Château Aventure
Château Aventure Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Rules of the Game
Château Aventure is directly inspired by the text-based PC games of the 1980s. Remember those little puzzle games with no pictures, in which you had only text for a description? In this "IRL" (in real life) version, a player replaces the computer, while a map and a description of the proposed adventure replace the software.
One player (probably you) therefore takes on the role of the computer. This consists of relaying to the players the information generated by the game. You describe what the character sees, the consequences of their actions, and everything that can happen during the game. Throughout the game, also keep in mind where the character is, what they have in their inventory, and their score. It is recommended that you read each scenario before running it.
During the game, all the other players take turns playing the same character. When you address a particular player, use the second person plural. On the other hand, when speaking as yourself, the computer, use the first person singular.
A minimum of 2 players (editor's note: a minimum of 3 is recommended) is required for a game of Château Aventure. As for the maximum, there isn't one!
How Does It Work?
The first step is welcoming the players into the game. Usually, it's enough to announce the title of the scenario. Then describe the character's starting situation, what they see, all the objects found in that area, and the exits available to the other areas. Later, you may (if you wish) skip these details once the players are familiar with a location.
EXAMPLE
"Welcome to... Château Aventure*!
[pause]
You are standing in a small hut. There is a fishing rod here.
The exits are: Leave the hut."
* The first scenario gave the game its name.
Next, each player in turn gives, out loud, a command made up of one or two action words, generally in the form <verb> <noun>.
EXAMPLES
Go westGo eastClimb treeSmell roseWear crown
Commands can sometimes be a little more complex, such as Give fish to troll. If the command is acceptable, give the players the results.
EXAMPLES
Examine fishing rodThe fishing rod is made of a stick, a string, and a hook.
Take fishing rodThe fishing rod is in your inventory.
Leave hutYou leave the hut.
Once a player has given a command and you have responded to it, the turn passes to the next player, whether the command was acceptable or not. You can play in whichever direction you like (clockwise, for example). When the character arrives in a new location, give the players the description, the notable features, and the exits available to them. Continue until the hero wins or everyone gets frustrated and goes home...
How to Read the Actions
Command given by the player:
Examine guardResponse given by the computer: The guard is armed with a sword. He has a key attached to his belt.
If the given command is not an action described in the scenario, improvise. If the action makes no sense, simply reply that it is not possible, or with a simple "Unknown command."
EXAMPLES
Eat fishing rodYou can't eat that!Or more simply: Unknown command!
Go fishYou can't go that way.
Take carThere is no car here.
Throw fishing rodI don't know how to throw something. (The use of "I" indicates that it is "the software" that doesn't know how.)
HelloHi.
Don't hesitate to improvise responses; it can add a comic effect to your games.
TO NOTE OR NOT? If you think your group will enjoy it more, you can allow players to take notes.
Basic Commands
The following commands are not exhaustive; they are used in most scenarios to interact with the environment.
Movement
Go, Exit, Leave, Enter, East, West, North, South, Up, Down.
The player can say Go west, or just say West, Leave, or Exit in the case of a room with only one exit.
Senses
Look, Examine, Search.
Look is used for you to repeat the description of the location, the contents, and the exits, while Examine gives the player the description of a person or an object.
Interactions with Objects or People
Take, Leave, Talk, Kill, Light, Turn on, Wait, Wear, Use.
The player can also say Talk to <person> about <subject>.
EXAMPLE
Talk to princess about crown
Special Commands
Other commands, drawn from computing vocabulary, are valid at any time in every scenario and are used to interact with the game itself.
Menu
Menu — Every special command begins with the name of the command in a brown box, except Menu.
Help
Help — You are not obliged to offer this command. Use it to unstick players if needed.
Inventory
Inventory gives the players the list of objects the character is carrying. List the items then.
Save/Load
Save records the current game — the location the character is in, the inventory, and the state of the game at that moment.
Load sends the character back to the last saved point. Clever players will save before undertaking dangerous actions; this avoids having to start everything over from the beginning. Players are limited to 3 saves per game (unless stated otherwise at the start of the scenario).
Every time a player saves or loads a game, remind them how many saves remain.
