Courier
Welcome to the Wasteland
Courier is a solo-RPG where you take control of a Courier—someone who travels the Wasteland delivering and trading cargo in exchange for REP, the currency of this post-apocalyptic future. As you explore the world around you, locations and factions are revealed and recorded on your map. Choose to take jobs for factions and build reputation to access new benefits all while becoming better at your job and earning new character perks.
You will continue to take on quests delivering, recovering, or scouting the map for one of the many factions populating the Wasteland. Every choice you make as a Courier will reflect how these factions view you and open new opportunities and bonuses as your standing increases, or decreases through a fame and infamy system. Choices will have you siding with a few select factions by the end of your game and seeing the world change for it.
Factions are not the only interactions. Companions can be found at many locations in the world and will adventure with you into the Wasteland. All companions are randomly generated by you and can grow into someone unique, using the perks system provided. These bonuses will help keep you safe and moving forward towards your ultimate goal, becoming a Legendary Wasteland Courier.
You will equip protective equipment, cargo rigs, exploration tools, and weapons, if you hope to stand a chance at surviving everything the Wasteland has to throw at you. All of your equipment can be upgraded over time to suit your needs and provide better bonuses. Unique and rare trinkets can be found in your travels, gaining even more passive boosts to your character.
This is just the start of what Courier has to offer, so jump into your journey as a new Courier in the Wasteland!
Reviews for COURIER:
SPAGOOLI DUDE
This is genuinely one of the most entertaining and enveloping Solo Rpgs I've played.
King Croaker
I bought the print copy a few months ago and forgot to review it. It is a wonderful game that has been beautifully put together, a must-have if you are into Solo Games!
frymynoodles
Oh, this was endlessly fun. I loved filling out the map and working with companions. Even getting my ass kicked in encounters was fun. I did eventually end up with a pretty good set up where I was sort of able to farm artefacts, so I think I'll start a new map sometime.
archillean
I've only had Courier for less than 24 hours, and I'm already in love with the system <3 It's intuitive, quick-to-learn, and so much fun to get swept away with.
Courier has been featured on/in:
Tabletop Gaming Magazine
Dicebreaker.com
Playlist for Courier
Interested in Courier but not the price? A permanent 50% off coupon is available for those who need it: https://sleepysasquatch.itch.io/pebx98s7rw
Courier © 2021 by Sleepy Sasquatch Games is licensed under CC BY 4.0 Created and Published By Sleepy Sasquatch Games
Purchase
In order to download this TTRPG you must purchase it at or above the minimum price of $6.49 USD. You will get access to the following files:
Development log
- 2024 Layout54 days ago
- Modularity for Adventure77 days ago
- Wild, Wild, Wasteland89 days ago
- Combat in the Wasteland97 days ago
- Contracts and Building Your CompanyJan 07, 2024
- Factions, Tensions, and The WastelandDec 28, 2023
- Courier - Repacked AnnouncementDec 18, 2023
- Print on Demand AvailableFeb 08, 2023
Comments
Log in with itch.io to leave a comment.
Hey there! I have a question, if we've purchased the old version of Courier, will we have to repurchase the Courier - Repacked version?
I will be providing a discount code for everyone who owns a copy of Courier via itch but not for the Kickstarter campaign. Itch io owners can expect a good discount closer to the release date of August 2024.
"WHO SHOT ME!?" *Proceeds to become a Wasteland Legend*
Seems like a cool game :D
(will play it when i get money)
Playing the game for the first time and having an absolute BLAST. This is exactly the kind of solo RPG I was hoping to find and its given me so many cool fictional ideas already.
Quick rules question - I have the Friendship Band trinket that says "+1 influence when influence is gained with a companion". However I don't see anywhere to track "influence" - the only other place I see it referenced is in the text for a quest reward on page 29. However on the actual quest rewards I see "+ Fame". Is this another term for Influence? They seem to match up.
Hi Ryan,
I'm happy to hear that you are enjoying Courier.
Great question. This is an incorrect rule and should be the following:
Friendship Band - +1 Fame or Infamy when Fame or Infamy is gained for your current companion's Faction.
Influence was a system I had planned where you could increase the bond between you and your companions. This would open new perks and abilities to choose from but was changed at the last minute to just be XP gains that coordinate with the player character's XP gains.
Thank you! That makes sense.
How would you feel about a player-made online, mobile-friendly character sheet & die-roller? And maybe a bit of a noob-card for the basic game loop, page references, etc.
