This is a minimalist framework for a solo sci-fi journaling RPG. It explores concepts of branching timelines and entropy being drivers in the players decision making process. It was influenced by the temporal mechanics of Space Alert by Vlaada Chvátil.

### Setting You are a Temporal Navigator, an explorer tasked with journeying through branching timelines aboard the temporal vessel “Chronoceptor.” Your mission: observe, record, and subtly influence key moments across multiple timelines to avert a cataclysmic future known only as “The Entropic Collapse.” Each timeline visited becomes more unstable (entropic), and revisiting timelines drastically accelerates their collapse.

### Story Premise Each entry you write documents your encounter with critical events in these timelines. You're faced with moral dilemmas, subtle manipulations, and moments of connection with various realities. Your entries shape your identity and gradually uncover your past, your motivations, and your growing emotional and psychological stakes.

### Core Mechanics

#### Temporal Logs (Journaling) - Each session begins with a “Temporal Anchor,” a prompt describing a significant event occurring at a precise temporal coordinate. - Journal your response as the Navigator, detailing your actions, emotional state, discoveries, and subtle influences on the event.

#### Entropy and Branching Timelines - Each timeline has an Entropy rating, starting at 0. - Each visit increases Entropy by 1. Revisiting a timeline adds +2 Entropy per revisit. - When Entropy reaches 5, the timeline destabilizes irreversibly, collapsing entirely. Your final entry in a collapsing timeline should reflect chaos, loss, and final observations.

### Temporal Dynamics - Instead of audio cues, events unfold via a structured deck or table of prompts with specific “Temporal Coordinates” (timestamp-like identifiers) indicating the event's position and urgency in the timeline. - Events require precise decision-making under limited in-game temporal resources called “Chronons.”

#### Chronons: The Temporal Currency - Begin each journaling session with 12 Chronons. - Every meaningful action (intervention, influence, major observation) costs Chronons (usually 1-3). - Decide carefully: spending fewer Chronons keeps entropy low but limits your influence, while spending more risks destabilizing timelines quicker.

#### Delayed Consequences - At session's end, roll a die to determine delayed consequences of your actions:

1. Roll 1-2: A positive outcome in future sessions.
2. Roll 3-4: Ambiguous future effects.
3. Roll 5-6: Negative consequences (Entropy increase).

#### Character Development: Fractured Identity - Each session, answer a reflective prompt regarding your Navigator's identity or memories. Questions become progressively introspective:

1. Early: “What motivated your mission?”
2. Mid: “What regrets do you carry from altered timelines?”
3. Late: “Who are you becoming as timelines collapse around you?”

- Every 5 sessions, summarize a “Fragment of Self,” a critical revelation from your logs shaping your evolving identity.

### Endgame: Entropic Collapse - When three timelines collapse, your mission concludes. Write a final entry reflecting your Navigator's legacy, successes, regrets, and a profound personal revelation gained through their journey.

### Branching Path Mechanic - Each event has “Branches”: distinct paths explored by spending Chronons. You can revisit events to choose different branches, but at a higher Entropy cost. - Track explored branches clearly, allowing meaningful revisit sessions and depth in narrative exploration.

### Example Entry Format ``` Temporal Coordinate: [2053.12.01:2145:Alpha-Prime] Entropy Level: 2 Chronons Spent: 3 Event: A scientist prepares to activate an experimental energy reactor. Navigator's Response: [Detailed narrative and introspection here] Delayed Consequence Roll: [1-6 result with brief note] Identity Reflection: “How does observing power without restraint affect your understanding of yourself?” ```

This approach provides deep narrative immersion, meaningful temporal decision-making, and profound character development through journaling.