Tick · Tock

Time to Kill

A solo journaling game by Spencer Campbell · published by Gila RPGs · web adaptation

Painted noir illustration of a grand hotel lobby at night: a man in a fedora sits alone in a red leather armchair beneath a large wall clock, waiting.
The Setting · A grand hotel lobbyArt in the style of the book

You are a professional hitman, out for another routine job. Your target is set to arrive at this hotel soon, and you've arrived early to make sure you're there to “greet” them. Take a seat in the lobby. Check your watch.

Looks like you've got some time to kill, before it's time to kill.

1
Player · Solo
52
Cards · One Deck
51
Prompts from the Book
4
Instincts
1 d6
Die · Every Moment
1
Decision at the End

Prep

A standard deck, jokers removed. The Ace of Hearts is your Target — where it hides in the deck decides how long you wait.

How long is the wait?
Variants (from the book)

How a Moment Works

  1. Roll. Roll the d6 and draw that many cards. Each card is a prompt — a memory, a lobby event, a page from the Target's file, a thought of your own.
  2. Record. Answer the prompts by writing the Moment in your journal.
  3. Keep. Of the cards drawn, you keep only the highest: numbered cards are worth 1, face cards 2, aces 3 — ties keep both. Kept Kings quietly remove the strongest card of another suit.
  4. Evaluate. Your kept cards, sorted by suit, show which Instinct is driving you. When the Ace of Hearts finally turns up, the Target has arrived — and you make the call.
Noir watercolor of a lone figure in a fedora and long coat standing on a rain-soaked rooftop, looking over a dark city skyline at night.
♠ Spades — Past HitsInstinct: Cold. Detached. A professional who gets the job done.
Noir watercolor of a crowded art deco hotel lobby bar, elegantly dressed guests talking and glancing over their shoulders.
♣ Clubs — The LobbyInstinct: Paranoid. Too much going on. Set up, or just nerves?
Noir watercolor of an open dossier on a desk under a brass lamp: a black-and-white portrait photograph of the Target, clipped to papers beside a red wax seal.
♥ Hearts — The TargetInstinct: Hesitant. You're not sure you can go through with it.
Noir watercolor still life on a black marble table: a sealed envelope, a stack of banknotes, black gloves, and a gold pocket watch.
♦ Diamonds — Your MotivesInstinct: Clear-Minded. In control. The decision is truly yours.