Sin & Senses

I Almost Called This "Sins & Sensibility" But I Like To Think I'm Better Than That

If you’re new to solo journaling games, it can be hard to figure out how to get into the right headspace to roleplay a character without a third-party catalyst. Sitting down to D&D is one thing, where you have the obligations of both narrative momentum and not wasting your adventuring party’s time as driving factors to get into your character. But with a solo game, and especially a journaling one, it can feel a little goofy to just sit down on a Sunday afternoon and decide to be someone else for a while. 

Much like the other types of roleplaying (LARP, sex, adulthood), a lot of what makes it work is setting yourself up for success ahead of time (cool period-specific outfits, mood lighting, intergenerational wealth). Getting the vibes right is key, and what are vibes if not just a shortform way of describing ambiance. I guess? 

To this end, to aid in locking down the vibes for your session of sin-eating, I made a handy guide on stuff to help you fast-track your way to being 100% sinpilled. Going full sincel. Lowkey sinmaxxing. Do you ever wonder if you already own the clothes you’ll be wearing when you die?

SIGHTS. If you’re new to tabletop gaming and may be used to having your atmosphere established for you by the video games you play or the movies and shows you watch, it might be hard to figure out how to set up the right ambiance when going analog. While heading to your FLGY (friendly local graveyard) to play a gothy journaling game may not be feasible, there are plenty of other ways to create a visual vibe to help set the scene for some spooky storytelling.

Pictured: the correct place to play Sin-Eater

Start with a clear, de-cluttered space, since we’ll be cluttering it up again, but with ✨intentionality✨. The first rule of a m b i a n c e is thoughtfully arranged tchotchkes. The second rule of ambiance is never learning the real definition of “liminal.” The third rule of ambiance is making sure that you’re not accidentally confusing it with the word “aesthetic” while you’re coming up with the rules for it.

Once all the unpaid bills that were previously sitting on your table have been nestled safely in the trash, think about the functional space you’ll need to play the game. Maintain an area to put your journal to write comfortably, as well as room to roll dice. Make sure neither your journal nor dice are on a trajectory where they might meet the flame of the candle that is required as part of playing Sin-Eater. 

From there, zhuzh up your space to your heart’s content! If you have an idea of the sin-eater you want to play, grab items that might represent them. Got any cool animal skulls, sprigs of herbs, or haunted dolls sitting around? Add them to the mix. If you don’t have them, buy some ASAP. How have you gone this long in life without acquiring at least one haunted doll? You’re missing out, they’re great. You can even bully the more sentient ones into paying rent. Alternatively, if you’re returning to a character, consider what items you can add that may represent the growth in their character from the last session. Whatever you choose to do, creating a sin-drenched mise-en-scène is an excellent way to get into the mood of the game.

SOUNDS. Having a soundtrack to your journaling session is amazing, but having a pre-session playlist is even better, since it sets the stage way before you pull up a chair. You can go as broad as just going on Spotify and typing in “gothic playlist,” or as narrow as making custom playlists for each of your characters. Putting this on the morning before a solo/group TTRPG session can go a long way to getting the foundational vibes in place. 

Will pay rent, but only in ha’pennies

While I was writing Sin-Eater, I listened to about as much Scandinavian and eastern European ambient pagan metal as you would expect for a folk horror project that answers hard-hitting questions like “what if you were a freaky little ghoul deciding whether or not people burn in hell forever?” While playing Sin-Eater, there are a few spots where you’ll be asked about your character in regards to their relationship to song, and song’s relationship to their odious work. For me, this always came back to the chanting of folk hymns. I made a playlist that featured musicians like Heilung, Wardruna, Лёдъ, and Grai–even if you don’t know who any of those bands are, the names alone make it pretty apparent what the energy was in my household. Also, shoutout to the Moravian folk metal band I stumbled upon while writing Sin-Eater called Silent Stream of Godless Elegy; even though their music ended up not really fitting what I was going for tonally, they have an undeniably sick name. 

When it comes to playing the game itself, you can use the same playlist again, or make something new to fit more of a background soundtrack vibe. Consider things like distractingly repetitive or abrasive tones, lyrics, etc. that may take you out of your session. 

If you want some inspiration, check out the Sin-Eater playlist I made here, which could help start you on the right path to tell the tale of your own aforementioned freaky little ghoul.

SCENTS. There are a lot of ways to use smells to help elevate your gaming experience. Candles are the go-to option (which is great, since Sin-Eater requires a candle! Convenient! Or have two candles, one for game mechanics and one for ambiance. Opt for two different scented candles if you want to give yourself a headache and make yourself ill, which would be thematic if you’re meant to be a guy who spends a lot of time around dead peasants.) If you want to get specific with it, there are a bunch of nerdy candle companies out there making themed scents to fit your needs. One of my personal favorites is Cantrip Candles, although any scented candle or spray will do in a pinch, as long as it fits the vibes you’re going for. 

Scent notes: jasmine, musk, Victorian child

You can also forgo the candle and take an even more thematic approach. For Sin-Eater, you could consider making a meal before playing, so the lingering scents of cooking carry over into your session. Roast some meat, light a candle, snort an entire clove of garlic–the whole bulb, no half-assing it, we’re not cowards here!--do whatever works for you to get the spooky, sin-drenched scents you’re looking for.

While that’s only three out of five senses (maybe six? I’ve never been totally clear on proprioception. Also my cold medicine is starting to wear off, so I don’t think this parenthetical is adding much to this post.) Make sure you subscribe to get future updates about Sin-Eater, including some really exciting news that I’ll be able to announce soon!