Yazeba’s Bed & Breakfast: A Day of Fishin’ and Wishin’
Explore a magical, quirky realm where everyone is welcome in the cozy, colorful adventures of Yazeba’s Bed & Breakfast.
There has been a single thing that’s been on my mind for weeks… And that is Yazeba’s Bed & Breakfast. This tabletop RPG is not at all designed to be played solo, and I’ve approached it in a way that throws out a lot of the core elements of roleplaying. To say it’s unusual is an understatement… And I love it! Luckily, I finally found time for another chapter!
Game Overview
Game Name: Yazeba’s Bed & Breakfast
Publication Year: 2023
Designers: M. Acosta, J. Dragon, L.J. Harris, & M. Veselak
Artists: Many (12 Credited)
Publisher: Possum Creek Games
Solo Mode: None (Solo RPG Oracle Required)
In a place where there is always room for everyone, little snippets of life take characters on journeys through many chapters. Locked content offers some goals to work towards, yet this is all about the interconnected stories of imperfect characters and their charming adventures.
Setting a Place for All
One of the most unusual aspects of this one for me is the fact that I take very few notes… My sessions are narrated out loud and in my imagination for a unique experience.
Could I keep a solo RPG journal? Definitely! Yet this is a conscious choice to keep me focused on storytelling.
I chose another relaxed chapter, which seemed like a nice outing for 4 characters to head out in search of fish.
Voila! This might look like a lot, but a fair amount of this is there for some thematic coziness. The character sheets are the main focus with all the details I might need.
A Thick Tome of Fun
This chapter called for scraps of paper to be created and added to a central draw pile, but I saw an opportunity to bring in something I rarely use… The Badger Deck!
Take a moment to admire the sheer volume of this book. This is a standard sized playing card to show what roughly 500 pages looks like. So much content!
A deck of playing cards is included in the box set, but I needed cards numbered 0-4 in a few suits. Success!
I’ll also note that most of these pages are devoted to playable chapters, locked content, and personality.
Diving Into Chapter 21
Chapters are like little scenarios with mini-games of some kind, and they can be enjoyed in any order. At the moment, I’ve played chapter 5, followed by chapter 21.
So there is no wrong way to go about this adventure! I felt drawn to this fishing excursion partially because I wanted to explore new characters, and because it was relaxed.
A nice tag system classifies each chapter to make it easy to pick out the right option that matches the current mood.
With around 50 total characters who might be unlocked, playing the same chapter again is always another option!
A Shiny Day at the Lake
Pretty! These gems are included in the box set. I think I was supposed to use proper coin tokens… But this felt like the right thing! I even colored in the chapter letters.
Parish and Sal were the main residents. One is a frog who was likely a knight at another time, and the other is a former magical apprentice who wants to be a rock star.
Also along for the journey were Viv and Yola Oleander. They may have been guests, yet they were very important!
I liked the setup and initial prompts to consider how each character thought of fishing: Sport or pastime? Clever!
Remembering the Important Fishin’ Moments
Is it a mistake not to take notes? I don’t know. But I’m enjoying the process of narrating my stories, keeping the action moving, and still being surprised by what my imagination comes up with. And there are stickers to remember these journeys! The most important notes are still recorded on character sheets, but these are the bigger moments:
- Parish’s Blunder: Overconfident, Parish immediately lost his fishing pole to a giant fish who dragged him under.
- Viv’s Assistance: As the Lady of the Lake, Viv decided to dive underwater to do her own form of fishing.
- Parish’s Other Blunder: Eager to land an early morning catch, Parish borrowed his old pole and caught… Viv!
- Yola’s Prickliness: Yola was rather rude and filled with terrible gossip, which put everyone in a bad mood.
- Parish’s Lessons: After catching a fantastic rainbow trout, Parish started to teach Viv the finer points of the sport.
- Viv’s Discovery: With a bit of luck, Viv reeled in a strange, magical fish that made her question her own origins.
- Sal’s Laziness: All morning, Sal strummed his guitar and got caught up in himself, not really participating at all.
- Yola’s Stubbornness: Yola stretched out her roots under a willow tree and refused to join in the fishing fun.
- Parish’s Apology: Parish treated Yola a little too patronizingly, and finally mustered the courage to apologize.
- Viv’s Lessons: With Parish busy with Yola, Viv managed to share some of the lessons with Sal so he could fish.
- Yola’s Joy: Finally on the same page, Yola reeled in a little something for dinner and made friends with Viv.
- Sal’s New Instrument: Sal reeled in a tiny fish with a shell that he took to play as a new musical instrument.
- Yola’s Young Heart: On the way back, Yola couldn’t take the heat and swam in the lake like a young shrubbery.
That was it! Well, there were plenty of little conversations and other things going on as I pictured how everyone interacted. Whoopsies happened a lot, which was why there were a few awkward moments. But it was nice to lean into these issues and see how the characters interacted. I loved coming up with the whole storyline as I went along!
Another nice thing is how not every character needs to have a central role. Sal was a little more reserved and didn’t take his place in the spotlight, yet he was certainly a part of this chapter. That’s another positive… There isn’t a requirement to give equal time to all of the residents and guests. Some may be central, and others might never be played.
Reeling in the Fish
Did I mention how much I enjoy this deck? I only needed a few cards and forgot how many suits and extra cards I have. This needs to make many more appearances!
Everyone managed to capture something meaningful. Even Yola’s 0-value card was worth it. Her journey ticks down until she becomes a dormant part of the garden.
In a way, this was a chapter about rejecting aging and not acting her age… Her track didn’t accumulate any marks.
This ledger is also fantastic! I love being able to tuck the character sheets inside and having everything in a book.
Timeline to Sundown
Marking tracks is a main element, related to advancing chapters and moving forward on character journeys.
Yeah for colored pencils! I marked this in a sunset color scheme. When everyone caught a fish, the rest of the track was colored in, yet I was well over halfway done.
Bingos represent strengths, but they often happen after a character explores their weaknesses. Whoopsies, indeed!
So even if I wanted this to be perfect, there were rough edges everyone brought to the chapter. And in the end, those were the features that made it really stand out.
This Old Boot
A sticker! This fishing excursion provided an old boot to add anywhere. It seemed very fitting to include it in the pantry, where Parish might be reminded of this day.
Actually, Parish better watch out… He promised to teach Viv how to fish early any morning, yet he’s not as spry as he once was. Just another little storyline to explore!
I am loving this experience so much. I look at the box set all the time and think of the lovely adventures to come.
There is nothing usual or standard about this one, and it isn’t trying to be anything spectacular. And yet, it is!
Continue the Conversation
What do you think of Yazeba’s Bed & Breakfast? Have you played any cozy tabeltop RPGs recently that have surprised you? I don’t believe this is going to be the right choice for everyone, yet I’ve found something I love! That’s always a cause for celebration. Can’t wait to keep playing through the chapters and learning more about these lovely characters!
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