it is?
What happened? 9♣
The community works constantly, and as a result a
3♣ project finishes early.
Someone leaves the community after issuing a dire or...
warning. Who? What is the warning? A group goes out to explore the map more thoroughly,
or... and finds something that had been previously overlooked.
Someone issues a dire warning, and the community
leaps into action to avoid disaster. What is the warning?
Start a contentious project that relates to it.
10♣
Harvest is here and plentiful. Add an Abundance.
or...
4♣ Cold autumn winds drive out your enemies. Remove a
The strongest among you dies. What caused the death? threatening force from the map and the area.
or...
The weakest among you dies.
Who’s to blame for their death?
J♣
A project finishes early. Which one? Why?
4♠ J♠
An infected outsider arrives, seeking amnesty. They have
All the animals and young children are crying and won’t some much-needed resources with them. Choose one:
stop. Hold a discussion about this, in addition • Welcome them into the community. Remove a Scarcity,
to your regular action for this week. but also introduce an infection into the community.
or... • Bar them from entry. What Scarcity could they have
A great atrocity is revealed. What is it? addressed? How does its need become more dire this
Who uncovers it? week?
5♠ Q♠
Winter elements destroy a food source. If this was your You see a good omen. What is it?
only food source, add a Scarcity.
or...
Winter elements leave everyone cold, tired, and K♠
miserable. Project dice are not reduced this week. The Frost Shepherds arrive.
The game is over.
6♠
The time has come to consolidate your efforts and your
borders. Projects located outside the settlement fail,
and all remaining projects are reduced by 2 this week.
or...
Someone finds a curious opportunity on the edge of the
map. Start a project related to this discovery.
Turn Summary Turn Summary
1. Play a Card 1. Play a Card
2. Adjust the Dice 2. Adjust the Dice
3. Take an Action 3. Take an Action
Discover Something New Discover Something New
Hold a Discussion Hold a Discussion
Start a Project Start a Project