The Slow Knife

A card-based story game of wretched scoundrels and patient revenge.

Published by Mousehole Press
Distributed by Deernicorn Distro

The Slow Knife is inspired by stories like The Count of Monte Cristo, where a simple death is too good for all those years the villains took from their victim. You’ll establish a promising young soul whose life is ruined by a handful of grasping scoundrels, then you’ll tell the decades-long story of the victim’s overdue and inevitable vengeance. You’ll tell this story from the perspective of the villains, with the protagonist – The Knife – moving in the shadows or behind disguises. You’ll answer card prompts about your villain’s life as you add notes and connections to a pinboard of sin and scandal. By the end of the game you’ll have constructed the conspiracy that destroys your wretched character as they find themselves broken and utterly ruined, face-to-face with The Knife for one last reckoning. Then, as the sun rises on a land free of those avaricious scoundrels, you’ll consider what solace – if any – The Knife might find for the rest of their days.

You’ll also find three playsets, story starters that provide an original, pre-written setting and define all the major characters of your story—the Knife, your villains and the setting itself. These playsets are designed to be a quicker experience than the ‘from scratch’ approach, and they will fill your board with people and possibilities to propel you into your story.

The three playsets, each illustrated by a different artist, are:

• The Count of Saint-Lazare—inspired by The Count of Monte Cristo of course.
• Arcadia Prime—a near-future, neocapitalist nightmare on an orbital station.
• The Lament of Broken Glass—a fantasy tale of elves, fashion and weird magic.