May You Fish in Interesting Times

May You Fish in Interesting Times is running on Kickstarter until the 13th of June.

Several years ago, birds of the empire rose up against Emperor Tyrannus.
The revolution was ultimately crushed, and things are now back to “normal” as if nothing had ever happened.
This is a totally ordinary fishing trip for a few birds who have absolutely nothing to do with the failed rebellion.

Anthropomorphic Birds on a Fishing Trip

May You Fish in Interesting Times is a role-playing game for 3-5 players, played using a deck of playing cards and a 6-sided dice (purchased separately). A typical game session takes 90 minutes to 3 hours.

You play as anthropomorphic birds going on a fishing trip, who also happened to be rebels in a failed revolution that took place several years ago. This is a cosy fishing game, but at the same time about broken birds bonding over shared past trauma.

Instead of coming up with backstories for the characters at the beginning, the players learn about the bird anglers' backstories as they play the game.

Mechanics

To play the game, each player picks one of the bird angler playbooks. The players take turns drawing cards and answering questions on their playbook. When a player manages to collect a trio of cards that fit certain requirements, something is caught on the hook. Certain questions allow characters to deepen their relationships with each other, and for the players to manipulate the cards in their hands.

After fishing, the bird anglers would share a meal using what they've caught. At the end of the meal, the secret police would show up.

The game mechanic draws inspiration from For the Queen by Alex Roberts and Brindlewood Bay by Jason Cordova.

Kickstarter

The Kickstarter runs from the 29th of May to the 13th of June. Backers who pledge £5 or more will get the PDF when it is released. The physical zine is available to backers who pledge £10 or more (including UK shipping).