(I haven’t made anything yet. KS backer, I finally started reading it tonight and started thinking about streamlining the record keeping)
(I also thought about map-handling, partly because I forgot to print a map sheet, but that would be a much bigger lift; would be a separate question later)
I mostly ask because it would include the equipment/perk/etc. tables, kinda like Datasworn & Dataforged, and I wouldn’t presume to release something like that without your blessing or a CC license)
Hey Ed,
I wouldn't mind any of this. There are a few things you mentioned, like the reference page and online-rules, that have been on my to-do list for well over a year now.
The license is CC by 4.0 on everything except the art, so have at it. You can send me an email, sleepysasquatchgames at gmail dot com, to discuss further if you want. I can provide better access to rules and documents for you this way as well!
Hey Ed,
If you are still interested in this project give me a shout via email. You can find my contact info here: sleepysasquatchgames.ca
Thanks!
When starting, do you start with zero rep or some value?
Zero rep to start.
For those on the fence, this is a video playthrough/review I found recorded last year ( 2023)
Please considering purchasing as we have poorly dog to support, only ask/use community copies in if real financial need.Thank you for the support! That video was a real boon to the popularity of Courier back upon its release.
Hello! I was wondering if this game is kid-friendly? I’m looking for take-home writing activities for my struggling students for this year and don’t have the $ to purchase all the options to review. Thanks.
Hey! Courier is not as kid friendly as GLIDE. The themes in Courier are more post-apocalyptic and violence focused.
If you would like a copy of any of my games your students, please send me an email and I'll be happy to provide everything at no cost.
sleepysasquatchgames (@) gmail (.) com
Thank you! I would definitely love to try Glide and will send an email as soon as I finish this comment reply. :)
Just a very very short question:
This or Glide? :)
...and a bundle would be perfect!
I've created a bundle for you! Find it here: https://itch.io/s/99311/courier-and-glide-bundle
<3
Easily worth the price! For folks who prefer to print a folded zine, you can convert the file here: convert to booklet Also, remember to print the character sheet and hex map before staple it :)
Hey. I'm adding more bi-weekly moving forward. I'll look at the sales and reviews stats and add some now for the community.
Any chance you're going to add any more community copies? I'd be happy to rate it and add a review. It's cool if you're not.
Hope you have a nice day!
Hey,
I'll be looking at the purchases and reviews in another week. Please check back then for any added community copies.
No worries :)
I'll probably buy it when I get paid next if I have the spare funds
Game looks awesome
I bought a physical copy of this work via drivethru and I really love the layout.
For the game, it keeps me entertaint for many hours. But what I really appreciate is the hackability of it. It is very easy to change the game, difficulty, excitement to your liking by small bendings of the ruleset. For example if you stumbled upon the seventh deserted bunker surrounded by 36 tiles of wasteland. Just change some tiles into faction bases and take on some quests. WHO'S GONNA STOP ME?! :D
Awesome game is what it is with some great depth and space for story telling with the faction system and that stuff. Also the combat system is my favourite system ever because it is so fast and simple. Hit, miss, boom, over and out.
Thank you for the lovely review.
Glad you found the game easy to modify to your own liking. That was one of the core pillars to the rules. Finding the fun with the random, although sometimes it feels not-so random, generation is very important!
I hope to use a similar combat system in a future project but tighten up the rolls more. Encounter a large group is just too wild at the start of the game and turned a fair number of players off.
This is copied from my Rating of the game, pasted here for those debating on a purchase:
This is genuinely one of the most entertaining and enveloping Solo Rpgs I've played. The post-war wasteland setting is one that I already find intriguing, but what really draws me in is the system. Most solo rpgs I've experienced are mainly journaling games. While they have options for an "arcade" mode, those games still feel very empty without writing the story because the game mechanics aren't fleshed out enough to stand on their own.
Courier, however, is the very opposite and without the empty feeling. This game puts the mechanics first, creating a fun adventure with a very satisfying gameplay loop. It gives you a game to explore, allowing you to only worry about the numbers and system if that's what you want, while also giving those who want to also tell a deep story the details they need to flesh out their world.
I'm very fond of this game, and I am looking forward to playing this with some of my friends in the future. I got this for free thanks to Community copy offered by the creator but hear me when I say that if you want this game: purchase a copy. Support this creator. Their talent for game creation deserves it.
Fantastic work, Sleepy Sasquatch.
At the moment, I can't afford this yet, but when I can, I'm gonna swing back by because this looks amazing! I love the art style and the idea of being a simple lil courier guy in a wasteland is just the kind of niche roleplaying I crave.
Thanks for the support! If you would like to try a copy of the game I will add some more community copies to the available pool.
All the best,
- Cody
that would be awesome! And highly appreciated!
I've added some more. Enjoy!
