Koriko: A Magical Year

Koriko is available again to preorder in physical form on my website, shipping in early 2027. Preorder now . Overview This is a game for one player, designed for contemplative solo play. It’s a bubbling cauldron of simple rules and writing prompts, stirred together to produce the story of a teenage witch spending a year away from home in an unfamiliar city called Koriko. The game’s primary inspiration is Kiki’s Delivery Service, both the Studio Ghibli film and the Eiko Kadono novel. I’ve watched the film countless times as it’s one of my son’s favourites, and its story and themes have burrowed their way deep into my soul. You don't need to have played a roleplaying game before—this isn’t much like most of them anyway. A passing familiarity with witches, urban exploration and teenage drama is all the background you’ll need. Cover art, by Deb JJ Lee Seasons of play Your witch’s story is told in six sections, or volumes, each taking an hour or two of your time. To play, you'll need this book , a deck of tarot cards and a stack of dice . You’ll also need a journal to write your story in. We’ll start by helping you to create your witch and their home village, then we’ll whisk them away on their journey to Koriko. This city is a place of your own invention. It might be a charming seaside resort, a smog-choked metropolis, a palace in the clouds—whatever you can imagine. We’ll make this place together, asking questions to inspire your creativity. Then, with your version of Koriko established, your witch can explore and meet its weird and wonderful residents. To do this you’ll draw cards, each relating to a prompt that introduces a new event to your story. These prompts are a chance to exercise your creative writing muscles—and when things get risky, we'll add dice to an increasingly-precarious stack! At the end of each volume you’ll pause to reflect, spending time resting before writing a letter home to your witch’s mentor. Then, perhaps after a break, we’ll move on to the next volume of events and ephemera. In this way you’ll be guided through the gentle rhythms of the year. Then, as winter draws to a close at the end of your witch’s year in the city, you'll make their biggest decision yet: will they stay in Koriko to remain the city’s resident witch, or leave—back home, or off to pastures new? This is a perfect jumping-off point for your journey (or return) to the world of roleplaying. There are no complex rules to learn, no group of players to coordinate and no need to talk in a funny accent. Solo roleplaying games are pen & paper experiences that are designed primarily for just one player—you. I like them because they let me squeeze some storytelling into the margins of my life, on my terms. Or, if I'm blessed with a rare quiet evening, I can luxuriate and spend an hour researching Italian pop music or Basque cuisine as I play the game—and there's nobody at the table to get bored with my diversions. Community copies & education Community copies are made available on this page as people donate them, either via my campaigns or the link below. Please don't comment or email me about them :) If you'd like to get a copy of the game for educational use, I'm always happy to provide this free of charge. Just drop me an email briefly explaining where you work and what you plan to do with it – jack at mousehole dot press. # Version 1.1 This is the first update to Koriko since launch, which includes some little fixes to the main book (that are also fixed in the first printing!) and the bonus written content. This includes: - *Flying Together*, rules for playing the game with your friends. - *A Magical Sandwich*, an alternative start for a student wizard. - *The Patron*, the special confidant included with Patron backer rewards. - *A digital tabletop* for playing the game on your computer. There are a few things still on the to-do list, which will be added later as free updates to this game: - A soundtrack! This is at the sketch stage, but it's been on the back-burner while we get things fulfilled. - Plain text & accessible versions of the game's files. - Digital versions of the stickers for your virtual journals, and printable sheets too! - Audio / video rules explanations, which will also be live on the website koriko.guide.