This is the core game loop of The Girl With The Most Delicious Heart. It’s nearly as it will be published in the final book, but I’ve made a couple of edits here such as removing page numbers and expanding the text where it makes sense.

Note this is the ‘quick lookup’ game flow, so hasn’t got the nice and flavourful blended prose that the main book copy has throughout!

Anyway, please do have a go with the system and ask any questions that may arise. If you write something, remember to enter it here to share it with others!

We’re thinking of running a competition with a small cash prize for the best HeartWorks and HeartLife submitted before the end of the campaign. If you need an example of a HeartWorks, please take a look here – it doesn’t need to be more than a simple list of ten monsters, or six new artefacts, but follow your heart and make whatever you would like!

Here’s the flow:

THE GIRL WITH THE MOST DELICIOUS HEART GAME FLOW

SETUP

1. You are 13 years old and have decided to leave home to protect your family from the monsters that keep coming to the door. Write about who you are and where you are leaving to. Pick one FRIEND, and one PROTECTION that you gain when you arrive at your new home. Write a letter to your family if you wish.

EACH YEAR (TURN)

2. Write how old you are and the number of FRIENDS, PROTECTIONS and ARTEFACTS you have. Record your current LEGEND (starts at 0) score and the Years since the LAST VISIT (starts at 0).

Next: Calculate your STRENGTH.

STRENGTH = FRIENDS + PROTECTION + ARTEFACTS

3. Discover if a monster is visiting this year. Roll D6 + STRENGTH + LAST VISIT + LEGEND.

– If the result is greater than 7, a Monster Visits. (Go to 4)

– If 7 or less, spend the year taking ACTION (Go to 6)

4. A Monster Visits

4a. Find out what is visiting. Roll D6 + LEGEND, and refer to the monster table. The number is the SCALE, choose something from the list or make up something appropriate.

4b. Write about your preparations for the monster.

4c. Roll D6 + STRENGTH vs Monster SCALE. Check your result below.

Equal or Greater than SCALE = write about your victory, gain +1 LEGEND

Less than SCALE = Fight (Go to 5a) or Run (Go to 5b)

5. Fight or Run

5a. Fight. Lose FRIENDS, PROTECTIONS and ARTEFACT, reducing the Monster SCALE  until it is under your roll + STRENGTH. Write about how they sacrificed themselves for you, how you used your PROTECTIONS to breaking point or what final helpful horror your ARTEFACT unleashed to aid you.

5b. Run. Roll D6 under PROTECTION to escape with all your FRIENDS and ARTEFACTS.

If your roll is over your PROTECTION, lose FRIENDS until the number is under. Write about who was lost in the escape.

Write about where you have ended up, and take one free ACTION as described in the TAKE ACTION section.

6. When No Monster Visits, TAKE ACTION. Enjoy a slice of life.

Calculate ACTIONS, roll D6 and compare to current STRENGTH. The greater difference (higher or lower) is how many ACTIONS you can take this year.

Choose Make FRIENDS, Gain PROTECTION, Search for ARTEFACTS

FRIENDS – Name and describe your new ally. Roll D6. If your roll is over your current PROTECTION, add them to your current FRIENDs. If you fail, explain why and how.

PROTECTION – Describe your new protection. Roll D6. If your result is greater than your current FRIENDS, add the PROTECTION to your sheet. If you fail, write about how.

ARTEFACTS – Name and describe the artefact. Roll D6. On a 6 you find it.

If not, record your search and add a 5 to your sheet. Roll against this next time. Reduce to a minimum of 2 for each attempted search.

Once the monster is defeated, you have escaped, or you have finished all your actions, move on to the next year.

7. Death. You can choose not to run. The monster catches up with you – use the monster questions table to prompt your final conversation. Record your final LEGEND score.

If you believe you are old enough to die for another reason, write about your last actions. Decide if you try and find your family. Revisit your original letter if you wrote one. Record your LEGEND score.

Thank you!

Chris xx