Thousand Year Old Vampire
A downloadable game
The sequel to Thousand Year Old Vampire will be crowdfunding soon!
Please give your support to So You've Met A Thousand Year Old Vampire.
600+ pages of familiar-yet-different game play experienced from the viewpoint of a regular person who has met an ancient and probably very dangerous creature. On Backerkit August 20th.
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Now, you're regular Thousand Year Old Vampire information is below:
THOUSANDYEAROLDVAMPIRE.COM to purchase PRINT COPIES
This darned game won three ENnie Awards and the Tabletop Design Award from Indiecade! How unlikely!
"One of the most critically acclaimed solo journaling games ever made..."
-Charlie L Hall, Polygon
A creaking hunter among dust and cobwebs, you prowl the night places, seeking the souls on which you feed. You have done this since time immemorial, or so you believe; you have no memories of living as a man-thing like those you catch and eat. But human traces linger; your fingers trace clever arabesques in the dirt of your grave-place and with the flourishes come whispered songs in a language you've forgotten. Far away, in a museum, hangs your portrait in oil by a master five hundred years dead--you might have been lovers but the diary you kept then is long lost.
188 fancy pages
play in a couple of hours or a couple of weeks
solo play, optional group play
Just got a super nice bit on Shut Up and Sit Down.
Once Upon a Die has a good play through
Chimerical Realm does a great play through!
A Thousand Year Old Vampire Arises on Kickstarter
Game State gives the game a go on youtube.
Tabletop Anarchy does a video review of the game.
Big Gay Nerds played it for Halloween.
Roll for Crit gives it a holler.
Buy the fancy print book at thousandyearoldvampire.com.
Sign up for the mailing list at thousandyearoldvampire.com.
Status | Released |
Category | Physical game |
Rating | Rated 4.9 out of 5 stars (389 total ratings) |
Author | timhutchings |
Genre | Role Playing |
Tags | GM-Less, Halloween, Horror, journal, physical, Singleplayer, solo, Vampire |
Mentions | Announcing the 2020 Tabletop itch.io Sel..., New release - Winsome Heartwood, Why is this a fantasy heartbreaker?, Coming Soon: A Goblin Thought, Space Log Journaling, The design of "Out of Print" |
Purchase
In order to download this game you must purchase it at or above the minimum price of $15 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 Copy
If you pay for a copy without hardship please do! Making games is my only job and need money to live. Take a free copy if you need it! Give me money if you can.
Development log
- A New Kickstarter! A secret TYOV thing.Feb 18, 2021
- Second Printing PDFs availableAug 21, 2020
- A Cash PrizeJul 30, 2020
Comments
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I’m working on an app for playing this for my own games, and I’d also like to share this with the community. The problem is that such an app would have to include the prompts themselves, which would make the pdf unnecessary.
I’d like to hear your thoughts on this! I don’t want to create anything that would damage your sales.
I think that's fine! Look around at the existing projects people have done and see if you can get a headstart based on what they did.
I cannot say thank you enough for providing a text only copy. As a screen reader user who so often has to find out only after purchase if a PDF is accessible or not, it is refreshing to run into plain text versions in the wild that take the guesswork out. I haven't played yet, erading htrough now but going to start soon. This should prove interesting to say the least. I've heard nothing but good things. I'm just sad I managed to just miss the sequel game you are making as far as backing it. Bah. Ah well, hope to see it soon enough and can't wait. Please keep up the good work!
Sequel will be available to everyone in several months!
Let me know if the plain text version can be done better. I'm hoping I can get an audio version of the new game.
Just finished my first session. M vampire's story became a tale of two brothers and a rivalry and hatred that spanned centuries. Over time, my vampire forgot what exactly they were fighting about. In their last clash, his brother took his sword which was tied to my vampire's very important memory; the night he turned his brother into a vampire. They met again in the 21st century, my vampire not knowing how he had wronged his brother only that it kept them at odds. They spent a day in uneasy truce. Their shared animosity grounding and familiar. That same night his brother kills him with the same sword he said was to symbolize their reconciliation, all past mistakes forgotten.
