You Should Play… is an irregular series where I talk about analog and tabletop games I think you should play. From new indie games that have caught my eye to older games, I’m currently revisiting. This series is a fun and informal spotlight on things you might have missed.
Today I’m looking over Green Skies by @smallredrobin13 as the idea of playing as a sentient building really caught my attention!
The game is a single-player solar punk journaling game. The game starts with a lovely little description that gives you a good idea of the game’s utopian eco-friendly tone. Honestly, this opening paragraph is super-charming!
During the game, you need to look after yourself, your stories, and other buildings. The game starts with some prompts to help you build your building. They’re nicely open, letting you create a wide variety of homes.
You then go on to build your Stories. These are the backbone of the game. At first, this is simply naming your residents and writing a little backstory for them. But, as you go, you write about their problems and how you’re fixing them.
The same goes for repairing yourself and helping other buildings in your area. The game is very freeform. You’re not making checks or stuff like that. You’re just writing about the things that pop into your head. It is a super chill experience!
The game also includes elements that have you think about stuff you can do in the real world to be more like your building, which is a super sweet touch. The relaxed nature of this game makes it perfect as an informal experience you dip in and out of.
Like, you could totally keep the journal on your phone or computer and add a little bit to it whenever you have a free moment. …now I think about it, you could actually play this game via Twitter. With each action being a short tweet thread.
And while it is single-player, I think you could have fun with this as a group. Each of you plays as one building, and you all share your journals with each other. So you end up forming a little town with interconnected stories!
Green Skies is a very unique title. It is totally the most chill game I’ve played, and it nails the eco-punk vibe perfectly. Even if solo-journaling isn’t usually your thing, I suggest giving this a try as I think it could win you over!
Jonathon Greenall is a freelance writer, artist, and tabletop roleplaying game designer who has written for CBR, Polygon, Nintendo Life, Gayley Dreadful, Enbylife, and many other publications. They have also published several popular and highly-praised tabletop roleplaying games including “You Have One Ability….The Ability To Fuck This Up,” “Macarons, Milkshakes, And Magic,” and “Wander Wizards.”
Jonathon has always been fascinated by media, from the big hitters to the small, obscure, and often overlooked titles that linger on the sidelines, capturing both the on and off-camera stories that make these shows so fascinating.
Jonathon is also a major anime fan, having been exposed to the medium through shows like Sailor Moon and Revolutionary Girl Utena. Since then, Jonathon has maintained a passion for anime, watching most new shows each season and hunting down overlooked gems from previous ones.