PICO Core Book (digital)

Let me tell you a story.

There was a night, many, many years ago, when everything ended. Bugs aren’t that great at writing things down, so nobody really thought to record the particulars of the event, but the effects were lasting; no more pesticides, no more deforestation, no more fish hooks or bait boxes or flypaper. Pets ran free from newly-quiet houses, and roach motels showed nothing but vacancies.

There’s probably a lesson to be learned somewhere there. Something about the fleeting fragility of existence, a treatise on impermanence, and what we might leave behind.

But, as stated, bugs aren’t that great at writing things down. They’re even worse at existential musing, as a rule.

So the biggest change that most bugs noticed that night was that it suddenly got a lot quieter, especially near those black stone ribbons they’d learned not to cross, and the immense above-ground warrens full of beeping machines and smells so succulent they were almost impossible to resist.

The world hadn’t suddenly become safe - there were still stoats to contend with, and lizards, and snappy little plants. A bug might still meet their end on the beak of a bird, or (if they were particularly unlucky in the lottery of life) under the playful claws of a feline deity. But it had become safer, and though bugs may not be great at recording history, they’re pretty damn good at making the best of whatever situation they find themselves in.

So bugs, on the whole, flourished. And the world opened up to them in return.

PICO is a new Wild Words game from me - Felix Isaacs. You're on my itch page, so there's a good chance you know who I am, at least vaguely. It uses the same basic engine as the Wildsea, but in a far cuter way - to let you create tiny bugs and go on big adventures with them, possibly while riding a cat. 

And it's finally finished!

This version of PICO is the real deal, the full 360ish page core PDF - it contains everything you need to play the game - the core rules, a full chapter of hazards to face, multiple pre-made locations to explore, and two whole chapters of options dedicated to letting you create your very own unique bug to play as. You should also find a basic set of character and roaming sheets (in pdf and png form) attached!

And from all of us who made this game, thank you - we hope you enjoy playing it as much as we enjoyed creating it. 

Join the Wild Words Discord server HERE 

Quick Credits

Words - Felix Isaacs (support me at patreon.com/felixisaacs if it takes your fancy)

Art - zkarab