Stepping Into the Magic of Yazeba’s Bed & Breakfast

Sep 5, 2024 | Stories | 2 comments

Enter a mysterious, cozy realm where it is always September 15th indoors and all are welcome at Yazeba’s Bed & Breakfast.

My foray into solo tabletop RPGs has often taken unusual paths, like choosing books not even designed for solo! Yet I was absolutely intrigued by Yazeba’s Bed & Breakfast, an enormous tome that introduced all sorts of new ideas. Stickers? Locked content? Chapters played out of order and whenever? Guests who might leave? And the coziest setting!

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)

This is something special. The house starts with 6 residents and 8 guests, all of whom may play a role in the chapters. Stickers and tracks slowly unlock more content, opening up new stories and people to welcome into the inn. But it is all about lovely, magical slice-of-life tales.

Stepping Into a Charming and Magical RPG World with Yazeba's Bed & Breakfast

Into Another World

There is no telling how huge this book is from this photo, yet it consists of nearly 500 pages. It is huge, but in a way that reminds me of childhood and wielding a new book.

And this is a setting that is all about making it whatever you like… This is a connected story of character journeys.

No one is perfect, and whoopsies are the imperfections each resident or guest tries to hide. Yet these are also the features that make them so unique and lovable!

The actual rules take up around 30 pages, and the rest is all about exploring and unlocking anything in any order.

A Delightfully Expansive and Huge Book of Mysteries and Locked Content with Yazeba's Bed & Breakfast

The Rules of the Inn

That’s right: This isn’t all about doing anything you want to! Except… It is. Ha ha! The sign that adorns the inn prohibits certain things, but these really aren’t enforced.

Most important of all is the smaller statement underneath this sign. Everyone is welcome here, and there is always room… Even if it’s a temporary space on top of the dryer!

To call this charming, delightful, cozy, or heartwarming still doesn’t capture the feelings it brings out.

And although I would have to play multiple characters, it felt like the perfect kind of solo RPG experience I wanted.

The Very Strict Rules of the Inn Where There is Room for Everyone at Yazeba's Bed & Breakfast

Trinkets & Tchotchkes

The book itself is wonderful, but I opted for the box set to pick up extra stuff and a ledger. Inside this box are stickers, coins, acrylic gems, playing cards, and more.

I particularly loved the ledger: It has perforated pages to remove each character sheet, along with worksheets for any chapters that need something to be tracked.

It’s designed to be marked up, stickered, partially destroyed, and otherwise customized over time. So cool!

And I can’t explain the level of excitement I had as I went through all of this stuff. This felt like it was made for me!

Adding Stickers and Investing in the Trinkets and Tchotchkes Found in Yazeba's Bed & Breakfast

Creating a Play Area

There are a bunch of early chapters that begin unlocked. This might be described as a campaign of sorts, but there is no particular order or timeline to follow. Anything goes!

So I began with the first chapter in the book, which happened to be chapter 5 about being stuck inside on a rainy day… And someone is about to literally explode.

I brought out some solo tools and set aside a notebook to take notes so I wouldn’t feel like I was writing a story.

Yet a funny thing happened that I’ll get into in a moment. My play area remained almost untouched, exactly like so…

Collecting Everything Needed to Play Through a Chapter of Yazeba's Bed & Breakfast

Casting the Roles

It seemed like a missed opportunity to leave out my Calico Critters, especially with my buildings that might represent the inn at different times! And so I cast all the characters.

There were reasons behind all of these decisions, and I was delighted at the arrival of these friendly animals!

Chapters involve different residents and guests, and some are better suited to smaller or larger groups. I had a total of 6 characters to juggle here… And I was a bit hesitant.

This is also why I had dice and cards to drive the story along and make sure I didn’t favor one character.

Selecting Calico Critters to Represent the Residents and Guests of Yazeba's Bed & Breakfast

Mysteries and Cozies

In adjacent news, my Calico Critters village is in the process of being set up. Which now gives me access to all sorts of buildings and furniture that are perfect for an inn!

Gertrude, one of the main residents, felt the most like this red panda, whose face reminded me of her mask.

There is a way to create characters, but the main stories are about bringing these residents and guests to life.

With a group, they travel around to be played by different players. And at the core of this RPG is the idea of having conversations. I was about to do just that… Literally.

A Wonderfully Cozy and Charming Spot to Roleplay with Yazeba's Bed & Breakfast

Another Rainy Day

Toss the dice and cards: I didn’t randomize anything, nor use a solo oracle. Ignore the Calico Critters, hard as that may be: I based my play purely on the character artwork.

I sat by myself for a little over an hour and narrated a story out loud, interspersing my narration with voices.

And I can’t describe exactly how it went, except to say that I took no notes and only marked off circles on this sheet.

