Relive

Memories show us much about our lives, highlighting what shaped us into who we are today. Some fill us with warmth, while others have left scars. In Relive, players build upon each other’s memories to build the world around them. With a suggested group size of 1-4 players, this beginner friendly TTRPG’s required materials are a tarot deck and d8. Game length is quite flexible, as it is entirely determined by how many memories your table wants to explore, but is estimated at being around 90 minutes!

This review is of the preview version of Relive [here], which includes the full rules and content. As of the time of writing the game is on crowdfundr [here] to help with the costs of editing and layout. 

Relive is the second TTRPG from Dutch creator David Jensen (@StoriesTavern) with his first game, Monster Adoption Center [here], having been released in September 2022 (I reviewed it in December 2022 and you can find it [here] if you’d like to know more about it!). With a belief that there can never be enough wholesome content, M.A.C. is a cooperative game about creatures finding their forever homes, while Relive focuses on telling stories through reliving memories with an emphasis on active listening. Its full release is expected in December 2023. 

Overview

Relive aims to let player creativity run free, while still providing guidance and touchstones for creating scenes, bonds, and characters so the table doesn’t feel overwhelmed. It is a cooperative TTRPG where players come together at the table to make and build their world and story. With no real rules to speak of, it is very beginner friendly and as the only materials you need are a tarot deck, a d8, and an optional token, it’s easy to pick up and play anywhere!

You start by setting a scene, then create bonds between characters, and then create the characters themselves in greater detail. Once completed, you’re ready to jump into the gameplay loop! If someone already has an idea they can start, but otherwise the oldest person at the table goes first. 

The gameplay loop is very straightforward: you draw a card from the tarot deck to receive your memory prompt, and then roll a d8 to see what subject your memory revolves around. Once you’ve described the memory to your satisfaction, you put forward your seal of approval (optional token) to indicate that it is the end of your turn, allowing others the opportunity to build on the memory by drawing their own tarot card, and rolling a d8. Repeat as you like until your table feels they’ve built up the memory fully, and then move to a new scene.

My Thoughts

One of the things I appreciate about Relive is how little it requires to play. There’s no reason you can’t play this while sitting with friends in a park, on the train, or sitting around a table! Tarot cards and dice rollers are available digitally, and because this game plays like a prompted conversation, I feel it allows for more flexibility in how, and where, it is played. I really like this, and think it is particularly well suited to 2-player games. I can very clearly see a friend and I standing at this particular trail break, watching the water go by and getting lost in building a story for an hour. 

I also think the seal of approval is neat. This effectively ends your turn and, to me, is a quiet and subtle way of indicating that. When you place your seal of approval (which is what the optional token is for), you’re indicating that the memory you presented is open to being expanded upon by others. I feel this fits in with the contemplative, relaxed feeling of this game quite well. I also tend to approach game rules as “this is the rule, but” and in this case that means: this is what’s written, but I would also give a verbal cue inviting others to give input when I was ready. I know I would miss a token being put down, and that I would be fidgeting with my token, so a verbal cue supplementing the visual one would be helpful to me. 

Billed as a beginner friendly TTRPG, I’m inclined to agree. There aren’t any rules to learn, and outside of setting up your lines and veils – something tables should be doing with every game – there isn’t any setup to do. You really can just grab the rules, a tarot deck, dice, and tokens if you’re using them and start playing. Because there isn’t one strict setting, you can adapt this to fit just about any universe you’d like, and each game will be flavoured by the character you’re playing, and the bonds between those building the memory. 

Now, if you’re a regular reader of The Cozy Cauldron, you’ll know that I love taking games and finding different ways to play them. Was Relive created to give you and your table an engaging, interactive, and collaborative way to build memories between characters in a new campaign who already know each other?  No. Could it be used to incredible effect for that purpose? Absolutely. I’d love to see this used as part of a Session Zero to build relationships and backstory, and deeply appreciate the collaborative nature of it. 

Finally, because Relive is so quick to jump into, it’s easy for me to get excited about playing! The collaborative nature makes starting a game as easy as messaging a friend and going “hey there’s a game I think would be fun to play together, are you free?” and I love that! I just started playing in a new text-based campaign where my character grew up with one of the other party members, and I am absolutely looking at Relive going “this would be so fun to play with them in mind”. 

Final Thoughts

Overall, Relive has a lot of fantastic storytelling opportunities, and flexible ways to make use of them. Because it requires relatively little to play, and has no rules to keep in mind, it has an ability to be played in a myriad of settings, giving it a freedom that brings me genuine excitement. Relive could be played while going on a walk with a friend and that brings me a lot of joy – it’s casual, cozy and wholesome! 

A preview of Relive is available on Itch [here] and it is crowdfunding until April 1, 2023. If you want to support the project, you can find the campaign [here]. You can pick up a digital copy of Relive for $11USD, or get Relive and Monster Adoption Center together in a bundle for $16USD through Crowdfundr! Lastly, if you want to keep up with everything David Jensen is doing, be sure to check out his Carrd [here]. 

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