The Family Tree
A downloadable game
The Family Tree is a game about family, legacy, and the stories we tell through generations. Together, create a family and map their descendents through multiple generations, exploring how their histories interconnect and interact with each other, winding along the odd offshots and side stories along the way. The neighbor whose daughter can walk on water, the younger brother that can speak to the dead, the buried journal dug up in your yard that houses a family’s entire story, a photo in your grandmother’s house you’ve always meant to ask about. The Family Tree is about the things that connect us, the stories that we leave behind, and all the mysteries in between.
To play The Family Tree, you will need a few hours, a tarot deck or any deck of illustrated cards, and a shared drawing surface to draw your family tree. This game is intended for 2-6 players, but includes modifications for solo play on page 12.
The Family Tree was written for the Record Collection Game Jam 2023, and is inspired by the Family Tree albums by Radical Face. Find more information about Radical Face and their music here.
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i had my class of college freshman play this today to demonstrate genre and narrative and i was a little worried because they hadn't been super talkative up till this point, most of them had never played a tabletop game before, and it's only their first week of college. i asked for volunteers to make characters (five students volunteered) and then the rest of them decided our tone and genre for the game. one student decided they wanted it to have a mystery vibe, and the "family" was all connected through the mystery. then our first player decided to make a retired sheriff turned rancher, so it became a wild west mystery. after that, everyone really started getting into it, and it ended up taking a fantasy route when a few players made talking animals as their characters. students who weren't playing asked if they could make connections as well and so a few of them ended up suggesting connections between the characters the players hadnt thought of. we only had time to go through one round (so 5 characters with connections to each other) but when i brought in the bastards alternate rule and had someone make an ancillary character they all got really excited (they made a ghost who knew all the town secrets). at the end of class a few students expressed disappointment we couldnt keep going with the game or keep talking about the characters so they now have a discussion board to keep talking about it. overall a hugely successful first in-class game!!! it was the perfect game to play before i introduce our narrative essay next class. thank you!!!
got so so excited when i saw someone did the family tree for the game jam. that was my #2 idea, i've loved radical face for years and these albums are such a big interest of mine. this is an absolutely lovely game and i cannot wait to try it out!!!