I think I can guess the Prompts that were driving this at the end. Thanks for sharing!
I really respect and appreciate you providing the PDF version for free. Money's a little tight for me at the moment, but I know a few people who'd love a hard copy when Christmas comes around <3
I want folks to play my games and I want folks with money to pay me for games–I'm glad that itch makes it easy to get games to folks who would struggle do the second part. High fives!
Absolutely love this game! My conservative friends and I have been enjoying playing and swapping stories of how our vampire's lives are progressing whenever we aren't too busy spreading hate. Really a great way to relax and unwind. I don't think I'd be able to maintain my conservative views and strong hate for all people unless I had a game like this to play in the evening to help me recharge for another day of hate. Thank you!!!
That's a dumb, desperate thing to write.
indeed. why did they write it though? so weird
Hello! This was my first experience playing a solo game, after I saw it being played on the YouTube show/podcast Mystery Quest, and I loved it!
I had a question: I've had an idea for a solo/co-op dungeon crawling game and would like the dungeon progression to work similarly to the prompts in TYOV (specifically roll some d6, subtract a value, move either forwards or backwards from dungeon room prompt to dungeon room prompt).
Would including such a mechanic in my game (with attribution of course) be allowed? I could not find info on how "hackable" TYOV is.
Thanks again for such a brilliant game,
- Penflower
I'm so sorry I missed this! Totally dungeon the fuck out of this! Keep me posted!
Thank you! I have been sharing my design process and play-tests on my newsletter (which is publicly available on my patreon) and on my YouTube channel:
https://www.patreon.com/collection/349443?view=expanded issues 69-73
https://youtu.be/RQEUUX2vh9w?si=UvKNq8ALIQdva8bP
Neat!
my vampire got beaten with an inch of his life no less than 8 times. i gave him a silly name to distance myself from his tragedy and it positively did not work, amazing game.
I like the idea that beating an undead to within an inch of their life might actually be a good thing? Like you are making them more alive than they currently are.
brilliant game, surprised at how much replay potential it has (and how fun it is). My first solo rpg and definitely won’t be my last! well worth the cost.
My Aztec vampire fled to France, where they started a 300 year cult in the catacombs beneath Paris, until Nazis in WWII flushed him out. He died leading a mercenary army into the South American jungle in an attempt to catch the one that turned him.
Oh, that's so good. I actually made a weird "Oh!" exclamation when the Nazis showed up–just too perfect.
hey thanks for replying!
action scenes of lunatic vampire cultists armed with antique weapons fending off baddies with guns in the catacombs of Paris whilst our vampire fled via underground boat was not where I expected our vampire story to go!
thank you so much. i didnt think playing a rpg alone would be this fun. i will replay it a lot i guess.
I know I was shocked at how much fun I had playing this game alone.
I just picked up a hardcopy at PAX East. Do you know of a good "thematic" text editor? One that has a focus mode and a parchment background? Something like the NaturalCrit Homebrewery, but WYSIWYG?
I do not!
I play in a soulless, dead-eyed text doc with a plain font. It is functionally invisible.
It would be interesting to keep shifting to new period fonts while playing the game.
Thank you for providing these community copies! I'm using one until I have a good mailing address to order the physical book to. Great to have a way to dig in right away!
Awesome! There's no rush on buying a physical copy–I ain't running out anytime soon.
Tim, I'm curious about how you went about choosing the order for the prompts. Did you have a plan or system for doing it? I love this game; it made me really fall down the rabbit hole of solo journaling games.
I, too, am curious about that. I'm writing the sequel and I know I had a system but I can't remember what it was. Seriously. Let me think...
Language and travel technology are a big part of TYOV. I know that I grew the complexity of the prompts in regards to those two factors as I imagined the timeline of the character progressing. Same thing with society as a whole–later in the game it is assumed you are doing complex things to fit into evolving social structures.
The first few Prompts are very much about not knowing how to be a vampire. Those are obvious though.
