DISTRESS
A downloadable game
You are a space explorer who has crash landed on a remote, aberrant moon.
Salvaging what you can, you have managed to build a small, sustainable base of operations on the surface.
But there’s a more urgent problem...
During the course of your research, you have discovered a new species of parasitic alien organism, which feeds on and eventually destroys every living thing it finds.
It has infected the local plants and wildlife, as well as the food supply you’ve relied on to stay alive. You’ve extracted a sample of your blood tested it, confirming the worst:
A worm has now infected you.
In the coming days, you must rebuild the emergency beacon and send out a distress signal before the worm devours your sanity and your fate is sealed.
[DISTRESS is a one-page solo survival game where you race to reconstruct the beacon and signal for help before the bloodworm consumes your mind. I began this game as an entry for the Eternal TTRPG Jam in March 2025, but will be continuing to build it out more. I have included a large map to play with, and am currently working on new formats, music, and expanding the rules to make it even more fun to play. Stay tuned for more!]
Download
Click download now to get access to the following files:
Development log
- What's next for DISTRESS?2 days ago
Comments
Log in with itch.io to leave a comment.
This is a very cool game with a custom system and a slick layout. The graphic design is immediately appealing and really draws you in. The game system seems fun and dynamic. It really seems like it would emulate a kind of survival horror game on a dangerous planet.
I do think the layout of the rules could be tweaked slightly. I almost feel like the left most column of both pages should be swapped. I felt like I was getting a deep description of how rules play out without even knowing that they existed and and why I was doing them. I would also think about moving the table setting and description on the first page out from being tucked up against the graphic and into the first column. I didn't even see it until I had finished reading the first column and felt a little lost as to what was happening.
Over all, I think this is a very well designed game. I like it a lot. Any complaints I have are very minor formatting tweaks. Basically the last little bit of cleanup before the game is totally finished.
Thanks for your feedback! When printed out and folded as a trifold pamphlet, the rules should read in a more logical order with the general rules then specific explanations, but in PDF form, the format is a bit confusing I completely agree. I’m working on a version that is laid out more as a book and I hope to bring more clarity to the rules, keeping your comments in mind. I appreciate your thoughtfulness!
Oh I didn't realize it was supposed to be a pamphlet. That would probably solve that issue.
To be fair I don’t know how you could’ve known. Maybe I should include it in the description somewhere. I’m considering ditching it altogether for a more straight-forward book format but I’d like to be able to make a pamphlet version at least. I don’t want the game to balloon once I remove the one-page constraints.
Fun little survival game, the emergency system is particularly fun and leaves just enough room to come up with your own scenario as to what is going on.
Overall one of the best solo game I’ve had the pleasure to play so far this year
This means so much to me, thank you! I’m hoping to expand on the emergency consequences as well as including some more narrative oracles to help flesh more of that stuff out as well. I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Stay tuned for more updates!