Ophelia: Histories Collide

Time and Space started to glitch...

What is it that you like about your favourite games?

Do they provide you puzzling challenges to solve? Hilarious moments with your friends? Freedom of expression as you paint your personality across a blank canvas for all to see using a well blended set of mechanics, rules and flavour?

When I began creating Ophelia, I spent a lot of time trying to work out who I was making a game for. I knew that the simpler the game was, the more players I might have. The more players I had, the more successful the game is. The problem for the hypothetically tens (of thousands) of would-be Ophelia-Lite players, I wouldn't want to be one of them.

The game I wanted to play is one born out of my disappointments in every game I'd played for over 20 years. I didn't want to play a game where I'd have to accept that some matches I'd lose because I was going second. Or that if I drew a disastrous opening hand, I'd just have to try my luck again next week.

I didn't want to play an easily solved game. A forgiving game. A limiting game.

I wanted to play a game that supported the most outrageous play patterns and combinations, but that finding those interactions didn't mean the game was over. I wanted to play a game that was worthy of being studied, of being analysed, of having a relationship with just to understand what was going on.

Ophelia: Histories Collide is probably not for you

and that's ok.

Every character in Ophelia is intentional. It's a key to more than a single lock. A component of a greater mechanism. Every character evokes emotions and ideas that lead to game-states both intended and unseen. Sometimes they feel like using a hammer to satisfyingly drive a nail into wood, but more often times they demand inspiration and creativity from you. There is no draft chaff, no "get out of jail free card", and no Exodia to save you.

At the time of writing, there are six factions that make up the Ophelia multiverse. Each one is unique. Each one plays by the rules in the way that we all play by the same physics of our universe, but that's where the line is drawn. Where a Mattervoid player keeps track of the numbers of lost souls in their Forgotten Zone to fuel their wretched schemes, the Animae Mechanicus player decides which components to commit when assembling their custom automaton of steel and purpose.

Ophelia: Histories Collide is probably not for you

and that's ok.

If you suffer from analysis paralysis, you're going to suffer. If you don't enjoy the tension headache of cognitive overload, you're going to suffer. If you'd rather the outcome occasionally be decided by chance than to wear every loss until you improve, you're going to suffer. If you wanted a quick and light game, yep, you're probably going to suffer.

It sounds dramatic, but I've SEEN what Ophelia does to some people. They want to enjoy it, maybe for me, but they can't. It drains them, or they feel stupid. My biggest regret with Ophelia is that when I made the decision about what kind of game I wanted to make back in 2020, I didn't commit personally to the idea that this game is probably not for you. I did what I should have done to a point, which is allow people to find out for themselves, but should have stopped there. That's on me, and I've learned from that, because...

Ophelia: Histories Collide is probably not for you

but that's ok

because I fucking love it

Ophelia is the game I've always wished existed. I love it so much that it's the only game in the world that I enjoy losing. It's tattooed on my chest. I've not played in months and I still think about it. I'm thinking about it right now. I've even writing this stupid blog post about it. If I was the only one, that would be enough for me...

...but I know I'm not alone. I received messages from Sweden, the USA, France, from people reaching out to say they absolutely love Ophelia and want more. I've seen the game catch fire in people's eyes, I've heard the sounds of someone unwrapping the last layer of a puzzle only to be holding a still-wrapped box.

Ophelia is probably not for you, and I'm ok with that now.

In fact, you can even stop reading right here.

But what if it is?

If you know Ophelia is for you, I probably already know. If you think Ophelia might be for you, I definitely want to know. It's ok if you're wrong.

The last time I held an Ophelia tournament, I asked as many people as I could to play. It was the wrong way to go about it, and was inevitably abandoned. The event was unfair to the players being asked to participate, and unfair to Ophelia, a game I believe achieving success in should be on your CV.

I'm hosting another tournament.

I'm not asking anyone to participate.

If Ophelia is for you, and you want to make your mark in this incredible game's history, I encourage you to register. Come forward and show me what you can do. Who you are. I will be covering the entire event here, and for those who are successful there will be real prizes beyond my utmost respect and recognition in the Ophelia multiverse itself. I'll announce this when I know how many people are playing, but it won't be trivial.

The event will go forward if there is even one other participant, and only if all participants are ready for the joys and tribulations that this game will shower you in. I will support Ophelia with my life, and any achievements you make here I will make sure they are not forgotten, but I will not settle for unwilling players.

Ophelia deserves nothing less.

It's a wonderful time to be here. Let's have some fun and create memories to be immortalised in this fictional multiverse embedded in our own. Games can be played at the participants' leisure on TabletopSimulator, for which only an internet connection and ability to use Steam is required. I can be present for all games. If you need time to learn but you want to register, register and we'll find time to teach you. If you have any questions, you know where to find me. Thank you for reading.

opheliaccg@gmail.com

@buiqs instagram