Score
Score gives the players their score at that moment. It is a number (between 0 and 100) based on the inventory of objects held and the objectives accomplished so far.
Quit
Quit — End of the game.
Winning and Losing
All scenarios have one or more victory conditions that end the game. However winding the path to that final point may be, playing the game correctly must always allow the players to reach that end. There can be no configuration in which the character is stuck and unable to continue.
Winning a scenario usually means a perfect score of 100 points. The score depends on the computer and the specifics of the scenario played, but it is there only to add a comic/nostalgic dimension.
EXAMPLE
Sit on throneYou sit on the throne. The people cheer your name, welcoming you as their new king. Congratulations! Your score is 99/100!
Losing a scenario happens when the character dies (from a monster, a trap, or a nonsensical command such as Kill me or Jump off cliff). If this happens, the computer must ask whether the player wants to restart the game or load the saved game (if available).
EXAMPLE
Kill meYou are dead. Thanks for playing! Your score is 15/100. Do you want to load your saved game or restart the game?
If the character dies without having a saved game, then:
EXAMPLE
Kill meYou are dead. Thanks for playing! Your score is 15/100. Do you want to restart the game?
Loading a game keeps the score reached at the moment of the save. Restarting a game resets all counters to 0.
Options
At their heart, the scenarios are true puzzles, but with a playful dimension on top. Think of them as a karaoke — the goal is more to entertain the participants than to sing in tune. As the computer, you lead the dance and must both entertain and challenge the players. It's simpler than you might think.
Be cruel, but fair. One of the most remarkable traits of text-based games (and the reason they're remembered so fondly) is that the puzzles are annoying but logical, the computer dumb but reliable. Do not let players neglect grammar, give overly complex commands, or make jokes. Respond the way a computer would (but a computer with a sense of humor).
If a player gives a command at the wrong moment, leave them a hint so they can understand.
EXAMPLE
Marry princessThe princess will only marry a king.The players now know he is not a king, but that he could marry the princess if he becomes one.
Compare that to this comic exchange:
EXAMPLE
Kiss princessslap "I'm not that kind of girl!"
The princess makes it known that she is a virtuous woman. When this happens in your games, reproduce the sound of a slap and put on the princess's voice. It's funny!
Speak up. You risk playing with a large group in a noisy environment. This is not the time to be shy. You will need to raise your voice to rise above the ambient racket. Careful, this doesn't mean it's up to you to make sure the players listen to you — that's their problem. It simply means you need to be able to be heard by everyone.
Players should not be able to, or have the time to, discuss things among themselves. Still, if it becomes too complicated, you can give them more time to think as a group.
Be funny. The biggest source of humor comes from the character. Their expectations clashing with the results you describe generate quite a bit of humor. Careful, this isn't about winking at your audience, telling jokes, or acting like a clown. Simply stay attentive to what the players say. At the slightest opening in their command offering a misunderstanding, sarcasm, or a deadpan joke, go for it! From experience, gestures, funny voices, and sound effects bring the game to life like a kind of comic performance.
Be consistent. The hardest thing to do is to keep track of what's happening. The game works best when you manage to do everything from memory, without writing anything down and without consulting the map or the rules. So learn them! And when you play, be consistent in your responses. Every action has a reaction; here are some valid responses:
EXAMPLES
Take keyYou now have a key.A question:
Use keyUse it on what?A syntax error:
Make a copyI don't know how to do that.Or something funny:
What does the key look like?Like a key. Dummy.
How to Read a Scenario
Scenarios follow color codes and formatting that will help you find information quickly.
Introduction Page
An introduction page is laid out as follows:
- Author of the scenario and Illustrator of the scenario are credited at the top, under the scenario's title banner.
- Starting equipment in the inventory — the item(s) the character begins the scenario carrying.
- A Tip box gives the game-master advice specific to running this scenario (for example, nudging players toward an item they might otherwise overlook).
- Number of saves — how many saves are allowed for this scenario (shown as, e.g., "x 3").
- Score (max. 100 points) — the point breakdown for the scenario: points per location visited (with a maximum), points per newly collected object (with a maximum), points per enemy defeated (with a maximum), and any bonus points for specific achievements (such as giving a particular item to a character before any other interaction, or marrying a character), plus how the score is calculated.
