Sleepaway

Sleepaway casts players as camp counselors at a summer refuge for marginalized youth, isolated from a world drowning in advertising and alienation. The camp is besieged by the Lindworm—a shapeshifting cryptid that wears human skin and stalks the woods.

Theme and Setting

The setting blends hazy summer nostalgia (fireflies, swimming holes, ghost stories) with creeping dread and body horror. Players are survivors, traumatized by past encounters with the monster, now dedicated to protecting a new generation from suffering the same fate.

How Play Feels

Sleepaway uses the Belonging Outside Belonging system: diceless, GMless, and token-driven. Players receive tokens for Weak Moves (actions that complicate their lives) and spend them on Strong Moves (actions that passionately succeed).

What Makes It Distinct

Each player chooses a character archetype (The Muscle, The Mystic, The New Kid, etc.) and shared Setting Elements provide narrative prompts and Rituals. Rituals are a standout feature—physical, creative activities that blur the line between game and reality: drawing maps, playing music, even destroying game materials.

Where It May Not Fit

You want combat and action to drive most of the session You want low-tension or low-threat play.