The Lighthouse At The Edge Of The Universe
A downloadable game
The lighthouse was an ordinary structure, except for the fact that it was balanced on the very edge of the universe. It had, some speculated, been standing since the universe began. Maintained by a solitary keeper, the lighthouse has been keeping travellers and spaceships from falling off the edge. Its steady beam can be seen galaxies away and is used as a guiding star for navigators.
You are the current keeper of the lighthouse. Whatever happens, you must keep the light running. You and the lighthouse live perched on the edge of the universe. It is a rocky, mostly barren place (it would look like any rocky island back on earth) where it is beaten by solar winds and sometimes run into by space whales. Not all of it is terrible though, high in the top of the lighthouse you get to witness strange lights dance, the solar winds whispering fortunes in your ears, shoals of sky fish migrating past. Maybe you'll find some solitude and peace in the under the dark, lonely sky. Sometimes a lone traveller may even cross your path.
The Lighthouse is a solo journalling game best played at nighttime before bed or when you can't sleep. You are the current lighthouse keeper of the Lighthouse. Record your duties, thoughts and observations. Your notes in the logbook will be a record of your time in the lighthouse and the lighthouse itself.
Each night in the lighthouse will be a little different. The game is designed to be played over and over as you and the lighthouse evolve, change and get to know each other. It is reflective and meditative.
Included in the files are excerpts of past lighthouse keepers for inspiration.
Game versions to be added:
Italian translationAddedGerman translationAddedFrench translationAddedscreen reader friendly versionAdded- dyslexia friendly version.
Physical zines available here.
This project was part of Zine Quest 3 on Kickstarter and supported by 1,636 lighthouse keepers.
Purchase
In order to download this game you must purchase it at or above the minimum price of $10 USD. You will get access to the following files:
Community copies
Support this game at or above a special price point to receive something exclusive.
Community copies
For those who don't have financial means, you are more than welcome to claim a copy.
Development log
- Added German and Italian translationsAug 26, 2021
- Fixed typos and added accessible versionJun 16, 2021
Comments
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This is a wonderful solo TTRPG! I really enjoyed all the narrative possibilities of being a lighthouse keeper in a science fantasy setting with sky whales and aliens, as well as going "spacecombing" on the shore of the universe. Ella has done a fantastic job with this game! You can read my full thoughts on my blog.
I love this journal solo rpg!
Dear author hello
Who wrote you is one of the admin of the italian geek site Cercatori di Atlantide (www.cercatoridiatlantide.it).
During an interview with a zine's author the name of your game poped up and I start to be interested. Is it possible to speak via mail for a possible collaboration, or an interview and an articcle on our site? Let me know if you are interested.
Best Reguards.
Riccardo
Hi Riccardo,
Absolutely! My email address is lostwaysclub@gmail.com, that's the best place to get in touch.
Email sent mate!
Check spam folder
This is really beautiful.
Got this through the Kickstarter. I have really enjoyed the game. It has a high number of unique variables achieved with a deck of cards, a coin, and a die. It makes for lot of playability. The secondary game so much fun, it fits seamlessly into the overall feel of the game and I just combined them together to enhance both games. The one not great thing is the high number of obvious grammar issues. The credits state that there was an official editor hired for this piece and that's alarming considering the number of errors. The grammar is annoying but not distracting to the overall game. Great game! 7/10.
Thanks for your review! Yes, the grammar errors were all my fault, the editor did a flawless job at editing the game but I went in and changed some things after and did not proof read properly. I have fixed some mistakes, if there are any left please let me know and I'll fix them!
I have a lot of trouble falling asleep, and staying asleep. Thus it wasn't at all long before I got to start playing the main game and mini game. I have to say, tending to the lighthouse at the end of the universe is relaxing even with unsettling storms, and interesting even on calm nights. A lot of flexibility and thought is in the prompts, and I liked having different stages of play that used the cards and d6 a bit differently. And the setting makes highly fantastical story directions quite natural.
I'm very happy with this game as a night ritual/routine, and something to do when my sleep is inevitably interrupted.
I have thus far found a kitten (space kitten?), had the gravity turn off and sprained my ankle, managed to caulk up a crack in the tower wall, and now the kitten is purring next to my ankle trying to heal it. As this is a space cat, I think it'll manage it and I'll be better in a couple nights.
Thank you for this lovely game.
Holy moley, this is two games in one plus a papercraft constructible! With the first game being a quiet immersive day by day journaler, and the second an Alone hack? I will be back after some days of play to review, but I am impressed with the content and the design.