- Special rules (where applicable) for the scenario.
◀») : to be read to the players ◀x : not to be read to the players
All the information on the introduction pages is known only to the Computer.
Scenario Page
A scenario page is laid out as follows:
- Introduction sentence of the game — the opening line read aloud to the players (marked to be read to players).
- Difficulty picto (see the bottom of the page) — shown next to the introduction sentence.
- Location name — the name of each area of the scenario (not read to the players).
- Description of the location — the text read aloud to players when they arrive there.
- Exits to give — the list of exits available from that location, read aloud to the players.
- Special rules of the location (where applicable) — not read to the players.
- Feasible action — a command the scenario specifically anticipates for that location, shown in a labeled box (not read to the players).
- Interactive object and Usable object by the character — objects at that location that the player-character can use or interact with (not read to the players).
- Result of an action — the text read to the players in response to a feasible action.
- Game over, "You have lost the game." — the response read to the players when the character dies.
For example, in a location called "Entrance to the Valley," the character starts having just met a character named Kalashar; the players can be told the location's description and exits ("Forest of a Thousand Streams" and "Inn of the Singing Orc"). The command Talk to Kalashar prompts "Bring me the treasure, and you shall have the honor of being my page." The command Ask Kalashar for help prompts a response where, furious at dealing with someone who cannot manage alone, she turns her horse around and rides off, ending the game (shown with a skull icon for "Game over").
At the "Inn of the Singing Orc" location, the innkeeper (an orc) answers every question with "Can I get you a beer?" A hidden old woman will only say "Give me a griko feather, and I will help you in your quest" until she receives the feather. Special interactions include Talk to innkeeper, Take mug (with different results depending on whether the stable is on fire), Talk to old woman, and Give griko feather to old woman.
Difficulty Pictos
Three difficulty icons appear on scenario pages, shown on a computer-face icon:
- "Piece of cake!" (relaxed face)
- "Not bad!" (neutral face)
- "Ouch!" (worried face)
Map Page
A map page is an illustrated overview of the scenario's locations, and marks:
- Location name — labels identifying each named area on the map.
- Object to collect — items shown on the map that the character can pick up.
- Interactive character — non-player characters shown on the map that the character can talk to or interact with.
TIPS. The rules you are reading are not set in stone. If you wish to adapt them, add to them, or remove from them, feel free to tailor the game experience to your group. For example, if you think the score isn't very interesting, don't hesitate to play without it.
Example
To help you better grasp a game of Château Aventure, below is an example of the start of a game with 3 players (Computer, Player 1, Player 2, and Player 3).
Computer: Welcome to... Château Aventuuuuure! You are standing in a small hut. There is a fishing rod here. The exits are: Leave hut.
Player 1:
Search hutComputer: There's nothing here except a simple fishing rod.
Player 2:
Take fishing rodComputer: You now have a fishing rod in your inventory.
Player 3:
Leave hutComputer: You are in the royal gardens; their vegetation is lush. There is a rosebush. You also notice a hut. The exits are: East, West, or Enter hut.
Player 1:
Go eastComputer: You arrive at the shore of a pond. The exits are: West.
Player 2:
Swim in pondComputer: You find the water far too cold to swim in.
Player 3:
Use fishing rod on pondComputer: You manage to catch a fish. You now have a fish in your inventory.
Player 1:
Go westComputer: You are in the royal gardens; their vegetation is lush. There is a rosebush. You also notice a hut. The exits are: East, West, or Enter hut.
Player 2:
Enter hutPlayer 3:
Eat fishComputer: The fish cannot be eaten. It's raw, come on!
Player 1:
Cook fishComputer: You have nothing to cook the fish with.
Player 2:
InventoryComputer: In your inventory you have a torch, a fish, and a fishing rod.
Player 3:
Use torch on fishComputer: Come now, you're not going to cook a fish with just a torch!
Player 1:
Go westComputer: You are walking along a winding path through the hills. There is a very tall tree. The exits are: East, North, or Climb very tall tree.
Player 2:
Climb very tall treeComputer: I don't understand the command.