Hiii! Hate to be that guy, but I've heard wonders about this game, but finances are tight at present... Any chance of Community Copies in the near future?
No problem! I'll add a few copies now.
Redeemed! Thankee kindly, friend!
First time playing the game, started on an edge of the map. Find a Faction Location, take the "Handle with care" quest. Next Hex has a Large Bandit Camp... roll a 9. Die on the second round of combat. Quest fails. Courier outpost is now stranded because all tiles are a radioactive wasteland of whatever was inside that package. Can't move anywhere, die of starvation.
Welcome to the Zone. 10/10 will play again
btw how does the Lake + 1d6 Rivers work? It says you recover 1HP while in that zone but is that modified by the rivers? Do the rivers flow over to adjacent tiles? Also do Anomaly hexes just stay there indefinitely and can you keep going into them to get artifacts?
Sometimes the game is like a perma-death run in Fallout, and I really love it for that.
The +1d6 rules for rivers would, as you could expect, provide the 1HP recovery as they are attached to the lake. Rivers would technically only be placed in adjacent tiles that had not already been revealed. This doesn't stop you from replacing tiles. I left the rules vague there for the player to make a decision that they feel is the best.
Anomalies stay indefinitely. I didn't provide rules for closing them as the risk and reward of going into them was fun to experience. If you feel like your luck is running too high, just place an X over the anomaly location to indicate that it is empty. Anomalies are just metaphysical oddities, so the infinite providing of artefacts is feasible in the world of Courier.
Hello! I’ve been looking into solo RPGs and this seems great. Is there any way to buy the physical version of the game or is it a digital only?
I understand Iff not, Thanks.
You can get a physical copy (print on demand) from DriveThruRPG here: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/373721/Courier
The physical copy also includes all digital items.
Thanks, can’t wait to get it.
Hello! Im terribly sorry to ask, but could you by chance do some more community copies? This game looks right up my alley, but im not exactly equipped to buy at the moment.
no worries if not, thank you
I'll add some more copies now for you!
Redeemed! Thank You so much!
That is so kind of you to do.
Hello! any opportunity for more community copies?
I'll add a couple more for you!
thank you!!!
You're welcome! Enjoy.
Hi! I just picked up a printed copy - with all the extras - from Floating Chair Club. Is there a way I can access the digital items like the map and character sheet? They didn't provide anything.
No problem! Send me an email, sleepysasquatchgames@gmail.com, and I'll provide a code to redeem.
Hi. I'm reading the book, and I find it interesting. I hope I'll have a chance to play it in the future.
In the meanwhile, I suggest you to gather all the interesting request for errata, clarifications etc. in the comments below, and turn them into a single (maybe living) errata/FAQs file to help everyone playing.
PS: while reading, I found this one, and I'm not sure if it's an error or not:
Thanks in advance 🧡
Thanks for the request! I've done an errata/FAQ for my other game, GLIDE, and should really do one for Courier. I will add that to my list and have one by the end of this month.
As for your question... This is actually an error. It should read 'connected'. Thanks for pointing this out!
Hope you get around to playing one day. I appreciate your support and feedback!
- Cody
Hi. Backed this and, though it took me a while to get to, now loving it. Quick question about the quest with the hauler (#2) how does moving 2 cells work if you're moving through unexplored territory? Do you skip a cell or explore both?
Glad to hear you are enjoying it so far!
When moving through multiple cells, you should explore both. If you get a combat on the first cell, and then another on the second, third, etc., skip the additional combats and re-draw the location until it's not a combat location. This was a gotcha moment in playtest, and often lead to players being defeated, which is not always fun.
Let me know if you have any other questions.
Thanks, I thought that would be an issue. But you do carry out multiple encounters or trades, etc if you draw them?
Yep! Carry out all the other encounters and re-draw any combat ones.
Thank you!
Hello, what font did you use to make the title on the front page ? I am printing this book and binding it into a hardcover, but I do need to make a little design for the side of the cover.
"Street Ruler"
There is a free version available for personal usage that you can find on multiple font websites.
Please send me a picture when you have it finished! I would love to see a hardcover copy.
Thanks !
Sure, I'll send you one, but it is going to take a little moment since I cannot print the book for now, I have to wait a few weeks. Or I have another solution but that one would take some time too x)
Anyways I'll let you know !
Here's what it looks like !
Which printing/publishing company did you use? I've got a couple games that I want to put into a hardcover book, but I feel like some companies would ding me for copyrighted material.
Feel free to print the document anyway you want. If the company has concerns, forward them to me at sleepysasquatchgames@gmail.com and I'll provide permission!
