Epistolary is a game that tries to recreate the feel of the epistolary novel, and does a very good job of that. Clever strategies such as constraining non-narrators to dialogue only and offering a set of nonverbal signs for the GM to express judgments and results look to be exactly what this design goal requires. The basic resolution mechanic involves 1-3 cards drawn by the GM and one from each player, then scoring the result based on a suit (indicated by the GM pointing to one of the Aces). This has a solid combination of randomness, player decisions, and hidden information without any one being dominant. I expect this will produce an interesting and enjoyable play experience.
Another clever element of the game is the way of providing ideas and direction, by having player or GM written prop cards, which provide another player with an automatic trump card in resolution, if they have incorporated that element into their letter. Meanwhile the archetype cards, seem like a serviceable way to produce mechanical differences among the characters types. Since hands are only rebuilt after a letter, this produces a subtle pressure for a narrator to hold off on making her letters too long, lest she encounter too many difficulties.
All of that builds around my one major concern with this game, it is a game of monster hunters possibly infiltrated by the monster. This is the central conflict of a game of Epistolary, but there seems to be little in the way of system or advice for the GM by which to manage it. A simple tally of clues versus monster progress could make this conflict more concrete and easier to relate to the fictional events going on. Alternatively, the GM could manage a series of fictional subgoals for hunters and monster giving out some predefined prop cards, maybe opening up new achievement cards.
This game uses some ingredients, most notably mimic with the hidden monster, lantern with the name of newspaper the GM can channel through, and doctor as one of the archetypes, as well as one investigative Forge thread. Last Chance is implied by the fictional situation, but only very mildly. But in a way, I'm happier this game wasn't overly confined to the ingredients. Epistolary has a great deal of potential, and I look forward to seeing where it goes. I'm especially interested in what happens if we take the situation away from monster hunting, into, say, fantastic exploration or missives during war or revolution.
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