BOOK OF HOURS

Book of Hours is an atmospheric, crafting-focused narrative RPG developed by Weather Factory, the creators of the acclaimed Cultist Simulator. Shifting the frantic, time-sensitive mechanics of its predecessor to a more meditative and deliberate pace, the game tasks the player with restoring the crumbling Hush House—an ancient, occult library situated on the Cornish coast—and rebuilding the world's shattered knowledge following a mysterious event known as the Suppression.

 The Library and the Suppression

The player takes on the role of the newly appointed librarian and last inheritor of Hush House. The core setting is a vast, dilapidated structure that serves as a physical puzzle. The game begins with the library in ruins, its wings locked, its halls choked with dust, and its precious contents scattered or forgotten.

The immediate goal is to unlock and repair the library's many rooms—from the scriptorium and the chapel to the forbidden catacombs. Each room, once restored, provides new slots for studying, crafting, or generating specific types of occult resources. This act of physical restoration mirrors the player's internal journey of piecing together the broken history of the world, a history profoundly altered by the Suppression, which destroyed most records of magic, myth, and the hidden deities of the world, leaving humanity scrambling to define reality anew.

 Crafting and the Nine Principles

Unlike traditional RPGs, Book of Hours uses a complex, abstract Crafting System based on occult principles. Knowledge, actions, and resources are represented by Aspects—abstract qualities like Moth (desire and change), Forge (creation and destruction), Winter (stasis and endings), and the other six of the game's nine core Principles.

The gameplay loop involves combining a subject (e.g., a damaged book), a verb (e.g., study or restore), and a tool (e.g., a focused emotion or a mystical pigment). To restore a damaged volume, you might combine a "Dilapidated Text" with the "Verb: Mend" and the "Emotion: Curiosity" (which holds a Forge Aspect). Success in this process yields not just a repaired book, but often fragments of lore, powerful insights, and sometimes, new problems.

The Quiet Life and Hidden Knowledge

The pace of the game is purposefully slow and absorbing. There is no traditional combat or time limit. The challenge is one of logistics, synthesis, and discovery. Players must manage a small garden, prepare meals, and even interact with a few local residents who occasionally visit the house, adding moments of grounding amidst the cosmic horror.

The ultimate goal is to fill the extensive library with restored volumes, unlocking deeper truths about the universe and the mysterious Hours—the hidden powers that govern existence. The restored books and the knowledge they contain become the player's primary source of power, allowing them to perform more advanced rituals, translate esoteric texts, and ultimately decide the fate of Hush House and the knowledge it holds. Book of Hours is a contemplative, text-heavy game that rewards patience and a deep love for lore and world-building.