Mystery at Whispering Manor - Tabletop Creator Jam&Toast

This game reminded me a lot of adventure book games, with the added bonus that it creates a more dynamic story every time. And you try to find a path to the end, just surviving long enough. Loved to read the story snippets and think about that mysterious manor.

Feedback:

• Coming back to that adventure book reference: What was missing for me where the choices of where to go, as the cards were random. I think, a cool metaphor could have been to actually represent the manor as a place I can walk in and visit. Using the cards as rooms. Then you could walk from room to room, which would give you a little choice on where to explore first. Maybe even develop a strategy, as you know the cards from previous playthroughs. Rooms could have a 2nd and 3rd copy that is identically on the front, but offers a different encounter on the back. In short: I would like to have had some agency, even if limited.
• Would be cool if there was some type of Endgame still, if you fail to find 5 fragments. And you had some remaining chance to fight the Elder God, but your chances of success would be slim.
  • Instead of having a “gate” of collecting 5 truth fragments you could just make the elder being easier to defeat the more you have, also rewarding getting more than 5. (Fragments already do this in a way.)
• It would be cool if the elder thing would have some impact on the overall game from the start. That could make the game more dynamic → The elder god should also probably tell you on the front what stats you need to fight him, so you can optimize those stats as a small strategy.

Nit-Picking:

• I wish you had added a generic image of a grey background for cards that don’t have an image. The purple box was quite hard to focus on (and is expensive to print).
• It confused my why you would “remember” your own memory with “willpower” on Forgotten Memory. I specifically picked that option, as I had bad willpower and assumed "resisting" was pointless with low willpower.
• When working on this game beyond this Jam, you should find a way to track stats that isn’t pen and paper.
• The Earie Grimore is strange: You pick one of two options, but one is just plain bad. But you already know this at the point which is good and which isn't. I assumed until then that I can deny or accept based on what reward I want, as that seemed like a good agency for you in the game. (And I can’t prevent myself from reading ahead anyway.)

Went on an investigation and learned too much of the truth at once. Went insane and died. Had a good time.