Dice & Diary
How to play
One die, one pen, ten minutes. Here is a whole evening, start to finish.
How it works
Roll. Read. Write.
1
It picks who comes in, what they want and what happens tonight.
2
One small, specific question. Never a blank page.
3
Three lines or three pages. Messy handwriting is perfect.
Try it right now
Play one evening. Right now.
This is The Autumn Café, the first of the six games. You've just inherited a little café on Quill Lane. Roll the die to see who walks in tonight.
Roll 1 · Someone comes in
Tap the die to see who walks in tonight.
Odile Pepper
Retired schoolteacher
Does the crossword at 8:05 sharp. Corrects the spelling on your chalkboard. Kindly.
She asks for “the usual,” which you don’t know yet. What do you make, and what does her face do?
Theo Marsh
Carpenter
Fixing your creaky floor one board at a time. Apologizes to furniture when he bumps into it.
Theo measures something in the café and won’t say what it’s for. What do you think he’s building?
Wren Halloway
Traveling bookseller
Lives in a green van full of books. Has a book for everyone, and one she will never sell.
Wren picks a book from her bag for you without asking. What’s the title, and why does it fit?
Mr. Abernathy
Mail carrier for forty-one years
Knows every mailbox in town. Whistles the same three notes; nobody knows the rest of the song.
He hands you a postcard addressed simply to “The Café.” What’s the picture, and what does it say?
Priya Lark
Knits for the whole town
Hears everything. Has never once said “I shouldn’t tell you this” and then not told you.
Priya tells you the latest Hazelbrook gossip. What is it, and is it true?
The Quiet Stranger
Sits by the window
Sketches all afternoon and leaves exact change. Has been coming here longer than you have.
You glimpse her sketchbook: it’s full of this café. What is she drawing today?
Roll 2 · Take the order
What are they in the mood for?
Make them a drink: one Base, one Heart, one Spark. Give it a name.
Roll 3 · Something happens
One small moment before closing.
Write three lines in any notebook. That's a whole evening. 1 of 6 regulars and 18 heart prompts, in this game alone.
Made for tired evenings
No group, no game master, no experience. Never played? Evening one is played with you.
Every evening the die hands you a moment and a question. You answer in your own words.
Who you are, who walks in, what the weather does. Nothing to agonize over.
Twelve evenings, one finale, three possible endings. You finish a journal, for once.
Play your first three evenings.
If it isn't your kind of quiet, email help@diceanddiary.com within 30 days and we'll refund you in full. No forms, no questions.
A file that won't open or a page that prints badly? We fix it within 24 hours.
Questions
Questions about playing
I've never played anything like this. Can I?
Yes. Start with The Autumn Café: evening one is played with you, step by step. If you can write a diary, you can play.
I'm not a writer. Can I still play?
Every prompt is specific, so you never stare at a blank page. Three lines is a whole evening, and messy handwriting is perfect.
Is it a real game or just writing prompts?
A real game: you roll, earn, unlock and reach one of three endings. The writing is how you play it.
What do I need?
A pen, one ordinary six-sided die (or the dice roller in the companion) and a notebook, or the journal pages in each game. No cards, no group, no game master.
How long does an evening take?
Ten to thirty minutes. Twelve evenings and a finale make one game, about two to four weeks at your pace.
What if I stop for a while?
The game waits. Your ledger keeps your place, and the companion remembers it on your phone.
Dice & Diary
Tonight, one page. By winter, a whole story.
Put the phone in the other room, make something warm, and roll.