CHVLR: A Wretched & Alone Game
A downloadable game
"Nobody is ever born into this world as a soldier."
- Rau Le Creuset, Mobile Suit Gundam Seed
CHVLR is a journaling game about the terrible cost of war and the scars it leaves on those chosen to fight it. It is a game about violence. It is a game about fear.
But most of all, it is a game about hope. Its power and its absence.
Using the Wretched & Alone system, you play as the newest recruit to an experimental military program. You are a teenager, barely into your adolescence before you are chosen, or perhaps forced, to pilot a colossal bipedal robot known as a CHVLR (Chevalier, pronounced "shuh" + "VAL" + "ee" + "ay").
There has been little in the way of training. You are the only one that can pilot this machine - you are the only one with the ability to command its power. Now it is time for you to take to the field.
You will see and do terrible things. You will kill.
Few can truly prepare for the burden that such a responsibility places on your mind and your body. You are so young, and so much rests on your shoulders.
The game requires a standard deck of playing cards, a six-sided die, 10 tokens, a tumbling block tower (optional), and a way to record your entries.
Special thanks to Trooperfor allowing me to use his CHVLR playthrough on the page!
Purchase
In order to download this game you must purchase it at or above the minimum price of $10 USD. You will get access to the following files:
Exclusive content
Support this game at or above a special price point to receive something exclusive.
Community Copies
Claim a free copy of CHVLR if you're marginalised or in need.
Every sale adds another copy to the pool.
Please consider leaving a nice review or 5-star rating if you enjoy the game!
Development log
- Halloween Sale 202447 days ago
- Summer Sale 2024!Jun 27, 2024
- Nominated for a CRIT Award!Jun 15, 2024
- CHVLR Physical Edition Out Now!May 07, 2024
- Winter Sale 2023!Dec 20, 2023
- Black Friday Sale!Nov 24, 2023
- 12 Hours left of the Halloween Sale!Nov 02, 2023
Comments
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This was the first journaling game I've ever played, and it did not disappoint! I ended up feeling quite a bit for my poor pilot Raya
I’m glad that you had a good time with the game! It’s hard not to feel for these poor character by the end!
Solitaire Storytelling Actual Play Review
"Overall, I hope Forrest's logs have conveyed the most important thing about CHVLR. It's a very well written entry to the W&A pantheon, every prompt made me think or feel something, and I was rooting for Forrest to survive even thought I knew he was almost certainly doomed."
CHVLR has become my way to start the day - drawing one hand and letting the story of my time in the mech unfold. It's a surprise and a treat how natural it is to have multiple different events come together into one entry and how well they mesh with the previous day's, regardless of how different they are. In true tabletop storytelling style, the dice unravel your tale before you and, just as your pilot must make sense of what they've just felt and witnessed, you are tasked with piecing them together in a pilot log. It will bring out your style and creativity and it will ensconce you firmly within the cockpit of your CHVLR unit. Good luck out there.
DO judge this book by its cover, which immediately transport you to the Universal Century. Susanah Grace’s CHVLR builds on the tragic tales of youths at war popularized by the Mobile Suit Gundam franchises, but also Chris Bissette’s delightful tumbling block resolution system that leads your Pilot to their inevitable end. They blend perfectly into this zine-length solo-RPG, giving you just enough structure to explore the challenges of a mecha pilot drafted into another forever war. Between the content warnings and your character sheet, the destination is clear. Your pilot will die in action. But what they face, what they give up for “victory” is yours to find out.
Literary review language aside: this will rock your socks off if you are a Robotech or Gunpla fan. Even if you are not though, there is plenty of inspiration and flavor to CHVLR to get you in the right headspace. Loved the game and am constantly pushing it on my friends.
I love it
Thank you!
This was the first solo journaling game I’ve ever actually played instead of just reading, and this was so cool! I’m a big fan of NGE and other mech stuff and you totally nail that feel with the writing. The questions and cards are all super evocative and the game itself is easy to follow. Super great work!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it and I’m super honoured that you chose CHVLR as your first journal game! Thanks for playing!!
How do we treat subsequent aces. Do we just use the prompt and discard it like other cards?
You follow the prompts and then you should set any Aces drawn aside to keep track of them, as the game can end when they’re all drawn.
thank you
Excellent mood and feel!
Thank you so much!
Actually I cant afford it but I'm a big fan of Gundam, there will be community copies?
Hello! Community copies have now been added. If you enjoy the game, please consider leaving a rating!
Solid debut, I'm really impressed! Straight forward enough to not feel taxing to get started, complex enough to stay interesting and exciting.
As someone familiar with but not personally connected to the gundam genre I really enjoy the way the psychological stress and human toll is at the heart of this game
Thank you so much! 💖
I happened to find this game at the same time I started getting into Gundam for the first time so I am having the most immersive experience of my LIFE right now. Loving this game so much so far!
The only thing that wasn't clear to me is how long phase one should last. Do you just keep rolling/pulling cards until you're satisfied, or until your pilot dies, or reach some other limit? I've just been going until I feel I have enough of a story for my pilot to move on.
Your prompts are really well written- I have been getting a lot out of each card I pull! This is rapidly becoming one of my favorite solo games- it's super engaging and the themes are just challenging enough to get me out of my writing comfort zone in a way that's really really satisfying. Thank you for sharing this work!!
Hello! I'm so glad that you're having a great time with the game! Each phase is one die, so it could be as short as one card, could be as many as six. You could end up on many missions, or you could (as someone told me on Twitter) die on your very first pull!
thank you for clearing that up! now I feel luck that I didn't immediately beef it 😅
An instant buy, even with the Gundam Seed quote.
Listen you gotta respect a guy so confident even though he was named after cookware
Good lord, the presentation for this is absolutely immaculate.
I’m almost sad I didn’t come up with it first.
-Matt
Thank you!
Wow what a first outing on Itch. Simply phenomenal, followed and looking forward to all your future work!
Thank you so much, you're ever so kind!
I may be biased, but I'm looking forward to getting into this; even reading over it it seems to capture the spirit and feel of the best Gundam series' along with the best traditions of Wretched games. The writing is top notch, the artwork is awesome for a small indie, and it's well worth a few bucks even just to read through. 5*
Thank you for the kind words, and thank you for the help whilst making it. Appreciate you!