The board
One shared board. Keep the whole page intact, including the PASS track along the bottom.
GAME DESIGN · ONGOING TABLETOP PILOT · P001.1
Bring XO to your table.
Make a paper copy of The First Passage. Gather 2–4 Voyagers and discover what happens when the gifts pass between real hands.
Download Nederlands ↓6 A4 pages · PDF · 11.8 MB · Dutch edition 01Includes two pages of larger-print rules.
Download English ↓4 A4 pages · PDF · 11.7 MB · Print repair 03
One game, two languages. Print on A4, portrait, at 100% / Actual Size. Both sets use the same 24 card codes.
A prototype for playtesting. Allow 45 minutes to play, plus printing and setup; the play time is still being tested.
A glimpse of the game in play.
01
One paper game. Choose your language.
You need an A4 printer, paper, scissors, a ruler, a pencil and 2–4 different pawns. Borrow pawns or small objects you already have. Opaque paper or plain backing helps keep face-down cards secret.
Print a card page first.
Print page 2 at 100% / Actual Size, with “Fit to page” switched off. A card should measure 44 × 78 mm. Check that everyone can read it before printing the rest. Print single-sided; this set has no card backs.
Voyagers & gifts
Cut along the guides: 4 Character cards and 8 Artifact cards. Keep the two groups separate.
Encounters & Worlds
Cut out 8 Encounter cards and 4 World cards. Keep these groups separate too.
Values & markers
24 Value tokens (8 Knowledge, 8 Trust, 8 Courage), 6 Passage markers and 4 standees. Preserve the Quick Rules. Cut out the separate paper feet, or use your own pawns.
You can play entirely offline. The printed QR contains the set’s identifier, not a web address. No account, wallet or scan is needed to play.
02
Meet at Beyond.
- Choose 2–4 players. Give everyone one Character and a distinct pawn. For this test, shuffle and deal Characters and choose a random first player; record these setup choices on your sheet.
- Prepare the cards. Shuffle Artifacts and Encounters separately. Deal one Artifact to each player. Start with no Value tokens. Put one randomly selected World face-down beside the board; set the other Worlds aside without looking.
- Set the markers. Put every pawn at Beyond. Mark Beyond as visited and put another marker on PASS 0. Keep three markers for the other Beacons and one spare.
- Keep incoming gifts separate. A finder may read a CARRY Artifact but cannot use it. Keep it sideways as a reminder. Pass it face-down when required; its recipient opens it at the start of their next turn.
Keep the turn sequence beside the board
Use the printed cards and Quick Rules for the game. This guide helps you get started; write down anything the prototype leaves unclear.
- Receive. Open and resolve incoming cards at the start of your turn, then reduce your Artifacts to two if needed.
- MOVE. Move 1 or 2 adjacent spaces in one direction, unless a card changes your move.
- DISCOVER. At your final space, E draws an Encounter and A draws an Artifact. At Harbor, choose one Harbor action instead.
- CHOOSE → ACT. Read choices aloud, pay their full cost and resolve their effects. An eligible player at Harbor may attempt Passage during ACT.
- PASS. Pass a finder-held CARRY face-down to the next player clockwise; otherwise you may pass one Artifact. The recipient opens it on their next turn.
Keep at most 2 of each Value and 2 Artifacts after PASS. Only required, printed PASS/CARRY deliveries advance the PASS track, once per delivery. Optional gifts and Harbor exchanges do not.
Mark an unvisited Beacon when a player ends there. Reveal the World on the first arrival at Harbor. If a card or timing is unclear, record your question and the temporary interpretation your group uses.
At Harbor, choose one action instead of DISCOVER: EXCHANGE with a willing player there; GIFT one Value or non-CARRY Artifact to someone there and gain 1 Trust; or RESTORE any 2 Values into 1 different Value.
03
Help the next table find its way.
