An infinite game is played for the purpose of continuing the play. If I have a manifesto for gaming, the biggest assertion I want to make is a simple one: of all the marvellous games available for us to enjoy in our spare time, the fantasy roleplaying game has the greatest value as an infinite game.

Yesterday, as I was enjoying my current solo expedition into the Wildwood, disaster struck: my main character was brutally killed in a chance encounter with an enraged Wild Boar. His two companions managed to best the beast but, alas, Kellyn perished after being gored.

The beast is fuming with rage. Eshal aims another blow, pulling her axe free and up. My shortsword stabs down but misses wide to the left. Pain in my groin rages against my concentration… Caelyn stabs at the underbelly again but misses to the left. The boar gores with its tusk towards my lower torso and hits, rending my bladder and all fades to black.

The play was intense but I truly didn’t expect such a brutal and ignominious end. As I finished the session, my heart was stunned and my intentions were unclear. Perhaps it would be best to leave things here and create a new character? I was tempted to go roll up a Wood Elf.

But then I remembered my manifesto: an infinite game is played for the purpose of continuing the play and the fantasy roleplaying game has the greatest value as such a game.. If I am serious about my solo play then, sooner or later, I need to invest in the principle of playing to keep the game going.

Kellyn is dead and Caelyn’s leg is ruined – the boar gored his left leg and he narrowly escaped the most brutal effects of being trampled. Eshal, although unhurt, was only able to set the broken leg and bind his wounds to stop the bleeding. She carries him to the nearby trail.

What will happen from here? Decision one was to make Caelyn my primary character and promote Eshal from being a GM Personality to being a full GM Character. Second decision has been to recognise that the original goal is moot and figure out what these two will do next.

The largest decision is to continue to the play. Wildwood has been refreshing and enjoyable like nothing before in my solo experience. It’s time to see if I can keep the game going and discover where events will take us. It’s a simple matter of deciding to play on.

It’s not the game situation I would have chosen but perhaps it’s just the game situation that I need. I wonder how these two will fair as the evening presses in and night falls?

Game on!