How to Play Pocket Quest: The Complete Beginner’s Guide in 30 Minutes

Three dice, a pencil, and half an hour ahead of you. That’s all it takes to become a legend.

Have you ever dreamed of being that lone hero crossing mysterious lands, facing forgotten creatures, and discovering ancient secrets? Without waiting for your friends to free up a slot three weeks from now? Welcome to Pocket Quest, where the adventure begins when YOU decide it does.

The Hero’s Survival Kit (What You Need)

No enchanted backpack or 400-page manual required. Your equipment:

• A six-sided die (that one sitting in your drawer for years will do just fine)
• A pencil (red for style, blue for sobriety)
• The Pocket Quest booklet (or this guide if you’re testing before buying)
• 30 minutes (the length of a TV episode, except YOU are the hero)

Create Your Alter Ego (2 Minutes Flat)

You have 6 points to distribute among three attributes. Be careful — trust me, you’ll regret putting 0 in Physique when a wolf is chasing you.

• Physique: Running, climbing, breaking things
• Mind: Solving puzzles, persuading, perceiving the invisible
• Equipment: Your weapons, armor, potions, and everything shiny

Example: Kael, the amateur thief dreaming of glory

• Physique: 2 (he climbs walls but tires quickly)
• Mind: 2 (smart enough not to get caught… usually)
• Equipment: 2 (his trusty dagger and a shady cloak)

You also have 10 Hit Points. When an action fails, you lose 1 HP. Believe me, it goes fast when you do stupid stuff.

The Rules: As Simple as They Are Great

Want to do something? Roll 1D6 + your attribute. Compare to the difficulty level:

• Easy (4+): “I run across the room”
• Normal (5+): “I find the secret switch”
• Hard (6+): “I decipher these ancient runes while disarming a trap”

Result ≥ difficulty? Success! You’re a hero.
Result < difficulty? Fail! Lose 1 HP and enjoy the ensuing narrative disaster. Because failing is often funnier than succeeding.

Your First Adventure: The Abandoned Village (§1)

You arrive at a ghost village. Dilapidated houses, wind whistling, traces of an ancient battle. That’s when your gamer brain kicks in.

“I’m going to explore the abandoned forge,” you proudly declare.

Action: Search the forge
Attribute: Mind (5+ to find something interesting)
Roll: 1D6 + 2 = … say 4 + 2 = 6 ✅

Success! You discover a rusty sword. It gives +1 for one combat — not bad to start. But careful: to reach §2 (the Whispering Forest), you must first succeed at an action in the current village. That’s the price of progression.

Total Freedom (The Real Joy)

Unlike choose-your-own-adventure books where your hand is forced (“turn to page 42 or die”), Pocket Quest lets you explore wherever you want.

Pathways between zones? Connected. Want to go straight to the Windy Plains without visiting the forest? If the path exists in the connections, it’s open. You are the master of your destiny.

Except when the die decides otherwise. Then it’s the die’s fault. Obviously.

Survivor Pro Tip

Don’t neglect Equipment. A vitality potion that restores 1D6 HP (discovered if you communicate with the spirits of the Whispering Forest) can save your life when you’re at 2 HP and a tentacled thing is watching you from the shadows.

Want to Give It a Try?

There you go — you now know everything. Theoretically. But nothing beats practice. Create your character, roll that die, and dive into the Lands of Mythoria. The Shadow Lord awaits you.

Or rather, he should really be worried. You have a die, a sheet, and now you know how to use it.

Get Pocket Quest on Itch.io