Play one real session with 2–4 players. Set a 45-minute timer after setup and note whether Passage opens or you stop with an unfinished game. Both are useful results.
- Observe the firsts. Record the first meaningful choice, first PASS, first Harbor arrival and the World you reveal.
- Catch one uncertain moment. Write down the card name or ID, positions, what was unclear and the temporary rule your table agreed. Keep that interpretation consistent during this session.
- Leave a useful handover. Share the outcome, final positions and Values, one improvement, and whether each player would play again. A clear all-clear report is welcome too.
Use Player A–D in your notes. A board-only photo is optional. Leave faces, private contact details and account information out of the report.
Questions worth watching during play
Does passing a Beacon differ from stopping on it? Is a card referring to a Beacon or its surrounding zone? What does “different” mean when RESTORE spends two different Values? When does a PASS count: on sending or opening?
Cards such as Shared Compass, Unsent Message, Map of Beyond and Lighthouse Lens may raise questions about timing or consent. Record the exact situation and your group’s temporary choice; you do not have to resolve every design question in one session.
The playtest sheet is a separate, two-page A4 PDF in English. Print it or use its questions in your own notes.
Claiming and submitting use the community sign-in. A different reviewer checks the report before it is completed. Downloading the set does not mark a playtest as done.
The first passage — and what comes next.
You are playing the first passage. Together, we shape what comes next.
With XO GAME — The First Passage, you play a paper prototype of a larger adventure. You explore, meet others, make choices and collect Knowledge, Trust and Courage. Artifacts travel from player to player; World Conditions give each session direction.
The board connects four areas, each with its own character:
- Beyond: the starting point, where curiosity sets you on your way.
- The Wilds: the unknown, where discovery and courage come first.
- The Foundry: where ideas take shape and solutions emerge.
- Harbor: a place to return, exchange and begin another passage.
Our ambition is to grow this into a series of connected worlds, each with its own stories, encounters and dilemmas. One journey might involve connecting beacons, another passing something on or helping everyone arrive. The current World Conditions are the first building blocks for that variety.
We want to develop and test new adventures step by step, with familiar Voyagers and artifacts that gain meaning within the stories. Over time, we want to explore how physical objects and encounters beyond the board could become part of these journeys. It starts with a tabletop game you want to return to.
As a Keeper, you help shape that next step. Play the current prototype and share afterwards:
- A moment that was fun, exciting or surprising.
- A rule, symbol or situation that needs to be clearer.
- Whether you want to play again, and what you would like to discover on your next journey.
A question about a beacon or a card is already useful feedback. You help make the next version clearer and more enjoyable — and help us discover which adventures players want to experience next.
21XO · STANDALONE CREATIVE PLAYTEST · 0.1
Make something worth passing on.
Two players, 21 cards and four colors. Make a world poster, a story meme or a 21-second scene together. Take turns as Maker and Seeker and open the passage through your contributions.
This is a standalone playtest alongside The First Passage. It does not use the P001.1 board or cards. Estimated play time: 25–35 minutes, still to be tested with players.
△ Courage□ Knowledge✓ Trust◎ XO
- Choose your project. Play four rounds: Courage → Knowledge → Trust → XO. Draw two cards per color and choose one together.
- Complete the action and rule, then check ‘Done when’ together. Earn one token per color; improve your work or choose another card if needed.
- Four colors, both contributions, four card codes and one saved result open the passage. Earn one shared spark and keep the campaign sheet.
21XO · Nederlands ↓5 A4 pages · PDF · about 75 kB
21XO · English ↓5 A4 pages · PDF · about 75 kB
Both sets: the same 21 card codes, four passage tokens and one campaign sheet. Print single-sided on A4 at 100% / Actual Size. Cards: 63 × 88 mm. Check the 50 mm line on page 1.
Freely printable and fully playable offline. Sparks track game progress, not money. Decide separately whether to publish your result. A possible collectible edition of at most 21 per design is a separate future plan.