Hello, I have used Amazon KDP, it's kind of a pain but really cheap
Have you printed any other books through Amazon? I was wondering if they cared much about copyrighted materials. Also about how much did you pay for your copy of Courier?
And the inside of the hardcover book ! I'm hyped up to play it now :D
Looks really nice! Makes me want to do a hardcover project in the future...
Enjoying a physical copy I picked up at Four Rogues! :) I had one question from a problem I've come across: Some quests require deliveries to locations 10+ cells away, but the main hexmap doesn't allow for distances that far if you start your delivery near the center of the map. Is the thought to lay down another map to increase the explore distance required, or have I just misinterpreted something? Any guidance appreciated! :D
Great question. 10+ cells is really too far from the center, if counting directly from the center. The idea was counting steps from the location you take the quest, so moving 1 hex was 1 cell, 2 hexes would be 2, and so on. Once you reached 10, you could place the new location, or deliver the quest. Sorry that it wasn't very clear!
I will provide an additional maps in the downloads for more options and a larger overall play area.
Thank-you! That explanation clears it up - and thank-you for uploading additional hexmaps, they should be especially useful for increased player counts! I'll try it out again with a bigger one. :D
Something I noticed while playing last night is that if you get your DMG RES high enough, you can essentially become invincible once you get the number of combatants low enough (they simply can't do enough damage to hurt you). I'm going to try a simple hack on DMG RES, where instead of automatically blocking the hits, you roll a D6 for each blockable damage, on a 2+, the hit is blocked (on a 1 you still take damage).
Example: Raiders roll 6 D6, 5 are odd. My DMG RES is 3. I automatically take 2 hits, then roll 3 D6 for the remainder as I have 3 DMG RES. I roll a 1, 4, and 3. I take 1 additional DMG and block the other 2.
My thought for when you take less hits than your total DMG RES, you would only roll as many "DMG RES checks" as hits they have against you.
Example: Raiders roll 3 D6, 2 are odd. My DMG RES is 3. I roll 2 D6 (to attempt to block the 2 hits), I roll a 1 and a 5. I take 1 DMG.
This of course will balance the game more against the player, but I felt it might be a fun hack to keep the challenge up, and keep you cursing the dice, even after you've whittled the enemies down to a point they normally can no longer damage you. 😁
Great idea! The core design was to create a power fantasy, after a while, for the player essentially making some encounters a complete mess for the NPCs. It felt a nice balance with the beginning of the game where you feel endangered by many encounters.
Your house rule makes sense and seems great if you don't mind rolling more dice!
I can definitely appreciate the design choice to start small and build up to a near-invulnerable state, very much parallels fallout progression.
Looking forward to digging into this a bit more. Best of luck finishing up Glide! I look forward to one day seeing it on my table. 😀
Courier is a love letter to Fallout New Vegas and Death Stranding. Pretty fun Wacky post apocalytc Hex crawl that is not too complicated and great for house rules (turning it to a full RPG) and a short play sessions!
Thanks for sharing, Melv!
I enjoyed your video a lot. You mentioned it was a "perfect starting point for solo role-playing games", which is interesting to hear. I put a lot of different systems into play with Courier, and honestly though it might be overwhelming for newcomers. I'm a big appreciator of "roll-and-write" games that provide you a world to explore beyond just the title it belonged to, and tried to emulate that feeling in Courier's design. Glad you saw the potential there!
The faction system was a bit of a letdown for myself as I really wanted to do more. Your solution of a "tension system" was really cool. I will keep that idea in mind for future games and any potential expansions to Courier. It easily emulates the control shift of factions that I really was aiming for but didn't achieve and you explain in in such simplicity that I'm sold on it!
Very happy that you could homebrew some rules to keep things going smoothly and resolve any logic issues, such as 2 trading posts directly beside each other counting as a single location, so that you can't just go between them and make a fortune in a small amount of time.
Appreciate all your kind words and feedback.
- Cody
Glad you enjoyed it! Coming from the Board game hobby, I value Solo RPG that is first of all a self contained game before adding any stat check or RPG mechanism as it is the core gameplay loop that keeps players interested. So having more system is welcomed as it is there to keep new comers engaged instead of asking them to use their imagination to drive story forward!
Regarding Factions, I can definitely see the intention ! It is one of the best part of New Vegas but can be tricky to handle! If you are interested, I recommend checking out Mutant Year Zero RPG to see how it manages both base development and faction wars in a gamified way. I think it can be adopted with some simplification and make the faction tension even more flash out!
Hi there, Great game and I have been enjoying it. Is there any plans to release expansions like new encounters / factions / perks?
Also, is there anywhere to see what the physical copy looks like?
