Hi everyone!

This is the second devlog about the development of THE NAMELESS.
In this update, I want to talk about the ACCEPT/REJECT mechanic and why I changed the name of the main character from VETERAN to NAMELESS.

THE FIRST DRAFT
As I mentioned in the first devlog, the game started out as a very simple solo journalist game: you'd rebuild the city's map by drawing what you remembered.
However, I felt that something was missing.
I wanted a small but important mechanic. Something like YES or NO. A choice.
I thought that some memories could be kept or let go.
So I added a mechanic where you'd draw cards and for each one, decide whether to keep it (and draw it on the map) or discard it (as a forgotten memory).
It worked, but there was something that didn't convince me.
I played, but I wasn't feeling the right emotions.

ACCEPT / REJECT

Eventually, I found the issue.
The choice wasn't really about remembering or forgetting.
A trauma, a deep memory, can't easily be forgotten, especially if it marked you.
So I understood that the real choice to offer to the player must have been another one: ACCEPT or REJECT.
The core question isn't "Do you remember this?" but "CAN YOU ACCEPT THIS?"
This small change shifted the entire focus of the game. You’re not just rebuilding a city—you’re confronting what’s left of it.
Each memory isn't just a part of the map; it's a moment to face.
So the choice has become:

• Accepting too much of what resurfaces might wear you down.
• Rejecting too much might keep you trapped in an illusion.

This reflection also led me to introduce another mechanic: Weight.
But I'll talk about that in another devlog...maybe :)

FROM VETERAN TO NAMELESS
At first, the protagonist was called Veteran, because I imagined a soldier returning to his city destroyed by war. But I felt the need to expand this concept: war doesn't just affect soldiers, but everyone who lives and endures it.
So I needed a name that could represent all people.
And that's how Nameless was born.
An open, faceless identity in which every player can identify.
This choice also led to another innovation: the role of the GM became shared.
Both participants must be able to step into the Nameless's shoes, contributing TOGETHER to building his memories, his story, and his choices.

We've reached the end of this second devlog.
I'm not sure if I'll write more devlogs, but I want to thank anyone who read this devlog and the first one too.
As always, feel free to share any thoughts or feedback!
Thanks for reading!