Pocket Quest 2025, Devlog Week 2

This week is jam packed with work from my day job, personal TTRPG campaigns, and of course PocketQuest 2025. Which means my Devlog for week 2 is going to be a bit to the point. I am hoping no one will mind.

New Resource

I've introduced Sparks to the game. They represent little motes of inspiration that get added to a player character, but mechanically they are going to relieve a lot of the weight Words prop up right now. I've also been able to introduce a few more elements to encourage players to help each other so it's a shared journey.

Sparks in Play

• Can be used to increase your dice roll (expended after).

• Can be used post "death" to increase active player's rolls.

• Can be used at the end of the game to get access to bonus Words.

• Used as an difficulty indicator in the form of Spark Words. However many Spark Words are in a prompt is how difficult it will be to overcome.

• Received by selecting a Spark Word from a prompt if you succeed (you get to choose a Word from a prompt to add to your character if you succeed).

• Received if giving help to a player during a prompt (risking a Word of your own if they still fail).

Risks & Challenges V2

Now knowing how difficulty is determined now, I can put aside mechanics for the moment and think on theming. I'm still having a bit of trouble keeping the prompts from being too wildly different. But since I'm using a standard poker deck I can use the structure of the deck as a narrative jumping off point.

• Hearts: Boons, easy to medium challenges, about caring feelings, part of Dreaming.

• Diamonds: Boons, easy to medium challenges, about wealth and treasure, part of Dreaming.

• Clovers: Obstacles, medium to hard challenges, about scheming and deceit, part of Nightmares.

• Clubs: Obstacles, medium to hard challenges, about anger and cruelty, part of Nightmares.

I'm also separating the each of the card values (Ace through 10) with even more precise themes (Built places, objects, creatures, weather, etc...). I won't bother to list how those are separated as I don't have time and I think keeping that behind the scenes will be healthier for the game. Stop people from focusing too much on what a prompt is "suppose" to be. Might change my mind later, but for now I am keeping it to myself.

Up Next

• Finish Prompts

• Build "mini boss" mechanic for the face cards

• Brainstorm art needs

• First Playtest

Now I should stop writing this and get back to my day job. Already spent 15 mins on it, but I really wanted to put an update out still. Can't wait to post updates next week.

Thamizhpparithi Maari, River sand of Chinna Salem, Transformed by Michael DeBondt', CC BY-SA 3.0