This went against everything I’ve taught myself about solo RPGs, and it was perfectly magical! I imagined all sorts of activities, and every character came alive.

Telling the Story of Another Rainy Day and Signing the Guestbook for Yazeba's Bed & Breakfast

How Do You Remember Without Notes?

Playing solo RPGs, one of the main elements I’ve always taken for granted is the need to record a lot of the details. I’m the only one who’s following these stories, so I have to make sure I remember everything! But… What if I don’t? Not every session is going to be memorable, and that goes for roleplaying in general. There aren’t always big moments.

I recorded a few lines on the backs of character sheets and the chapter, but that was it. I’m sure some of the details have already faded away. At the same time, I have strong convictions about how to play some of these characters next. And I wove in a few mysterious threads that aren’t anywhere in the written text. Maybe I’ll explore them, and maybe not.

Want a rundown of some of the highlights of this session? I have my very short notes, but I also have some strong images in my imagination about some of the coolest parts of the chapter! Of particular note:

  •  Dryer Shenanigans: We began with a contest to ride the dryer like a horse, even though it’s Gertrude’s bed.
  • (Water) Slide Down the Stairs: Everyone started to slide down the stairs, and Viv used her hair to add water.
  • Stick Jumping: Amelie learned how to stand up for herself when her broom was broken during a jumping game.
  • Bowling Disaster: A simple game of hallway bowling broke a Neutron Gal figure, and Hey Kid melted down.
  • Forbidden Knowledge: On a scavenger hunt, Viv found a mysterious book abandoned by Lady Sheridan du Sang.
  • Crab-Walking Error: A transformed rat could crab walk, but Amelie laid on the ground unable to compute it.
  • Double Decker Pillow Fort: There was a pretty awesome pillow fort that took shape, capped off by a replica wig.
  • Don’t Touch the Floor!: When the pillow fort collapsed, it was time to escape from the dangerous lava floor.
  • Separated for Now: The house itself separated everyone so only Gertrude and Hey Kid ended up together.
  • Every Day Should Be Rainy: Hey Kid turned into a terrifying demon for a second, but declared the day a success.

I can still picture some of these scenes in detail, and remember the voices I adopted for each character. Could this get any better?! Yes: With each chapter and all of the other possible characters! These are over 50 total possible characters, some of who might never take a starring role, but I don’t know who might next be welcomed by the house. So much fun!

Sticker Mememtos

A big part of this RPG revolves around unlocking content by earning stickers to place wherever. There are many spots just waiting to be filled in with memories!

My only slight gripe with the ledger is that a lot of the pages are in greyscale, so I can’t really color these in. Characters, on the other hand, have perfect lined art.

No problem, though! The stickers will simply stand out even more. I haven’t used any in awhile, and this was fun!

There are so many different aspects of this setting and system, and I feel like I’ve barely stepped foot inside.

Recording the Memories of the Residents and Guests from Yazeba's Bed & Breakfast

Filling Up Tracks

Tracks are located all over the place to fill up. This typically happens when a character takes part in a chapter, thereby giving a part of themself to the overall story.

This character’s journey is one of the shorter ones, as some of the guests are designed to be short-term visitors.

And yet… I know that filling up this track won’t result in this character leaving. She played a surprisingly pivotal role in the first chapter and feels like a main character.

Who knows how the next chapter will unfold? I feel like I’m in a perfectly cozy world, and can’t wait to play again!

Filling in Tracks for the Life Journeys of Those Staying at Yazeba's Bed & Breakfast

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Continue the Conversation

What do you think of Yazeba’s Bed & Breakfast? Have you ever had something akin to a magical experience when everything feels like it was made for you? I know I’m rambling and going on tangents here, yet I am absolutely in love with this RPG. It broke a lot of assumptions I have about roleplaying, and there is so much more to unlock and discover!

2 Comments

  1. Must. NOT. Succumb.
    I haven’t even touched Apothecaria or Fox Curios’ Floating Bookshop yet!
    And yet… a B&B, cozy adventures… surprises and secrets in a big book…
    I’m always a bit overwhelmed with how I should keep track of my play sessions. I start thinking I will just write the most important stuff but then I feel it’s more boardgame than storytelling so I end up writing long descriptions… and then I lose steam and stamina and the campaign end up unfinished with regrets. That’s a scheme I’d love to overcome somehow and some day.

    Reply
    • It’s hard to resist the coziness! You’ve got some excellent options already, though, and those are both solo RPGs I need to get back to. Writing down too much is always a pitfall for me, so this whole verbal narrative is quite interesting. Definitely not the best method for a lot of solo players, yet I’m finding that I can actually play without pausing to write down a whole paragraph of what a fireplace looks like. Ha! Good luck finding a method that works best for you!

      Reply

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