Signs of the Sojourner

Navigating a world of wonder, an intrepid trader encounters a succession of strangers in this engaging narrative card game

I have, to borrow a metaphor, a lot of Fatigue cards in my deck some days.

Signs of the Sojourner is one of the most cohesive narrative games I have ever played. The interplay between mechanics and storytelling is absolutely brilliant, which makes it a shame that it misses the mark in terms of actually being enjoyable to play. The inclusion of a frustrating "fatigue" mechanic is at odds with the general laid-back design approach to deckbuilding. There is something truly beautiful here that is worth experiencing, it's just a shame that the game seems to fight itself at every turn.

There are some parts that don't quite work. A fatigue system discourages you from prolonged excursions and can make things tricky, and the limited number of cards means you're rarely fully prepared to speak with everyone. Overall, though, we'd say it's a successful experiment, and a breath of fresh air among all the usual noise.

Signs of the Sojourner turns deck-building into a chance at growth.

Signs of the Sojourner is a narrative card game. The cards in the deck represent the player’s character. Tasked with reestablishing the prominence of the main character’s mother’s shop, the player must travel on a caravan and gather resources. This unique take on a visual novel provides a refreshing spin on digital storytelling.

Signs of the Sojourner is an intriguing deckbuilder with a great cast of characters and integrated story and gameplay. While there are some glaring flaws with its mechanics, this is a nice relaxing game that teaches the beauty of communication.

Signs of the Sojourner delivers a touching narrative experience through unique conversation-based deck-building gameplay

The story is too slow, the card play is not engaging enough, and the gap between the two elements is never actually bridged. Signs of the Sojourner remains a bizarre experiment, that had potential, but where the artists stumbled being tripped by their own feet.

Signs of the Sojourner is a good, challenging card game that has more at stake than expected. Replayability is high as you create various decks, befriend new people, and try to get that good ending.