The Quiet Year is a map game. You define the struggles of a post-apocalyptic community, and attempt to build something good within their quiet year. Every decision and every action is set against a backdrop of dwindling time and rising concern.

The game is played using a deck of cards – each of the 52 cards corresponds to a week during the quiet year. Each card triggers certain events – bringing bad news, good omens, project delays and sudden changes in luck. At the end of the quiet year, the Frost Shepherds will come, ending the game.

For a long time, we were at war with The Jackals. But now, we’ve driven them off, and we have this – a year of relative peace. One quiet year, with which to build our community up and learn once again how to work together. Come Winter, the Frost Shepherds will arrive and we might not survive beyond that. But we don’t know about that yet. What we know is that right now, in this moment, there is an opportunity to build something.

Awarded “Most Innovative Game of 2013”
Reviewed by Gita Jackson on Kotaku, Leigh Alexander and the crew of Shut Up & Sit Down, and Adam Dixon on Kill Screen.

Format

Small booklet and 52 custom cards

Extras

Includes a PDF of The Deep Forest. A map game of post-colonial weird fantasy. It’s a re-imagining of The Quiet Year, one that centres upon monstrosity and decolonization.

Inlcudes a PDF of Chartered Areas. Three starting maps that area an excellent resource for convention games, or diving straight into The Quiet Year.

A game by Avery Alder

With endless support and vision from Jackson Tegu

And art by Ariel Norris

Find out more about Buried Without Ceremony at buriedwithoutceremony.com