Before the Storm is a solo journaling RPG about the electric stillness before a high-stakes operation—a heist, an assassination, a stealth infiltration. You are already in position: perched in the shadows, breath held, waiting for the moment to strike. The job is minutes away, but your mind is racing, your senses heightened. This is the calm before everything changes.

Using a standard deck of playing cards, you’ll draw prompts that describe what you feel, hear, see and think. Each card draws you deeper into this moment—what you’re sensing, what you’re questioning, what you’re preparing for. You’ll explore your character’s state of mind, their environment, and their readiness. The story builds in fragments and flashes, until it culminates at the threshold: the exact second before you make your move.

You can play it as a standalone narrative—a complete snapshot of a character on the brink, with prompts that help you envision your setting and your character—or slot it into an ongoing solo campaign—an atmospheric pause before a stealth mission, offering an opportunity for introspection and perhaps even mechanical advantages (or complications) based on your final state.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Standalone or Plug-and-Play. Play Before the Storm as a complete solo experience, with prompts that help you envision your character, their mission, and a setting that can range from medieval to cyberpunk. Or slot it into an ongoing campaign to zoom in on a moment of quiet tension before a mission, deepening your character through introspection and sensory focus.
• Easy Setup, Zero Friction. All you need is a standard deck of cards and a way to record your thoughts—journal, voice notes, or however you prefer. No prep required. Just draw cards, follow prompts, and let the story unfold as you go.
• A Distinctive Poker-Inspired Mechanic. As you draw and respond to prompts, you’ll also be playing a solitaire-style variation of poker—placing cards on a grid to build the strongest hand possible. That final hand determines your character’s mindset in the last second before action.

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If you’ve played other solo journaling games that use a deck of cards, you’ll feel right at home with Before the Storm. During play, you’ll draw cards, each tied to a specific prompt. The suits break down into four categories:

• Hearts (Feel)
• Clubs (Think)
• Diamonds (See)
• Spades (Hear)

Each card gives you a moment: something you sense, remember, question, or notice in the shadows while waiting for the right moment to act. A leading question guides your reflection: about your state of mind, your past, your doubts, or your instincts. 

But that’s just half of it.

Alongside the narrative, you’ll be playing a custom variation of poker solitaire. As you draw each card, you place it onto the table, building a grid. Your goal is to form the strongest possible poker hand in a straight line—horizontal, vertical, or diagonal.

Each new card must be placed adjacent to the last. Your entire layout must fit within an imaginary 5x5 grid. If you place a card outside that space, the grid shifts—and you’ll lose any cards left behind. The rules are quite simple (less than three pages), but the strategic tension builds fast (I have to say, this card mechanic works surprisingly well as its own solo puzzle game).

 When you finally complete a line of five cards, the game ends. That line becomes your poker hand, and its strength determines your emotional and mental state in the final moment before action.

From there, you can leave the scene as a cliffhanger. Or jump into your system of choice to play out the mission itself. If you’re using Before the Storm as a plug-and-play, your final hand can offer narrative momentum—or even mechanical advantages and complications, depending on the system you’re using.

► Watch this complete playthrough to get a sense of the mechanics and feeling!

Your purchase includes:

• 36-page, full-color, totally hyperlinked and bookmarked PDF
• At-cost print-on-demand coupon for the A5 book, perfect bound, full-color interior (around $6.39+shipping on Lulu) (AVAILABLE AS SOON AS WE FINISH A FINAL REVISION PASS)

► This game was made possible by the support of my amazing patrons. Join today and get all my future games for free!