Before the Storm

Before the Storm is a solo journaling RPG about the electric stillness before a high-stakes operation—a heist, an assassination, a stealth infiltration. You are already in position: perched in the shadows, breath held, waiting for the moment to strike. The job is minutes away, but your mind is racing, your senses heightened. This is the calm before everything changes.

Using a standard deck of playing cards, you’ll draw prompts that describe what you feel, hear, see and think. Each card draws you deeper into this moment—what you’re sensing, what you’re questioning, what you’re preparing for. You’ll explore your character’s state of mind, their environment, and their readiness. The story builds in fragments and flashes, until it culminates at the threshold: the exact second before you make your move.

You can play it as a standalone narrative—a complete snapshot of a character on the brink, with prompts that help you envision your setting and your character—or slot it into an ongoing solo campaign—an atmospheric pause before a stealth mission, offering an opportunity for introspection and perhaps even mechanical advantages (or complications) based on your final state.