Black Friday Story Games 2026

For many years, some friends and I used to organize a few hours of games every Black Friday at Lloyd Center. Some years it was goofy live-action games, and other years it was tabletop games of various kinds. Sadly, Lloyd Center is gone now, but I'd still like to keep that tradition alive with a meetup of some kind. To that end, I've reserved a community room at the Multnomah County Library's Albina branch (at NE Russell & Rodney) for an afternoon of story games. By "story games," I mean rules-light storytelling or role-playing games that are intended to be played in a single sitting. The games I'll have on hand are all meant to be learned quickly and easily, so that one can start playing right away! Speaking of which, these are the titles that I'll have available:

DESPERATION: Desperation is a collection of two small role-playing games, built on the same dark tone and mechanics, that are truly pick-up-and-play experiences for you and your friends. Gothic storytelling experiences steeped in actual history, Dead House and The Isabel are dark, lyrical games about people pushed far past their limits. Desperation asks you to assume an unusual point of view—instead of deciding what people say and do, you decide who says and does the things that must happen. The sense of dread is palpable with each card reveal, because in these games, the things that must happen are a gradually escalating kaleidoscope of unimaginable horror.

FOR THE QUEEN: For the Queen is a card-driven collaborative storytelling game that invites you to tell a dramatic narrative about a Queen’s journey with you, her companions! What will you learn about her (and yourself) along the way? In the end, will you stand for or against her?

LAST TRAIN TO BREMEN: Thirteen years ago, four musicians struck a deal with the Devil for fame, riches, and stardom. Now they're fleeing their cursed contract, hiding in a boxcar on a train to who-knows-where, with only one question between them: Whose fault is it that we wound up in this mess? Don the roles of these messy bandmates in a high-stakes dice game of bluffing, secrets, and betrayal. Bremen features a unique system using Liar's Dice as the game mechanic. So build your quartet, tell the story of their rise and inevitable fall, and reflect together on all the choices you made that led you down this sorry path.

THE QUIET YEAR: The Quiet Year is a map game. You define the struggles of a community living after the collapse of civilization, 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 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. The Quiet Year occupies an interesting space – part role-playing game, part cartographic poetry.

My intention is that we can get everyone sorted into a game and started playing by 1:15 or so, so please plan to arrive to at the beginning at this event if you'd like to take part! Depending of how quickly those initial games wrap up, there may be a chance to reconfigure and start something else later in the afternoon, but I can't say for sure. Also, like I mentioned, this event is being hosted in a community room at a public library. These rooms are explicitly for community use and open to the public, so I'm hoping we can all work together to promote a welcoming, relaxed atmosphere for everyone in attendance.

Alright, I believe that's all for now. Please let me know in the event chat if you have any questions, and I hope we'll see you there!