Pale Dot

Today we embark on a new cosmic journey. 

Will it bring us closer to the stars?
Or closer to ourselves?

Pale Dot is a collaborative storytelling game (GM-less/GM-full) for 2-5 players about a crew of dustlings, non- human cosmonauts journeying beyond their world in search of answers.

It is fantastical, surreal, and perhaps very unlike humanity’s own ventures in space exploration. Though one thing is universal: leaving home is terrifying, dangerous, humbling, and a catalyst for changing one’s perspective.

Pale Dot is inspired by the musings of Carl Sagan and media like Outer Wilds, No Man’s Sky, and Annihilation about diving into the unknown for reasons both personal and metaphysical.

Mechanically it’s descended from improvisational story games like Ross Cowman’s Fall of Magic and Avery Alder’s Dream Askew. 

Pale Dot Features

• 60 full color pages with art by Si Sweetman, Gannon Reedy, Roque Romero, Lur Noise, Cait Russel, & Devin Nelson
• 5 Setting Elements for players to embody as they author their corner of the narrative 
• Instructions for creating your own Cosmonaut and a shared space faring vessel
• 36 strange cosmic locations for the dustlings to visit and explore 
• 180 evocative prompts for improvisational scenes
• A companion soundtrack of moody dynamic atmospheric vibes by Devin Nelson

Media & Actual Plays

 

Want more? 

Dots Beyond is a 16-page supplement to Pale Dot by Devin Nelson introducing 12 new cosmic objects to explore outside the limits of the Mote System, available here.