I know that I spent a lot of time worrying over gaining and losing Resources but I think that was mostly fruitless labor. Some of it is arbitrary.
Yeah. That sounds pretty good. I want to thank you for asking me this question. I'm struggling with the Prompt order in the sequel and you've helped me remember that the factors that ordered TYOV just aren't present in the next game.
My first vampire died as he lived: angry, confused and covered in someone else's blood.
Breathtaking, melancholic and deep, this game deserves all the praise it's gotten and more. Well done, Mr. Hutchings, well done!
the circle is complete
Wow... Just wow.
I took this underestimating the idea, but oh my god. The labour put here is unreal...
Kudos for the idea and projects.
Fantastic game with much more to do than just journaling!
I have been managing it in google sheets with tabs for the different stats and notes (for myself) about each of the stats so that I know when things were lost or changed even if my vampire does not. It isn't shown here, but I also have a chronological table with all original experiences placed in order (not within memories) so that I can go back to trace the thread of time and see experiences that have not been adjusted or altered by later prompts. just a good way to organize the gameplay work as well as keep track of what you originally created! As you can see, I have not finished yet and have clung to one of my vampire's original resources for as long as possible, we'll see when my luck runs out with that.
Digital text makes it so, so much easier to play this game!
Would you ever be inclined to share a blank copy of your documents? I'm just about to start a playthrough and hopefully will be able to buy the full / printed version in future if we end up in better straits. But I struggle with creating vast, organised tables like this, and it looks so useful! If you see this, know it'd be incredibly appreciated if you ever did share the resource :)
I guess it goes without saying that it is a must have in the solo ttrpg community. I had real fun playing.
Hey! I’ve never downloaded something off of here so definitely let me know if I’m doing something wrong, but whenever I try to get a free copy it says I must pay at least $15.00.
You gotta go all the way down to the "Community Copy" box.
Did this work out?
I think what they were trying to say was that, if you Claim Access to a Community Copy, then try to add a dollar amount to the box that comes up after clicking (which is set at zero dollars by default), you get a warning notification "error: you must pay at least $15.00". Which makes the idea of hardship buyers tipping less workable - and also prevents claiming the copy the typical way!
You can still download via clicking the "no thanks" link, which then prompts a second attempt to claim that works. And you can edit the cash box either with typing or by choosing one of the tip buttons lower down on the same window. However the error message appears on attempting to confirm a payment of any type...
Hope this makes sense! I found it out by trying to tip you myself today.
Oh, thank you for figuring that out!
No problem at all! It seemed like you might be losing a lot of sales (and, more importantly, readers) given the process to access the files was so unintuitive.
Please let me know if you get it resolved, though - I'd still like to tip!
Thank you so much for the community copies. <3 Idk how itchio works but I'll definitely tip when I have the funds!
Don't tip til you are filthy with dosh. Money just pouring out onto the floor so deep you are at risk of drowning.
Got the PDF for free and fell in love - picked up a physical copy from my local game shop and it's gorgeous.
<total high five>
at 51 I’ve never played a solo rpg but damn this is awsone. I spent a whole day from 8am until midnight writing my journal. I’m now working on turning it into an animated video. It’s a shame your hardback is a bit out of my price range but looking at the quality of it I can see why
I can't wait to see the animation!
I sometimes have discounted scratch-and-dent copies, though it is still expensive shippingif you are outside of the US.
I’d appreciate that, should I reach out to you via email on the off chance of a discounted book? I’m in England and would of course cover those costs
Email me using the address on the thousandyearoldvampire.com site!
I downloaded yesterday and I'm having trouble with the PDFs. Some of the pages are clear but the text looks half erased on some of them. For example, on page 6 (spread layout) the yellow note is completely clear but I can't read "what's needed to play" or the entire right page.
Anyone have any idea what's happening?
Weird! Try downloading it again and try viewing it another PDF reader.
A brilliant game. I got the physical copy, which is also artbook-level beautiful. If you want to see how it works in practice, you can check out my vampire's journal.
To say it once more—I absolutely adore this game!
