XO HARBOR — A SMALL ENCOUNTER FOR THE ARRIVING BOAT
Contribution brief + template + optional AI prompt · v1 · 6 October 2026

THE INVITATION
Two Voyagers have restored Harbor’s light. A boat approaches through the mist.
What happens when it reaches the pier? Make one small encounter people can
play together, rather than a pitch for a whole new game.

STORY CONTEXT
The Boat in the Mist begins with a dark lighthouse and a silent bell.
Its residents are the Lightkeeper, Harbormaster, Cartographer and Courier.
The existing journey moves from Mist to Signal Found, Light Restored and
Passage Opened. Your proposed encounter starts AFTER the boat arrives.
Leave the existing light-restoration journey and The First Passage unchanged.
A newcomer, an object or a message on the boat can be your own new proposal;
label new lore as proposed rather than established.
Read the world: https://xo.box/world/harbor
Community board: https://xo.games/play/community#boat-arrival-encounter

WHAT TO MAKE
A 120–220 word encounter in English. Include a title, a brief read-aloud
opening, one shared choice with two different outcomes, and a simple action
for each of two players. Use speech, paper or ordinary tokens; no purchases,
code, account linking or special equipment. Give both players something to
notice or decide. Keep the tone curious, warm and a little unexpected.
Humour is optional. Avoid a single correct answer disguised as a choice.

SUBMISSION TEMPLATE — REPLACE THE BRACKETS
Title: [your encounter]
Read aloud: [the boat arrives; what do the Voyagers notice?]
Player A: [one simple action]
Player B: [one simple action]
Decide together: [one question with two options]
If they choose A: [a short, playable consequence]
If they choose B: [a different, playable consequence]
Public credit name: [the name you want people to see]
Sources / AI help: [what you used, or none]
Check: [read both branches aloud; what did you adjust?]
Playtested with another person: [yes + one observation, or not yet]

HOW TO SUBMIT
Sign in on the community board, claim the open encounter task and paste your
finished text into Your contribution. The form has a 3,000-character limit.
You can add an optional public HTTPS link for a sketch, audio or longer draft.
There is no direct file-upload field. Keep a copy of your work. If another
Voyager has claimed the task, discuss your alternative in XO Harbor:
https://discord.gg/jdeq4aW77

OPTIONAL AI PROMPT — COPY THIS WITH THE STORY CONTEXT ABOVE
Help me create one original, playable encounter for two Voyagers just after
a boat reaches the pier in XO Harbor. First suggest three distinct premises
in one sentence each and ask which I want to develop. Then help me write a
120–220 word encounter using the submission template. Give each player a
simple action and one shared choice with two meaningfully different outcomes.
Preserve the supplied story context. Mark new lore as a proposal. Use spoken
interaction, paper or ordinary tokens; do not require new software, payment
or personal data. Keep it warm, curious and surprising. Do not imitate a
named artist or copy another game. End by asking me to read both branches
aloud, check that both players can act, and revise what feels unclear.
Do not claim we have playtested it unless I provide actual observations.

PRIVATE REPOSITORY, PUBLIC PARTICIPATION
This is a content contribution. It needs no private code or credentials.
For a future technical brief, start with an independent demo and sample data;
XO can provide a small starter or documented interface if needed. No general
repository access or automatic agent execution is provided by this board.

REVIEW AND CREDIT
XO or the assigned reviewer checks clarity, continuity and player agency.
You may be asked for a revision. Accepted work receives a public result and
credit. XO agrees reuse and credit with you before integrating creative work;
a game release is a separate testing and publishing step. The pilot is
voluntary and does not promise payment, a collectible or production rights.
Submit only work you can share and identify borrowed or AI-assisted material.
Your submission is private to you, XO and the assigned reviewer; your chosen
credit name and task status are public. A linked file is as public as the
sharing settings you choose for it. Do not include personal contact details.