Thanks for the feedback! I don't have any immediate plans for an expansion as people would likely want a print run and the game launched over a year ago, so the excitement for it is likely very low.
The physical copy looks identical to the digital. I've attached an image for your reference (all the extra stuff is included, minus the meeple):
If you are interested in a physical copy, please contact me at sleepysasquatchgames@gmail.com and I'll arrange a discount if you already purchased a digital copy!
- Cody
Hi. If a hex is a faction location and I roll raiders how is this handled? I can’t interact like other factions. Should I make it a raider camp? If so small or large? Or maybe its a one off combat? If so when I cross the hex again am I re-rolling the faction? I’m proper confused! Also the table is on p.23 not p.24 as written.
Looks like a cool game. Can’t wait to start after my initial stall!
Hey!
Thanks for the questions. Combat should not be possible in a faction location unless it is the faction that that location belongs to. This is a problem I've been asked about before and need to include in the errata. You could treat this as a one-off combat encounter as well, your choice. It should be assumed that each hex is larger than just the location inside, so encountering Raiders is highly possible as they would be out-and-about doing their thing.
As the game stands, Raiders cannot take over faction locations. There are some unique rules in the game that will change faction ownership but never for the Raiders. It is briefly mentioned, in my scrapped ideas section of the game, that I wanted to include Raiders moving across the map and taking over locations but didn't include it.
Every time I revisit Courier I see another issue that I wish I could go back and resolve for the printed copies. :)
As always, let me know if you have any more questions.
- Cody
Thanks for the swift reply :-) So to summarise: If you enter a blank hex and roll raiders there is no official ruling. Until there is you may conduct a one off combat then roll the faction again (ignoring raiders, unless you are a glutton for punishment!) or ignore the raider result entirely and roll again.
Great! I can begin my game as that hex was my very first move.
Correct. You should just re-roll for another Faction in that space.
There are Raider Camps as locations which can be discovered, and they will turn all adjacent combat encounters to be Raiders. Those are the only ways to add Raider locations to the map.
I picked this up from Four Rogues recently, and it's had a permanent set-up on my table for the last week. It's been so much fun, and now that I've fully explored (and exploited) my current wasteland, I think my courier might cross the 'Great Divide' into unknown territory, so I can play on a new map with new factions!
Glad you are enjoying it so much!
Just wanted to mention, spotted a small typo on page 7. I'm guessing its meant to be "House rules are always acceptable and encouraged." (Missing the d) not a big deal, just wanted to let you know :)
(Also on page 33, for the Jack, the failure section is missing a "w" in "now". Page 38 next to ex-ranger, it says "Gain 1 additional Player Attack phase on the". Page 39 in description, "grabbing on is not" should probably be "grabbing one is not". Page 40, it's should be its (couriers comet description, also burnt toast))
Sorry if this is annoying, once I get started looking for typos I have a hard time stopping. I can delete the comment if you want :)
It may not seem like it, but I've really been enjoying this rpg. It's really well put together, and definitely one I'll be making a friend or two play with me :)
I appreciate the feedback! I wrote a lot of the project in my layout program, which doesn't have intuitive spell checking, plus my editor missed a lot (more than you have listed)! I will add your finds to my list of edits to do.
Glad you are enjoying it! Let me know how the multiplayer goes for you if you get around to it.
I definitely will! I'm a big fan of post apocalyptic type things so it's right up my alley :)
(Also sorry if all the edit notes were a bit much)
Got my copy in the mail the other day, I looks fantastic. I can hardly wait to sink my teeth into it! Also thank you for the extras, I was not expecting that!
Glad to hear it! You got the Kickstarter edition of the game as I had extras. :)
Hi! I recently ordered the courier and I'm really looking forward to getting my physical copy. I didn't know if I would get a message when it shipped how that works exactly. Thanks!
Hey Duvall1138! I am shipping it out today. Check you email for the additional information that I require to ship.
Really fun game! I'm real short on cash right now so I claimed a community copy,but I can't find where to rate it?
Happy to hear you enjoy it! The rating button can be found in the top right-hand corner of your page next to the "Collections" button.
Having a lot of fun with the game so far! However, I think I found a small discrepancy. On page 5 of the rulebook, the Big Iron is listed as dealing 1 DMG, while the same weapon on page 24 (and in the combat examples) is listed as dealing 2 DMG. Is this intentional, or an error?
Thanks for catching that. Big Iron should do 2 DMG, as listed on page 24 in the Weapons Table. I increased it late in development and missed changing the examples and starting equipment numbers.
Glad to hear you are enjoying it. Thank you for the feedback!