Long Haul 1983
A downloadable game
Long Haul 1983 is now IN PRINT & shipping everywhere. Order your copy here.
It’s 1983, and the world feels hollowed out.
LONG HAUL 1983 tells the story of a dangerous journey through an empty world.
You play a long-haul truck driver trying to make their way home. Every day, you’ll hit the road, navigating treacherous highways, fleeing from menacing threats, and dealing with the psychological impacts of isolation.
And at the end of each day, you’ll find a payphone, make a call, and leave a message for the most important person in your life.
They never pick up. You never stop calling.
Using a deck of cards, a few dice, and a microphone, players will create an original narrative of resilience in the face of world-shifting catastrophe.
LONG HAUL 1983 is...
- A solo game, so you can play it by yourself, at your own pace
- A roleplaying game, so you'll create, develop, and embody a character as you play
- A storytelling game, so your choices will be driven by creativity, not strategy
- A journaling game, so you'll end the game with a unique record of your experience to revisit and share
The game features...
- A unique single-player experience using evocative storytelling setups, embedded safety features, and branching endings
- An original dice system that highlights peril and precarity
- A 26-song soundtrack, including over 2.5 hours of the era's experimental ambient music, plus soul, jazz, pop, and punk tracks connected to specific in-game events
- A gameplay and performance structure perfectly suited for actual play podcasts and streams
"A brilliant piece of work: in content, design, and layout."
Kevin Petker, designer of Princess World
[twitter] [itch]
"Visually striking, emotionally haunting - LONG HAUL 1983 compels me to write a story like no other solo RPG. The prompts feel electric and every small detail cohesively builds a worn world, where relentless danger and loneliness threaten to subdue you, but where your understated force of will gives strength to continue hoping beyond hope."
momatoes, game & graphic designer
[website] [twitter]
"So damn good. An instant classic."
Ryan K. Lindsay, writer of Eternal & Negative Space
[website]
"LONG HAUL 1983 offers an escape like no other — a playlist so expertly crafted that I can smell the asphalt and oil burning on a sunny day — evoking perfectly my new favourite super specific genre of road trip horror."
emmy verte, screenwriter and game designer
[twitter] [itch]
"Truly special. Truly immersive."
Pod of Blunders
[website]
You'll need...
- Copies of the book and the player sheet
- A standard deck of 52 playing cards
- Four six-sided dice (Fudge/Fate dice are ideal, though not necessary)
- A device to record your voice (a phone app, an analog cassette recorder, etc.)
- A way to listen to music (playlists are available on Spotify and Apple Music)
LONG HAUL 1983 is 33 pages (~5,600 words) long.
Writing, Layout, & Design: Sean Patrick Cain
Photography: Luke Stackpoole, Katie Moum, & Jack Anstey
A portion of all sales will be used to support the First Nations’ COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund to help Native communities respond and recover from the effects of COVID-19.
Status | Released |
Category | Physical game |
Rating | Rated 5.0 out of 5 stars (116 total ratings) |
Author | SPC |
Genre | Adventure, Role Playing, Survival |
Tags | Horror, journaling, Singleplayer, solo, solorpg, Tabletop role-playing game, wretchedandalone |
Average session | A few hours |
Languages | English |
Purchase
In order to download this game you must purchase it at or above the minimum price of $10 USD. You will get access to the following files:
Community Copies
Support this game at or above a special price point to receive something exclusive.
Community Copy
If cannot afford to purchase LONG HAUL 1983 but would like to play it, please help yourself to a community copy.
If you appreciate the game, please consider leaving a 5-star rating. A kind review or social media post can also go a long way.
Every sale contributes more copies to the pool.
Development log
- Community Copies Galore!Nov 03, 2021
- Long Haul 1983 is now IN PRINT.Oct 08, 2021
- Donation Made: First Nations' COVID-19 Emergency Response FundApr 15, 2021
- New & Accessible Formats: EPUB and Text-Only PDFApr 08, 2021
- More Community Copies!Apr 07, 2021
- LONG HAUL 1983 has been released into the world.Mar 23, 2021