Cozy Dark is a game I am working on for solo roleplaying. It steals a lot from Ironsworn, a bit from Chaosium's generic roleplaying, and a lot from my own imagination. I've tried to pack as much flavor as possible into it.
A blog post is simply too short to include the full game, but I thought I would introduce the moves for Sowing, Tending, and Harvesting your fields. I'm really happy with how they came out!
Move: Sow the Field
There’s magic in the moment a seed meets soil—hope buried with care, dreams waiting beneath the surface. When you Sow the Field, you commit to nurturing life with patience and intention, knowing the harvest may be weeks or seasons away. This Move marks the beginning of your journey toward botanical wonder, whether it’s a crop to feed the soul or a rare herb that shimmers with starlight.
Use this Move when you plant something meaningful—whether in your garden, a wild plot deep in the woods, or even in enchanted soil under a dying sky. Each planting is tied to a Progress Track, reflecting the rarity and effort it will take to bring it to life.
Assign a Progress Rank based on the type of crop:
Common Crops → Hearthstep
Uncommon Crops → Rooted Effort
Rare Crops → Winding Walk
Legendary Crops → Gathering Stormlight
Mythical Crops → Kindling the Dawn
Choose the crop (be sure you have the seeds or the essence to plant!), assign the appropriate Progress Track, and then roll Grit + a relevant skill (such as Tending, Botany, Greenwhispering, or something born through story).
If you Roll a Glow (strong success):
The planting feels guided—by instinct, by nature, or perhaps something unseen. Mark progress immediately. Your field hums with promise. To mark future progress, use the Move “Tend the Field.”
If you Roll a Glint (soft success):
The seeds take root under your care. The field is planted and ready for the work ahead. Begin tracking progress using “Tend the Field.”
If you Roll a Fade (miss):
Something feels off. The earth resists your hand, the weather shifts, or doubt creeps in. Increase the Progress Track rank by 1, but the crop’s rarity stays the same. (For example, a Common crop becomes a Rooted Effort track, but will still only yield common results.) Begin tracking progress using “Tend the Field.”
Every patch of land needs time to breathe. A single field holds space for three crop beds, but only two should be cultivated at once—the third lies fallow, resting and restoring the soil’s strength. This rhythm reflects the harmony of nature: work and rest, give and receive.
You may choose to sow all three beds, pushing the land beyond its gentle limits. If you do, the overworked soil resists. The new crop’s progress track is treated as one rank higher, and all future rolls related to that crop suffer a -10 penalty as the earth groans beneath the strain.
Tend wisely. The land remembers how it’s treated.
Move: Tend the Field
Seeds may start the story, but it’s care that turns them into something more. When you Tend the Field, you nurture what you’ve planted—pulling weeds that threaten to choke the roots, pouring water like a blessing, or driving off the pests that creep in when you're not looking.
Use this Move when tending an existing crop tied to a Progress Track you've begun with Sow the Field. Choose how you're tending the field, then roll the corresponding characteristic with an appropriate skill:
Weeding (Whim): You work lightly and intuitively, plucking away what doesn't belong.
Watering (Ember): You share your warmth and presence with the field, offering life in each drop.
Pest Control (Heart): You honor the life of even the smallest creatures, guiding them gently away from your crops to places where they can thrive without harm. It's not a battle—it’s a quiet negotiation of balance.
If you Roll a Glow (strong success):
The task goes beautifully—your touch is sure, your timing perfect. The field responds with quiet joy. Mark progress on the crop’s track.You may spend 1 Cozy to mark the skill you used.
If you Roll a Glint (soft success):
Your effort lands well enough. The job is done, if not perfectly. Mark progress on the crop’s track.
If you Roll a Fade (miss):
Something slips through—roots you missed, water in short supply, or a sneaky bite in the leaves. Do not mark progress. The next time you Tend this field, roll with a -5 penalty as the consequences of neglect or misfortune settle in.
Move: Harvest the Bounty
When the season turns and your crops are ripe with potential, it’s time to gather the fruits of your care. This Move represents the culmination of all your tending—the moment you kneel to the soil and receive what it has to offer. Use this Move when a crop’s progress track is full or nearly full, and you’re ready to bring it in.
Roll Grit + Skill as you gently coax the yield from the earth.
If you Roll a Glow (strong success):
A solid harvest. The crop is collected without trouble, and its bounty is generous. Add 1 extra Favor or ingredient tag to the yield—it’s more potent than expected.If you Roll a Glint (soft success):
You gather the crop, but it wasn’t easy. You had to use heavier tools or rush the process. The land feels your urgency. The field must rest for one full cycle before anything can be planted there again. Still, the crop is yours.If you Roll a Fade (miss):
The crop resists you. It’s not ready, or something’s gone awry. Reduce the progress track by two boxes and increase the crop’s difficulty by one rank, making future progress more difficult to mark. The land needs more time and care before it’s willing to let go.
These moves make references to rules that are definitely not described here, but I think they really give an idea of the game I am working on, especially on the Cozy side of things. If you want access to the game doc (it's a huge work in progress) hit me up on discord!
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