Once Upon

Once Upon is a narrative RPG that progresses while you work. Choose a module, create a character, set a task from your real life and start a 25-minute Pomodoro timer. While you focus, the AI writes the next chapter; when the timer ends, you read what happened, make decisions using cards or enter free-form actions, then begin another session. Each session provides a new chapter, 3–6 decision cards and an action box, while the AI handles NPCs, events, resources and dice rolls. You steer events rather than micromanaging them. You can also turn off the timer in Settings → Debug Mode and generate sessions on demand.

The two modules

At launch, Once Upon includes two modules:

• The Wanderer's Table: Travel across a continent with a food cart, a stubborn pony and your grandmother's half-finished cookbook. Visit five great cities and explore five cuisines in a fantasy cooking journey with no combat; the weapon is a pot, and the magic is in the kitchen. The story runs for about 70–90 sessions.
• Outpost Kaleo: Investigate a sci-fi survival mystery in which 31 colonists are missing and no distress signal was sent. You have five crew members, a damaged base and the question of what happened. The module features tiered lore revelations, psychological horror and multiple endings, and lasts up to 31 sessions.

Create a module

Once Upon also provides an engine for building modules. A module's world, crew, rules, AI personality, events, music and theme are stored in a folder of JSON files and art; replacing the folder changes the game. The engine automatically discovers DLC folders added to modules/, and a Module Author Guide is included.