Path Within

Designing Paths Within

When I started working on Paths Within, I knew I wanted to make a game that felt personal, immersive, and reflective without being overly structured or prescriptive. I wanted it to be a game about navigation—both external and internal—without feeling like a self-help exercise in disguise. The process of designing it was a lot like playing the game itself: full of unexpected turns, little discoveries, and figuring out what really mattered along the way.

Mapping the Unknown

I’ve always loved map-making games because they give players something tangible to build. There’s something powerful about seeing your journey take shape, especially when it’s a mix of intention and randomness. But I didn’t want the map to just be set dressing—it had to feel meaningful. It had to be something players engaged with actively, not just as a backdrop to their story.

• Early Thought Process: Should the map be freeform? Should players decide what they encounter?
• Final Decision: Each card represents a terrain, keeping some structure, but the suit changes how it’s experienced, letting players add their own meaning.
• What I Learned: Keeping the core mechanics simple but flexible made the map feel like it was reacting to the journey, rather than just being placed down randomly.

The Role of Playing Cards

I love using playing cards in TTRPGs because they naturally provide structure without feeling like a rules-heavy system. Plus, they already carry inherent meaning—there’s something satisfying about flipping a card and letting it dictate the next part of the journey.

• Early Debate: Should terrains be fully random or should players have more control?
• Final Decision: Every card value is tied to a set terrain, but the suit determines whether it’s a challenge or a moment of ease.
• What I Learned: This balance of predictability and variation makes every draw feel just controlled enough to be meaningful, while still keeping surprises in play.

This also led to some fun realizations—like how a river (2 of Hearts) might be a peaceful crossing, while a river (2 of Clubs) might be a deadly current. It kept the terrain grounded but still personal to each playthrough.

Solo vs. Two-Player

Originally, Paths Within was just a two-player game, with each person taking turns drawing and interpreting the map together. But the more I worked on it, the more I realized that this could also be a really strong solo game—a chance for someone to sit down with their own thoughts and just... explore.

• Challenge: How do you make sure solo play feels just as engaging?
• Solution: Instead of making two separate modes, I merged the roles so solo players do both the narration and mapping.
• What I Learned: The game doesn’t need an outside voice to be meaningful—sometimes, just sitting with your own reflections is enough.

Giving Players Just Enough Power

One of my biggest concerns was making sure players felt like they had agency while still allowing for unpredictability. If you can change too much, the journey loses its weight. If you can change too little, it becomes frustrating.

That’s where Parts and Abilities came in. Each Part has a one-time-use ability that lets the player make a meaningful impact without breaking the tension.

• Examples:

  • The Protector can make a dangerous terrain safer.
  • The Wanderer can redraw a card to find a better route.
  • The Firestarter can completely remove a terrain.

• What I Learned: These abilities give just enough control to make the player feel like they earned their progress, while still keeping the journey unpredictable.

What I Took Away from the Process

1. Ambiguity is a feature, not a flaw. Keeping some parts open-ended lets players bring their own meaning to the game.
2. Randomness and agency have to work together. Too much control? Boring. Too little? Frustrating. Striking the right balance made all the difference.
3. Games about communication need room for silence. Whether you’re playing solo or with a partner, sometimes the most powerful moments come from just sitting with the map and taking it in.
4. Emotional engagement beats mechanical complexity. The best parts of Paths Within aren’t about optimization—they’re about meaningful choices and personal connections.

At the end of the day, Paths Within isn’t about getting from Point A to Point B. It’s about the space in between—the discoveries, the struggles, the quiet moments, and the unexpected turns.