I’m pumped as hell to try this out! I snagged a community copy to demo, as I’m newer to solo TTRPGs, but have heard good things!
I checked your website to see if physical copies are available and read your opening paragraphs on the store page. Based as all hell, thanks for using your voice for good, it’s greatly appreciated. 😌
I’m hoping to fully delve into it this weekend, will keep you posted! Thanks for creating!
The game is pretty straightforward but if you have questions you can email me at dearleadergame@gmail.com. Sometimes folks new to solo games get hung up on non-obvious things, so don't hesitate to ask!
Back after playing this gem of a game and…wow. Honestly, bit speechless! I’ve placed my order for the physical copy, 100% worth every penny just for the written content alone.
Thanks for sharing your work with us! I went through all the stages of grief several times for my little vampire!
Thank you! And I'm sorry!
Just finished my first playthrough it of a couple days ago and it was beautiful, and also saved me from boredom at work.
"My work boredom was replaced by a vague sense of unsettlement and loss."
Somehow a more welcome mood than work boredom
This is my first solo ttrpg and the amount of fun I'm having is just criminal... Many, many thanks to Tim for having the generosity to offer community copies of the game. I didn't know if I would vibe with this style of game, so being able to try it out first was great. I loved it so much that I just HAD to buy a physical copy to keep on my shelf. Can't wait until I hold the book in my hands!
Thousand Year Old Vampire is an award winning solo journaling game designed by Tim Hutchings. In this horror game, you create your own vampire and explore themes of memory loss and the passage of time. The game has a unique storytelling system that is based on prompts. Every prompt modifies one of five traits (Memories, Skills, Resources, Characters, and Marks). This makes for an enjoyable and replayable experience. The game is 188 pages and has an evocative layout and design. I highly recommend this game!
got the physical, highly recommended.
I’ve heard about solo ttrpgs before, but was always on the fence. Through various YouTube videos and tik toks, I was finally convinced to try this game and it’s so good!
It was fun to roll for prompts and realize I could expand upon leads I didn’t even know I left in past memories. This was such an awesome game and I’m very thankful there are community copies available to try it out.
I highly recommend for anyone considering jumping into solo journaling games.
I'm excited to play this game--a commenter recommended it on a Youtube video about a different game called Delve. I googled this one and was sitting on the fence about getting a copy until I saw that there are community copies available for people who cannot afford it.
Instantly decided to buy and to pay extra as a thank you for that. I am so excited to try it and also show my friends too!
It really is magic that when I give stuff away for free that there are folks that step up and make it worth my while! So kind of you!
It is keeping me such good company.
I'm so glad to hear that! It's all part of the ruse.
The book starts out pleasant. It gives you a fun time, it listens to your stories, you watch tv together. It starts helping around the house and balancing your checkbook. Next thing you know it's wearing your favorite hat taking out a mortgage in your name.
Finally played TYOV. Two vampires. They ended on pages 73 and 74. Uhuh. That's a truly great game! Thanks Tim Hutchings!
(I spoke about it on my blog. That's in French but I added a few pictures ermites.club)
With all your post it notes and things I briefly fooled myself with the drawn lines in the book!
and then you remembered it was part of the layout eheh?
(That's appropriate: my blog post is focused on the concept of reconstructed memories, because this is in my opinion one of the things we truly experience with this game) :)
Not enough folks mark up RPG books, in my opinion. We should be living in the things and making them ours.
I just want to thank you for offering community copies-- I ordered a physical copy from a Canadian reseller so it didn't come with a PDF but I was absolutely itching to play it in the meantime. You rock!
<high fives!>
My trust in Tim Hutchings is completely gone. The Companion Volume's description was a mystery, and my passion for mysteries together with my trust in a company allowed my conscience to pre-order.
The book is empty pages.. for $71 incl shipping.
The mystery is an expensive scam and anyone saying the consumer is a fool, is fooled by this creators sense of humor and explanation it's a "work of art". A waste of chopped trees and climate.
Looks like someone didn't read the description where he literally said not to buy it.
