The creators of Dialect, the TTRPG about collaborative language construction, have released a Kickstarter for their new game Xenolanguage: A Game About First Contact. The game was funded in the first 20 minutes, demonstrating its wide appeal and the general excitement over a game about language. The unique mechanics and full immersion of this storytelling game suggest it's a worthwhile purchase, but the focus on the theme of language itself makes it a must-have for TTRPG fans.
Xenolanguage uses a Ouija-like channeling board and planchette for players to interact with alien symbols as they work together to understand this new language. Throughout the game, players uncover new information about the language and its speakers to help recover memories that give meanings to concepts that aren't easily described with words. The game ties these created memories into the meaning of the language, creating intimate interaction rooted in conversation.
With unique mechanics and custom art, Xenolanguage is a highly immersive game, pulling players into the moment of first contact. The atmosphere is supplemented with custom soundscapes featuring spacecraft humming and alien voices, fully setting the scene and the vibe. A large set of possible alien symbols and unlimited possible stories mean Xenolanguage is a different game each time it's played.
Xenolanguage is the third game about language from designers Kathryn Hymes and Hakan Seyalıoğlu from Thorny Games. Previous works from the studio have focused on language creation, change and loss, as well as working to be understood in the absence of language. It's clear their focus is on roleplaying and storytelling games that center on communication.
That makes a lot of sense. At the heart of the TTRPG is the very act of communication necessary to collaborate on a game. The best sessions of D&D are when the members of a party listen to and build off each other, regardless whether the resulting mood is serious or comedic. These collaborative games are at their finest when the communication is solid, leading to the most poignant story moments and most well-crafted dick jokes.
Xenolanguage uses a type of gaming that is inherently about language communication to examine language and the role it plays in a story and relationships. Characters are built up through collaborative storytelling, taking time to develop interests, motives and reactions to situations. By drawing attention to the very modes of communication that enable a TTRPG, Thorny Games has crafted a meta-game that uses language to dissect language. For fans of story-based roleplaying games that lean heavily on creation and communication, rather than hacking and slashing, Xenolanguage is a clear must-play.
Xenolanguage isn't only worth playing because it's a perfect way of interrogating the critical tools of TTRPGs in general -- it's also a perfect game for lockdown. The game requires no GM and is playable with only 2-4 players, making it ideally suited for quarantine pods. The Kickstarter also includes a digital module for Tabletop Simulator, so the game can be played digitally, making it even more accessible in the current climate.
Fans of TTRPGs can do no better than Xenolanguage, a storytelling game about the very stuff that makes a role-playing game work. Xenolanguage is currently raising funds on Kickstarter. The campaign ends Tuesday, Dec. 8 at 2 p.m. ET.