You are an alternate version of yourself.
You have ADHD.
How will the circumstances that surround you affect your life?
Soft Focuses is a solo journaling game that encourages people to
experience their life as though they had ADHD. Players make an
alternate version of themselves that has ADHD, create a list of
stats, and then recreate moments from their day as this ‘other them’
would have experienced. It's not so much walking a mile in someone
else's shoes as it is putting new insoles in your own shoes.
- See the events of your life through the lens of someone who is neurodivergent.
- Write a journal of how your day would be if you were this other version of you.
-
Use a bookmark as your character sheet so that it is always in
your journal.
You can check out the first edition and download the text only
rules for free here: https://crlegge.itch.io/soft-focuses#demo
Making a character:
Your character consists of 10 different stats split into 2 categories: social functions and executive functions. The higher these stats, the more you are affected by them.
You will also choose other aspects of the character, such as
what kind of medication (if any) they take or any comorbidities that
are present.
(An example of some of the stats for Social Functions)
Playing the game:
You start by writing a list of the major events you experience throughout the day. You will go down this list, rolling on the appropriate table and writing down the way these events occur for this alternate version of yourself.
You can modify your rolls based on medication, available energy
(based on a roll made at the start of the day), and other factors.
Additionally, if you roll a 6, you will hyperfocus, which could be a
blessing or a curse.
For the new edition, there will be a number of new modifiers and
modes of play to help more closely mimic the struggles of those with
ADHD. These include modifiers for comorbidities such as Autism,
PTSD, and Anxiety, bringing the total page count to around 48. There
are also new ways to experience the system, such as how to approach
the game if you have or suspect you have ADHD. Here are some highlights:
- Experience how Anxiety, Depression, and even a menstrual cycle can affect someone with ADHD.
- Add additional mechanics to TTRPG characters to make them better represent someone with ADHD.
- New rules to make it less mentally taxing to play if you have ADHD.
-
And many other rules and alternate play modes.
(An preview of the rules for including Depresion)
I initially wrote Soft Focuses as a way to help others
understand what it is like to deal with ADHD on a daily basis. I had
seen too many people reduce it and minimize it as something to just
"deal with" and I wanted to try and inspire some empathy
in others. The final straw came when a former employer asked a
coworker (who also had ADHD) and myself: "ADHD? Isn't that just
a thing kids deal with? Why are you talking about it?" That
night, I wrote the first draft of the game and worked to make sure
it was representative of not just my struggles but others with ADHD.
There were a number of things that I felt I needed to do more
research on in order to properly incorporate, which brings us to the
Second Edition.
The funding will be distributed as follows:
- Manufacturing & printing: $500
- Fees (crowdfundr & processing): 10%
-
"Oops" budget (to cover unexpected expenses
such as lost orders and shipping issues): 15%
- 1000 -
-
Stickers: An exclusive sticker will be added to
the the campaign as an add-on. (design coming soon)
- 1200 -
- Upgraded Cover: All covers will be printed on thicker card stock and have spot gloss applied to the text.
- New Cheat Sheets: Printable bookmarks covering some of the new rules and a TTRPG "cheat sheet" will be included as digital extras.
- 1600 -
-
System Specific TTRPG Cheat Sheets: Each of the
system specific rules in the book will get a cheat sheet as a
digital extra
- Empathy Engine SRD: I will prioritize work on making the basic structure of Soft Focuses into a full fledged SRD! The Empathy Engine will allow people to make their own games that emphasize creating an empathetic response in the player.
Proud to be a part of Zine Month 2023!
Updates
Navigate to communications for the ability to change recipients, manage your drafts, and view/edit your scheduled updates.
Get a copy of the digital version (and all digital extras) of the game. You will be able to claim it on itch.io or directly to your email if you prefer.
Get three physical copies of Soft Focuses and save on the total cost. Good for lending out to friends and family.
You will also receive a digital copy (and all digital extras) to
be claimed on itch.io or directly to your email if you prefer.
Are you a mental health professional looking to have copies on hand for clients? Get 6 physical copies of Soft Focuses with this tier. (you don't need to be a mental health professional to get this tier.)
You will also receive a digital copy (and all digital extras) to be claimed on itch.io or directly to your email if you prefer.
