The Year Starts Late Here

A folk-horror tabletop roleplaying game about stalled seasons, inherited rituals, and dangerous beginnings. Time has not stopped in this town. It has been delayed on purpose . The festivals arrived. The dates passed. The rituals were altered, postponed, or obeyed incorrectly. The Wheel of the Year is broken—and everyone has learned how to live inside the delay. What You Do In The Year Starts Late Here , you play the people, places, and presences bound to a town where the seasons refuse to turn correctly. Some traditions are enforced too strictly. Others were never completed. Each delay was meant to keep the town safe. Now the year must finally begin. Through short scenes and dangerous rituals, you will: Decide which seasonal stations failed and why Perform precise, inherited rituals to force time forward Interpret omens, enforce taboos, and suffer consequences Choose whether to obey tradition, commit heresy, or become something seasonal and inhuman The year will turn. The question is what it will cost—and who it will claim . What This Game Is About Folk horror rooted in tradition, land, and ritual The Wheel of the Year (Yule, Imbolc, Beltane, Samhain, and more) as a broken system Contradictory regional folklore—no single truth is safe Heresy as a tempting, dangerous tool Apotheosis as consequence, not reward Nothing begins casually. Nothing offered ever returns. What’s Included A 20 page Rule Book (ritual-driven, GM-less, group or solo play) A one-page game sheet for play Regional variants of the Wheel (Woodland, Coastal, Hill & Stone, Industrial) Station-specific mini-rituals and folk taboos Rules for heresy , contradictory tradition, and false turnings Seasonal ascension: become a spirit of the Wheel Playtime: 30–90 minutes Players: 1–5 Requirements: 1d6, paper, something you’re willing to lose Content Notes This game explores: Ritual harm Social pressure and enforced tradition Grief, hunger, and loss Folk horror themes No graphic violence is required, but emotional unease is intentional. Final Note The rituals were never meant to protect everyone. They were meant to make sure someone survives the turning .