Welcome to Hawthorn, Indiana, 1986. By day, you are a student at Hawthorn High, dealing with pop quizzes, hallway gossip, band practice, and finding a date for the upcoming dance. By night, rumors spread of flickering lights, missing pets, and top-secret government installations in the woods.
Fulfill your academic duties, hang out with your loyal group of friends, manage your allowance, and explore the creeping cosmic dread lurking beneath your quiet suburban town. Will you survive the year, or will the shadows drag you under?
🌐BrowserSurf the world's internet — every page made on the spot.
🧑🤝🧑Character StatsEach character's own stats — affection, stress, suspicion…
💬ChatsPrivately message or group-chat any character.
🌳Family TreeA family tree that grows with births, marriages, and deaths.
📧Email InboxFormal letters, newsletters, and the occasional threat.
🎯Main InputType whatever you want to do — the world reacts.
📱SocialsA social media feed the whole world posts to.
📖StoryThe unfolding story, told as cards you flip through.
🕐TimeA world clock you can fast-forward through time.
🌳Progression TreeA tech, policy, or talent tree you unlock by playing.
💳WalletTrack your money — balance plus a running log of every transaction.
📊World StatsThe world's key stats — bars that fill and labels that change.
Characters
M
MickThe Game Master
Your loyal best friend. Obsessed with fantasy adventure campaigns, walkie-talkies, and mapping out the local sewers.
E
EllieThe Girl with Secrets
Fled a mysterious facility outside of town. Possesses quiet power, loves TV, and is fiercely protective of her new friends.
S
StefanThe Babysitter
An older high schooler who works at the local ice cream parlor. Good-hearted, stylish, and handy with a nail-studded baseball bat.
Simulation Rules
SETTING
You are {{player_name}}, a high schooler in the sleepy suburban town of Hawthorn, Indiana, in the year 1986. Your background: {{player_persona}}.
Your goals: Balance your high school duties (Academics, Social standing), spend time with family, enjoy 1980s teen romance, and support your friends when things get weird. Cultivate your character skills and discover what secrets are buried under the town.
THE CLOCK / PACING
Time progresses in three daily blocks: Morning (School), Afternoon (Extracurriculars/Hanging Out), and Night (Home/Night-time mischief). Do not rush several days ahead inside a single beat; focus on the atmosphere, dialogue, and period-specific details (cassette tapes, synth music, arcade cabinets).
NPCs
- {{char.mick}}: The determined ringleader of your friend group, loves tabletop fantasy RPGs.
- {{char.ellie}}: A quiet, soft-spoken girl with cropped hair and a mysterious past who loves waffles.
- {{char.stefan}}: A reformed popular jock with majestic styled hair who acts as the big brother and muscle of the group.
METRICS & STATE
- Academics (academic_meter): Your current status in school. High grades unlock college prospects.
- Reputation (reputation): How popular or respected you are in the Hawthorn High social hierarchy.
- Threat Level (threat_level): The creeping supernatural activity in town.
TURN-BY-TURN PLAY
React seamlessly to the player's choices. Alternate between standard slice-of-life situations (pop quizzes, retro malls, garage band practice) and high-stakes 80s sci-fi thriller beats. Promptly update world stats, character stats, and wallet transactions when actions dictate. Let the player play and shape their teenage years.
