When Shim began a long-term collaborative partnership with artist / designer Shing Yin Khor, she knew she’d found her footing. Starting with Field Guide to Memory, the pair defined keepsake games as both a genre and a useful shorthand for their work.
Field Guide to Memory is a ‘keepsake’ game written inside your own personal journal
Throughout the game, the player offers their own insight through their journal — a physical book that documents their character’s diary, field notes, and correspondence with nonplayer characters.
The “keepsake” is the unique journal created through gameplay. Connected play is their description of a cohort play along where everyone shares what they’ve created and goes through the experience together.
I’ve discovered I don’t especially like games, but this sounds like a different style worth trying out. Could be fun to play, and could be fun to write 🤔
Game now available for self-guided play as pdf.
I also like the idea of their keepsake “collection boxes” that were high tier rewards on one of their earlier Kickstarters. Sounds fun to assemble.
