How The Churn works
A dying star-empire of warring void-fleets. One intention per turn; the world decides what becomes of you — by honest judgment, not luck — and grinds on whether or not you act wisely.
One intention per turn
Each turn you write a single order — what you intend to do, in plain language. The world resolves it by judgment: a reckless charge gets an ordinary person hurt; a careful plan might work, or might not. There is no stat sheet to game and no dice to bless you.
No dice, no plot armor
You are not the hero. You are an ordinary, fragile person in an indifferent world. Bad instructions get you killed, and that is that — which is exactly what makes a careful, lucky run feel earned. You can be injured, robbed, captured, enslaved, or permanently killed.
The world moves without you
Time passes on a rolling clock. Set an order and the world turns on its own schedule; queue nothing and it still turns, with your character holding fast and taking no reckless action while events grind on around them. Being away is dangerous, not a pause button.
Allies, and deception
Add friends by a shareable code — that bond is between accounts, not characters. When you each have a living character, those characters can meet as allies in the world: see each other on the galaxy map, and optionally share your queued order. Sharing can be a lie — you may show an ally a decoy while you intend something else entirely.
Questions
What is The Churn?
A browser text-survival game set in a dying star-empire of warring void-fleets. You submit one intention per turn and an AI adjudicates what actually happens to an ordinary character. You are nobody, and you are not safe.
Is it free, and do I need an account?
It is free to play. You sign in with a one-time email code — no password. Each account holds one living character at a time.
What happens when my character dies?
Death is permanent. The world remembers how you fell, and then you begin again as someone new and ordinary.
How long is a turn?
Turns resolve on a rolling clock. You set an order; the world turns on its own schedule whether or not you acted. If you queue nothing, the world still moves around you.
Can I play with friends?
Yes. Add friends by a shareable code at the account level. When you each have a living character, those characters can meet as allies in the world — and you can show an ally your real order, or a decoy.