The World We Left Behind
A downloadable worldbuilding TTRPG
Physical copies are available at:
- Indie Press Revolution
- Heart of the Deernicorn
- Tabletop Bookshelf
- and at the bottom of this page!
The answers to mysteries often lie buried in the past.
In The World We Left Behind, play as astronauts trekking across an alien planet. Learn about the planet’s flora and fauna while uncovering vestiges of the past. What happened to the sapient species that called this planet home? Why do only remnants of their lives remain?
During this casual worldbuilding game, players draw symbols on playing cards to create a planet, populate it with traits, and uncover the mystery of the species that left this world behind. Tell a story of wonder, companionship, and legacy in the midst of a lonely planet.
The World We Left Behind is GMless and designed for 1-5 players. The game is 44 pages long (including covers), there is zero prep needed to play, and a full game lasts 2-4 sessions. Alternate rules for one-shots are found in the back of the book.
Instructions and templates for online, one-shot play are included in the digital bundle.
Materials For Play
To play The World We Left Behind, you will need the following:
- A standard deck of playing cards (these cards will be written on during play)
- At least one fine-tipped permanent marker
- A six-sided die (d6)
- A flat surface
- A few hours of time per session
The Ballet
The World We Left Behind was originally commissioned by BalletCollective to be used as Source Art in their 2023 season, THE MOMENT IS IMMINENT. Composer Phong Tran and choreographer Troy Schumacher played The World We Left Behind and used it as inspiration for the music and choreography of the ballet.
The ballet The World We Left Behind premiered in NYC in Fall 2023, performed by dancers from New York City Ballet. It returned for an encore show for BalletCollective's 2024 season: THE ENTRANCE IS THE EXIT.
A free livestream of the show took place on Oct 30th at 7:30pm ET. The video is available to watch through Nov 10th. The World We Left Behind begins at time stamp 1:38:00.
The World We Left Behind TTRPG has been heavily edited since the ballet first premiered, but the original version of the game presented to BalletCollective is free and available on this page.
The Album
Phong Tran, the composer of the ballet, released an album through cmntx records of the music he composed for The World We Left Behind. You can listen to it here.
It is also available for digital purchase and in cassette form.
Be on the lookout for an exciting collaboration that will be announced in the next few days...
The Team
Author: Samantha Leigh
Artist (Cover & Spot Art): Helena Santana
Graphic Designer: Sinta Posadas
The original version of The World We Left Behind was commissioned by BalletCollective and designed in collaboration with Troy Schumacher and Phong Tran.
NO Generative AI was used in the making of this game.
Physical copies are available at:
- Indie Press Revolution
- Heart of the Deernicorn
- Tabletop Bookshelf
- and at the bottom of this page!
Purchase
In order to download this worldbuilding TTRPG you must purchase it at or above the minimum price of $10 USD. You will get access to the following files:
Exclusive content
Support this worldbuilding TTRPG at or above a special price point to receive something exclusive.
Community Copies [PDF]
If you are unable to pay for a copy, please help yourself to a community copy PDF free of charge.
Physical Copy - USA Only
Physical copy of The World We Left Behind. Comes with digital downloads.
Shipping is included ($16 for game + $5 for shipping). Only ships to USA, see below for international option.
Also available at Indie Press Revolution and Tabletop Bookshelf.
Must enter mailing address on the downloads page, or email mailing address to [email protected].
Physical Copy - International
Physical copy of The World We Left Behind. Comes with digital downloads.
Shipping is included ($16 for game + $10 for shipping). Ships anywhere in the world, except for counties on USPS's list of International Service Disruptions.
Also available at Indie Press Revolution and Tabletop Bookshelf.
Must enter mailing address on the downloads page, or email mailing address to [email protected].
Comments
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Thank you so much for your kindness and generosity in providing community copies of your game. I’m a disabled pension who can’t afford much so these free gifts really help me out in playing games and keeping my mind active. I won’t be broke forever so plan on coming back when I’m able to help out.
I really appreciate your hard work and kindness in providing community copies.
Lovely worldbuilding game, Blinking Birch team!