Field Guide to Memory
{{Short description|One-player role-playing game}}
{{Infobox game
| name = Field Guide to Memory
| italic title = yes
| image = Cover_of_RPG_Field_Guide_to_Memory.png
| caption =
| date = 2021
| designer = Shing Yin Khor, Jeeyon Shim
| genre = Solo tabletop role-playing game, storytelling game, journal-writing game
| players = 1
| setup_time =
| playing_time = Daily prompts for 20 days
| skills = writing, storytelling
}}
Field Guide to Memory is a one-player, narrative, pen-and-paper journaling, indie role-playing game by Shing Yin Khor and Jeeyon Shim about the mentee of a missing cryptozoologist traveling across the United States in search of information about their missing mentor.
Gameplay
Field Guide to Memory is a "keepsake game" where players create a physical artifact as part of the game mechanics.{{Cite web |title=The Gaming Shelf Enters the Tavern |url=https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/gaming-shelf-enters-tavern-200000117.html |access-date=2023-04-03 |website=Yahoo Entertainment |date=18 October 2022 |language=en-US}} Players follow daily prompts that ask them to write, create art, and do other physical activities in the real world, often involving nature.{{Cite web |last=Meehan |first=Alex |date=2020-12-17 |title=Keep your own physical journal over four weeks in storytelling game Field Guide to Memory |url=https://www.dicebreaker.com/games/field-guide-to-memory/news/field-guide-to-memory-kickstarter |access-date=2023-04-03 |website=Dicebreaker |language=en}}
Publication history
In December 2020, Shing Yin Khor and Jeeyon Shim launched a Kickstarter to fund the creation of the game. The crowdfunding campaign surpassed the goal of $18,000 and raised just over $62,000 with the support of 1817 backers."Field Guide to Memory". Kickstarter. Jeeyon Shim. Retrieved April 10, 2023. "$62,449 pledged of $18,000 goal. 1,817 backers".{{Cite web |last=Moreno |first=Jim |date=2020-12-19 |title=Field Guide To Memory Has You Create Your Own Unique Journal As Part Of The Game |url=https://www.thegamer.com/field-guide-memory-create-your-own-journal/ |access-date=2023-04-10 |website=TheGamer |language=en}} Initially, the game was run as a live game in February 2021 for Kickstarter backers who received the game prompts via email over the course of four weeks. The game was then repackaged as a PDF of daily prompts available for purchase on Itch.io.
Reception
Field Guide to Memory won the 2021 IndieCade Award in the best live game category.{{Cite web |last=Carpenter |first=Nicole |date=March 26, 2021 |title=Field Guide to Memory is a 'keepsake' game written inside your own personal journal |url=https://www.polygon.com/2021/3/26/22352414/field-guide-to-memory-keepsake-game-impressions-interview |access-date=September 28, 2022 |website=Polygon |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |title=2021 AWARD WINNING GAMES |url=https://anywhere.indiecade.com/2021-award-winners/ |access-date=September 28, 2022 |website=IndieCade |language=en-US}} Jeeyon Shim was awarded the 2021 Diana Jones Award for "Best Emerging Designer" largely based on her work on Field Guide to Memory.{{Cite web |last=Carter |first=Chase |date=2021-08-04 |title=Jeeyon Shim wins 2021 Diana Jones Emerging Designer Program |url=https://www.dicebreaker.com/games/field-guide-to-memory/news/diana-jones-emerging-designer-jeeyon-shim |access-date=2023-04-03 |website=Dicebreaker |language=en}} Kelly Knox for Nerdist called it the best solo (one-player) tabletop role-playing game.{{Cite web |title=Solo Tabletop Games to Play When You're Tired of People |url=https://nerdist.com/article/solo-tabletop-games-to-play/ |access-date=2023-04-03 |website=Nerdist |language=en-US}} Greg Loring-Albright at Drexel University wrote about the game in his Ph.D. research on keepsake games.{{Cite web |date=2021-09-09 |title=PhD Student Greg Loring-Albright Investigates "Keepsake" Games |url=https://drexel.edu/coas/news-events/news/2021/September/phd-student-greg-loring-albright-investigates-keepsake-games/ |access-date=2023-04-03 |website=College of Arts and Sciences |language=en}}