"This book, to be absolutely clear, is not useful. It is, I believe, worthwhile but don't forget, friends, that I am an idiot. My worthwhile might be your bitter disappointment. In fact, it most likely is. "
You got a product that was exactly as described.
well, may be I would have bought it if TH had really explained that it was an empty book, but certainly not for 71$.
The trick TH used, like "don't buy it, I am a fool" is clearly there to confuse the gamer inside us, and all those who, like me, loved -"TYOV",and wanted to support it.
May be I am too naive, but I also feel like I have been the idiot of this story, and that I have bought TYOV for 150$.
Congrats to Tim, you really know how to manipulate people's mind.
ps: sorry for my English, I am a french idiot.
Okay, weird questions here. Under Diaries, it says that you cannot add any more experiences in the memory that is in the diary. I'm a little confused.
Can you add partially filled Memories to a Diary? Can I put a Memory with 2 Experiences in the Diary, knowing that it takes up one of the Diary's four available Memory slots?
When you put a memory in the Diary, does that reduce the number of memories you can have?
For example, if I fill three of my Memories with Experiences, and I decide to put those three Memories in a Diary, do I now have 5 empty and open Memory slots again, or do I only have two Memory slots left because the other three are held in the Diary?
If the latter is the case, does the destruction or loss of the Diary free up those Memory slots?
Thanks in advance!
You can put a partially filled Memory into a Diary, but you can't add more Experiences to that Memory after you do so.
When you put a Memory into a Diary your character functionally forgets it. That Memory slot is now free for all new Memories, the Memory that was there is now a Diary entry.
You should only be putting Memories into a Diary when you are out of Memory slots. Don't casually add three Memories to a Diary, that's just not the way the game is supposed to work mechanically.
Does this help?
Yes! Thank you. That's how I felt it was supposed to work because that fits so well thematically. But then "gamer brain" took over and I started to overthink it.
Thanks again, Tim.
Gamer brain is the worst until it becomes the best and you accidentally make a new game! The best thing about TYOV is that it's resilient, you can't really break it by messing up small things. Or even big things.
hi. The POD option seems to have disappeared of DTRPG.
But I have found a 2nd Print version in the UK, so thats cool.
On thousandyearoldvampire.com you have 3rd print run copies. Is there any difference from the 2nd printing?
Something went screwy with the DTRPG version so I made it unavailable and never bothered to fix it. It was only there to help out folks overseas who couldn't afford shipping, with UK and other options now it's less of an issue.
3rd printing is identical to 2nd. 2nd is slight improvement on 1st.
This game got me started playing solo RPGs. I love it so much. The book is gorgeous. I’m so happy to just flip through it. I’ve played this a few times and every time it went in a new and weird direction.
I, the creator, have played this innumerable times and haven't yet felt it was reptetititiitve.
Hi Tim, I recently bought the print copy of TYOV. I thought I'd get a pdf via email, which, barring a confirmation of the order, I'd thought of as a confirmation. I haven't received the email yet. Is there a different way to confirm the order?
Where did you buy it?
Hello there,
I want to say first, that I truly think this a fantastic game and hope to see more of your games in the future.
But I would like some clarity on the rules.
This probably has been answered somewhere in this huge comment section, but I'm a bit confused with this rule.
Am I suppose to start with the very first prompt, or am I suppose to role the dice first and then from prompt one, move to the actual first prompt of the game?
I know in one version that the rules say, Start at prompt one, but the 2nd printing says, start counting at prompt one. I don't know, maybe I'm just misinterpreting the rule, but I'd rather ask you for clarity.
I've been playing games where I rolled first and then moved to another prompt and then that new prompt would be my first, but if you're meant to start the game with the very first prompt, I can try that out. I just always thought of the first prompt to be the hardest to start with since you're forced at the start to essentially kill off a mortal and get bloodthirsty.
But anyways, sorry for this long comment, but I'm hoping to get some further clarity on the rules.
You roll and start counting from Prompt 1.
Oh, okay. I figured it might have been that. Thanks for the clarification.