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 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.
The Quiet Year occupies an interesting space – part roleplaying game, part cartographic poetry.
The Quiet Year is plenty playable with only the facilitator having the game PDF, so you don't need to shell out for it if you don't want to. Obviously, to avoid legal trouble I'm also not going to explain the rules in one cohesive post that people can just copy and steal. The game requires a map, and while I would have wanted people to make rough mouse drawings on their computer at least, I also acknowledge that most people here nowadays browse Bay12 on their phone. So instead we'll be using
Your World of Text and making ASCII art. No, you're not allowed to type words out.
While I usually played TQY on a more free-flowing live format, I think the game also works with a more stilted play by post dynamic where people take turns to say things. There's even a mechanic for it.
It also goes without saying that on forum, a game of TQY will probably take a long ass time to finish.