A maze of mysteries, monsters, & traps (oh my!) leads to a marvelous prize…

What is it?

A two-player, mini-adventure game that fits right in your pocket, using standard playing cards and a single six-sided die. Each game can be finished in about an hour and requires zero/zip/no preparation.

One player, THE HERO, ventures into the maze. The other, THE TELLER, sees what lies around each corner. THE HERO must stay alert, collecting useful items & learning from every challenge.  THE TELLER, meanwhile, must be their friend's eyes, ears, and nose, guiding them with every step. Only together can they navigate each twisting PATHWAY, pass each terrible PERIL, & receive the coveted PRIZE!

Perils & Pathways is simple to run & hack to your liking (more on that below). Its "streamlined-stream-of-consciousness" approach is designed to easily mold to just about any genre, as long as that genre features characters, obstacles, goals, & a little bit of weirdness.

This game is designed for:

• Players who are new to collaborative storytelling games
  
• Experienced players who want to brush up on their off-the-cuff, descriptive language skills
• Campfires, road trips, and power outages
  
• Cancelled game sessions and rainy Saturday mornings

What do you need?

1. 2 players
2. 50-90 mins
3. 1 deck of 54 standard playing cards (with 2 jokers)
4. 1 6-sided die
5. 3 small tokens (coins, game pieces, candies, etc.)
6. A Perils & Pathways playsheet (the "Dungeon" playsheet is included in the booklet)

Included in the downloads is 1) a page version for on-screen viewing & 2) a printable zine version for legal sized (8.5"x14") paper. Check out the tutorial below to see how to fold your own zine (it's easy!):

Want more?

• Go to the plain System Rules Document (SRD) for easy reference!
• Run the new Cosmic playsheet for intergalactic escapades of laser guns & green goo!
• Use the Custom Playsheet Template to create new, bite-sized adventures in whatever genre you'd like!

Credits

• CC-BY-4.0 art by Audrey Stolze, Exeunt Press & Hairic Lilred.
• CC-BY-SA-4.0 art by Direquest.
• Public domain art by Suikyun, Virginia Frances Starrett, Jan Matulka, & others.
• Perils & Pathways is licensed by Palleon Press under CC-BY-SA 4.0.