What the game is about

“Beyond Super: Life Behind the Mask” is a one-player journaling game that takes a peek behind the mask of a superhero.

The job of superheroes is just like many other jobs, at some point it becomes routine. But other challenges arise around it. Missed your moms birthday because you were saving the city from Doc Trine? Handed in work late because you were busy running from an intelligent turtle turned supervillain?

How do you deal with the challenges of a regular life once you have a handle on your after-hours job? Can you keep a regular job? A relationship? Raise kids? Who do you have to lie to and who can you be honest with?

The stakes are not if you can save the city. They are unfulfilled dreams, burnout, loss of identity and loneliness. Who you have to lie to, who you don’t spend enough time with, who you lose, and who you have to pretend to be, to protect those you love most. 

What the characters do

The characters in this game try to navigate regular life while dealing with all the issues that come with it, in addition to those that come with their after-hours job of being a superhero. They will have to prioritize, sacrifice, lie and pretend, while attempting to lead two lives at once. 

What the player does

The player creates a world and character, interprets prompts and tells the story of their character. They are both writer and director and decide how their character navigates life by creating a journal entry for each week during a year of their characters life.

Notes

• Players: 1 (optional 2 player rule)
• Duration: a couple of hours, depending on how detailed you write

This game was created as a submission to the “Beyond The Super” jam held by Riley Rethal and is based on “The Quiet Year” by Avery Alder.

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