This week’s devlog is all about Shattered Waters: a solo journaling fishing tabletop roleplaying game powered by a hacked version of Carta. Set in a world fractured by a cataclysmic event known as The Great Sundering, this game combines roguelike exploration, storytelling, and resource management into a deeply immersive experience.

⚠️ Please note: all details shared in this development log are part of an ongoing work-in-progress and are subject to change before the official release.

The Core Loop

At the heart of Shattered Waters lies its core gameplay loop: a structure that not only drives the game forward but also brings it to life. Each loop reveals a wealth of information: biome, location, weather, your current Fatigue status, potential new catches, and even elusive clues about the Legendary Godfish.

1. Prepare

• Reset your Fatigue (add +1 if you rested overnight)

• Adjust for any fish spoilage

• Check your gear and inventory

2. Explore

• Note the time of day: Morning, Afternoon, or Night

• Flip over an adjacent card on the game grid

• Move to that card (-1 Fatigue)

• Adjust the weather (red card = better; black card = worse)

• Resolve prompts, if the card has any

• Fish: Roll a d100, apply modifiers, and compare your result on the correct fishing table

3. Rest or Push On

• Rest (at night): Sleep until Morning, regain +1 Fatigue

• Push On: Continue exploring and fishing, risking exhaustion

4. Return to Anchorage

• Sell your catch

• Repair or purchase gear

• Rest (fully restore your Fatigue)

• Reshuffle the map and draw a new game grid

To cap off each day, players write an entry in their Fishing Log. This log can be a brief note or a rich, narrative vignette. It’s up to you. It’s a perfect space to reflect, strategize, or build the emotional arc of your fisher’s journey.

Roguelike Mechanics

Every return to Anchorage comes with a cost. Each time you head back to town, the entire map reshuffles itself: a side effect of The Great Sundering. The world shifts beneath your feet, keeping every expedition into the wild unpredictable and fresh.

I'm also working on a penalty system for when your Fatigue hits zero while out in the wild. It might be an injury, lost gear, or a forced retreat, but pushing your limits will carry consequences.

Custom Suits for a Unique Carta Experience

To truly make Shattered Waters feel distinct, I’ve reimagined Carta’s traditional suits with themes that reflect the fractured and surreal world left behind by The Great Sundering:

• Spades – The Wild, the Harsh, the Unforgiving
  Weather, survival, danger, lost gear, difficult choices

• Clubs – The Strange, the Clever, the Twisted
  Puzzles, illusions, traps, magical oddities, clever beasts

• Hearts – The Emotional, the Personal, the Spiritual
  Dreams, memory, empathy, inner conflict, and personal revelations

• Diamonds – The Lucky, the Rare, the Risky
  Gambling, rare finds, fate, temptation, high-stakes decisions

Each suit now carries both mechanical impact and narrative depth, helping to generate stories that feel grounded in the mystery and magic of this broken world.

Weather That Matters

A major innovation in Shattered Waters is its dynamic Weather System. At the start of each expedition, the weather is fair. As players flip over cards while exploring, the weather evolves:

• Red card → Improves weather by one step

• Black card → Worsens weather by one step

The current weather state impacts gameplay in various ways. Some conditions boost fishing rolls, while others limit fishing entirely or unlock foraging opportunities. Right now, the weather system features a 7-step track ranging from Sunny and Hot to Tempest.

Some grid cards can only be accessed (or fished on) under specific weather conditions, giving the system real mechanical and narrative weight. More mechanics tied to weather are in the works, and I can’t wait to share them soon.

What Didn’t Make the Cut (Yet)

There's so much rich material in my brainstorming documents that I’ve had to make some tough choices. A few features have been cut from the core release, but that doesn’t mean they’re gone for good.

These will be reworked and released as supplements, allowing players to continue their adventures and revisit Anchorage for new experiences.

Here’s a sneak peek:

• Sea Fishing: Venture onto boats and brave the open waters

• Sky Fishing: Embrace the fantastical and fish among floating isles and celestial creatures
  

The base game will focus entirely on land-based fishing, but future expansions will take you further and higher into the unknown realms of the shattered world.

Until Next Time...

Shattered Waters continues to grow into something that feels both intimate and expansive: a quiet meditation on survival, wonder, and the allure of the unknown, framed in a beautifully broken world.

Thanks for reading this week’s development log. Stay tuned for more updates as we inch closer to release.