TTRPGs have drawn on myths and legends for inspiration since the medium’s earliest days. However, most games opt to pick and choose myths from various cultures and eras before combining them into a mythological stew where Medusa, Black Shuck, and Paul Bunyan all exist alongside each other. Alas, these versions of the character rarely retain their original backstories or cultural signifiers, instead being presented as a Saturday Morning Cartoon version of themselves that only retains the most well-known (and most painless to adapt to gameplay) traits. Because of this, it is always cool to find a myth-based game that dives deep into the myth’s history and meaning.
And the Crops Withered is a tarot-based solo TTRPG. The game starts with Demeter having breakfast with Persephone. The first thing the player must do is to find The World card in their deck and then pick either the card above or below it to learn the status of Persephone and Demeter’s relationship.
Demeter’s Quest To Find Persephone
After this, the player shuffles the tarot deck and prepares to tell the story of Demeter’s quest to find Persephone. To do this, the player draws the top card from their freshly shuffled tarot deck and uses the card’s suit to learn what themes the adventure will have.
The player then narrates a scene using this prompt as a guide before deciding if this event (whatever it is) leads to Demeter learning Persephone’s location. Then, the card used is discarded and placed next to The World.
However, if the player draws one of the Major Arcana cards, the event plays out differently. This card leads to Demeter encountering another god. When this happens, the player draws another card to see how Demeter’s interaction with this other god goes, from the god attempting to gaslight Demeter or brush her off to Demeter getting entangled in that god’s ongoing issues.
If the player believes Demeter needs to learn more to continue their quest, they repeat this process as many times as they wish. However, if the player believes Demeter knows where Persephone is and has the desire to track her down, they move to a second phase of play.
During this second phase, the player must answer several questions and act out a conversation between Demeter and Persephone, one that will massively shape the world’s future. Most notably, the player will have to come up with how winter (a season born from Demeter’s feelings about the deal Persephone made) looks in this world and what punishments Demeter will inflict on the world around her due to her feelings.
And the Crops Withered is a wonderful experience. While the mechanics are simple, the game’s writing and overall experience structure do a fantastic job of capturing the myth’s emotional core, making this a deeply thought-provoking and highly emotional TTRPG.
One of the most fascinating elements of my playthroughs was how easily I fell into a groove. Despite the mechanics being open-ended and flexible, their writing effortlessly pushed me forward while keeping me on track, meaning that my story had a definite throughline, emotional progression, and fitting payoff. To the point that my completed journal was more solidly written than the ones I’ve made while playing more tightly structured and less open solo roleplaying games.
A Story And Essay To Set The Scene
One element of this game I adore is Michael Anthony DeAnda’s decision to start the game with a version of “The Abduction of Persephone,” (one that DeAnda says they made by combining several iterations of the story they’ve read) and a short essay where DeAnda reflects on the various interpretations of the story and how they fed into the game.
These additions are great for several reasons. Firstly, it helps make the game more accessible, as not every player will be familiar with the stories of Demeter and Persephone. Additionally, due to the numerous versions and translations available, it can be challenging to determine which ones contain accurate and relevant information. So, by starting the game with this focused retelling of the tale, And the Crops Withered functions as a complete package, one that anyone can grab and play without having to research before they start.
Secondly, the essay does a great job of setting the scene for the game, informing the player what style and genre of plot the game is attempting to tell, helping the player get themselves in the correct headspace to play, allowing them to make decisions and utilize the game’s mechanics in a way that compliments that the game’s design. Finally, it’s nice to hear a game designer talk about their game. It is a fun (if fleeting) moment where the player and designer get to connect across the void of time and space. And I’ll always appreciate that, especially as it makes the overall game experience feel even more cohesive.
And the Crops Withered is a wonderful solo TTRPG experience. Despite only being 16 pages long, the game does a fantastic job of crafting an emotionally resonant experience that feels effortless to play. The game uses the myth of Persephone to its fullest potential, using it as a metaphor for real-world relationships, consent, and personal agency. Because of this, and the Crops Withered is a game that’s likely to stick with players long after they close the book.
